Hey guys,

This is probably a stupid question, but would the shrimp you see in the marine section of Jansens survive in a brackish (1.010) setup?

I've got a tank that I'm converting across to brackish at the moment, I've got some mollies in to help with the cycle, tomorrow a pair of bumblebee gobies will be introduced, and I've started to notice some brown algae on the glass..

a) would the shrimp help with that algae

b) would they survive/thrive in a brackish tank?

Pretty sure no, although you did not say what salinity you are going to.

Rockpool shrimps likely OK

For algae etc, I'd go with a phosphate removing resin.

I'm aiming for 1.010 at the moment... But as I'll have a puffer in there, I'm pretty sure I'll *eventually* have 1.020 or thereabouts...

Are there not any shrimp that'd live in half-strength salinity? :lol:

They will live in 1.020. I'm not sure where the cut off point is, but they will not live in 1.010. Not the Jansens ones anyway.

From what I have (vaguely) read over most crustaceans require full strength sea water - however there are some specialized ones that can go in anything.

Are there mangrove crabs here? I would imagine they would be perfect.

You mean those things that dig little holes in the mud? If so there's millions of them. They spend all their time hiding though.

what about things like the hermit crabs / rockpool shrimp/fish you can find at beaches? If it's a more or less permanent rockpool they'd be accustomed to less than full marine wouldn't they?

I'm just trying to find out what else I can get to live in a brackish tank

So far, my java fern appears to be holding up as well

Hermit crabs may last a few weeks?months, but it will be the temperature that will get them. glass shrimps will be OK, fish will handle it for maybe 6 months +, but eventually their livers will pack up & they'll die. That's because at normal salinity, fishes liver is used to constantly "flush" and get rid of excess salt. The fishes own internal osmotic balance is 1.007. At an external salinity of 1.010, the liver ceases the required amount of "flushing" to keep it healthy, and will eventually fail.(that's if you're talking 1.010 ). You will need to start them in normal salinity and reduce it over several days.

Crustaceans have a different mechanism of osmotic control, the ones we see in the shops cannot adapt to 1.010. But glass shrimps may.

Rock pool blennies are real characters in a tank, I had some in a cold water system. They perch at various vantage points where they can keep an eye on everything. They eat heaps, big appetites.

How long till you get your system up to 1.020? Rock pool fish will be fine at that.

If you have rockpool fish in a lower salinity, you will need to lower it over several days. But raising salinity is more dangerous, if going from 1.010 to 1.020, you should take at least a week, particularly moving out of the lower levels slowly, giving the fish time to get its liver fired up again. Don't get fooled by the idea they live in a rock pool and can handle sudden changes. These are short term changes, long term temp/salinity that is wrong is harder on them.

it'll be a while yet before I get up to full strength, as I haven't even got the puffer yet! I'm getting two bumblebee gobies today (as soon as my olds arrive :lol:) and when my boyfriend gets back in the New Year, we'll go puffer shopping

My sons girlfriend just sold a really cool brackish puffer on Trade Me!

heh bugger!

I'm looking for tetraodon nigriviridis... My boyfriend is very specific that he wants THAT one! :roll: