Phillz Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Does anyone have one? What are the requirements? What fish do you keep? Just really curious.......thinking this might be an option for my next tank :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimbus Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Hi Phillz Yes I have a brackish tank and it would be nice to have some company here to share the trials and tribulations with. My tank is 60 X 30 X 30 (54L) and contains 2 green spotted puffers and three bumblebee gobies, who all seem to get along quite well despite advise to the contrary. I set my original tank up about 4 months ago, but uplarged just in the last month or so. I love my puffers but maintaining a brackish tank is time consuming. The main problem being brown algae, it coats everthing within 7-10 days. Maintenance involves taking everything out and scrubbing with a toothbrush, but being a smallish tank makes this easier to manage. To remedy this problem I have tried algae blocks and"TLC for Freshwater Aquariums" (a natural algae inhibitor) which works wonders in my tropical tank but not as effective in my brackish tank and just recently algae blocks. My next option to see if I can conquer this problem is to try a product (cant remember name at the moment) that absorbs silicates which apparently algae loves. The other problem is feeding. Generally the gobies will only eat frozen bloodworms and I have to be cunning here as the puffers like to get to it before the gobies have even noticed there is food on offer. The puffers gobble any live food offered and also frozen brine shrimp and to my delight love peeled peas . I do love my brackish tank, especially the puffers. They get to know their owner and will swim to the front of the tank when I come near. And they look so adorable when they sleep curled up like a wee puppy. What fish were you thinking of adding to your brackish tank? Im sure you are doing heaps of research on this, and I can only add that compatibility seems to be an issue with various types and also a lot of brackish fish tend to get quite big, such as the monos and scats. Hope I havent put you off and look forward to hearing how you go. Feel free to ask if I have left anything out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scherazade Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 I have also just set up a brackish tank. I was setting it up specifically for a figure 8 puffer (so hard to get hold of!) so i was quite particular about the water params being exactly perfect. Keeping plants has turned out to be a mission too. I had read that java fern will survive but so far mine has turned a sort of grey colour and there large beak shaped holes in it.... All in all it was well worth the trouble cycling (need to find hardy brackish fish to cycle with or go the fishless route) and eventually getting the puffer. A few things to bear in mind though, theres no algae eaters i can think of, wood isn't so good as it can lower the pH and they need a high pH, most brackish fish are very messy so need a bgger tank then you might think and they can also get very nippy and terrotorial. Hope some of this is some help. Its by no means definitive just what i've learnt over the past few months research. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Two other suitable inhabitants for a brackish tank are monos Monodactylus sp and scats Scatophagus argus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jude Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 what about plants? are there any that will successfully grow in brackish water if java moss doesn't like it? Cheers Jude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillz Posted August 3, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Thanks for the advice guys......very much appreciated! Now, would they be OK in the hex tank........or more suited to a longer tank. The trouble is I have been offered a good deal on a 750Wx450Dx500H with hang on filter.........I mention this to hubby and he said was was looking forward to making a stand, hood and surrounds for the Hex tank I have........BLAST IT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Can't he make stands etc for both? Scats and monos grow too big for your hex I think you will find. Not sure about the plants but think Java fern will tolerate brackish conditions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loopy Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 What do you use to make the water salty? is there a particular brand or product that you are supposed to use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scherazade Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Java fern is supposed to survive but it's not doing too well in my tank. The eel grass is going great though. As for salt any kind of marine salt will work, instant ocean ect. regular table salt or freashwater 'tonic' salt is no good, it doesn't contain the trace minerals needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caper Posted August 3, 2005 Report Share Posted August 3, 2005 Would you please explain more about brackish tanks? Ummm...someone told me something before...but as usuall...if forget :oops: :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phillz Posted August 4, 2005 Author Report Share Posted August 4, 2005 This is the first site I came across in my research http://badmanstropicalfish.com/brackish/brackish.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klaymann Posted August 16, 2005 Report Share Posted August 16, 2005 If your still thinking of having a brackish set up let me know , Have had "too" many tanks over the years keeping these .. ....................monos A & S ,scats, archers E & C, gobies , alligator fish , crocodile fish , robustis , numerous types of puffers , tiger fish M & Q , half beaks , chanda , etc ..know alot about tank habits and traits with these little guys and not so little guys ( tigers) .. anyway happy to share what I have learnt about them ..plus what plants to keep. hope you do set one up as these are the hardiest type of aquarium fish around . plus the coolest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0pius Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 Nimbus, How old are your GSP's (Green Spotted Puffers) as they grow to 6" and should be at full saltwater before they hit that. They also require a lot of room as they grow pretty wide, I've also got two of them (Had them for about 2 1/2 years now) and they are now at full salt with my porcupine in a 540lt tank. As far as the bumble bee gobies they may get on now but will slowly disappear later on as the puffers curiosity increase. If you need any info on puffers check out the website www.thepufferforum.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nimbus Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 Hi Opius I bought my puffers about five months ago and have no idea how old they were when I got them. They hang out in a 54L tank which I guess eventually they will outgrow. They dont seem any bigger than when I first got them. I have read they will eventually require full salt but how does one know when to increase the salinity and what modifications if any would I need to make to my tank. After having yours for 2 1/1 years, how big are that presently? Do you have any suggestions regarding the brown algae. I am finding this is less of a problem if I keep the light switched off but would prefer to have it on for a few hours each day. Thanks for you input. Regards Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 klaymann, what are alligator fish, taxonomical name please?? I can't find reference for them, but have seen that name bandied around, also noted that they are a cold water fish??????????? Just wondering. Thanks Alan 104 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
0pius Posted August 17, 2005 Report Share Posted August 17, 2005 Nimbus, My GSP's are about 5" so nearly there, this is the rule to live by when it comes to GSP's, keep GSPs at low-end BW when juvenile <2†at SG 1.005-08 at 2-4†medium BW SG 1.010-15 and adult 4†SW SG 1.018-22. As far as the algae goes, you could look at putting a UV sterilizer on there or making sure you clear uneaten food as that possibly is causing the nitrates to sky rocket (I am assuming you have checked the levels) which will be making it a prime place for algae, out of interest what diet do your puffers have. Hope this helps. Opius Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klaymann Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Alan .. the alligator fish are the Xenentodon Cancila .. other name is a "needle fish" but were sold under the alligator name over here about 10 years ago , I had 3 pairs of these , female is larger and has a red hump above the head area . very easy to breed but the young like eating each other... they live in tropical freshwater but have seen them in brackish waters over in Thailand and Cambodia , as well as freshwater rivers like the Khwae Noi river picking off baby tiger barbs .. always amazing to see fish you've kept in the wild .. hope this helps. Cheers Klay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klaymann Posted August 18, 2005 Report Share Posted August 18, 2005 Just to add to last post... saw archer fish for sale as food in Thailand and when down in krabi at a seafood restaurant where they were serving all sorts of exotic seafood .. spotted one of the workers about to munch down of a scat the size of the dinner plate .. he couldn't understand why I wanted to buy it off him to eat "noo noo ... no good enough for you , only for thais" .... anyway it needed salt !! ... lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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