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Anyone Running A Brackish Tank?

Brackish water

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#1 Pattison

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Posted 30 August 2016 - 05:41 PM

Wanting to set up 4x2x2 brackish tank, with natives like scats,archers,salmon tail,mudskippers, has anyone had a brackish tank or currently running one need some info and tips, any help is welcome thanks!



#2 Aiden

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Posted 30 August 2016 - 07:41 PM

i wouldn't recommend putting those fish with mudskipppers as they are quite small. I keep 3 mudskippers which I keep in freshwater with no problems, you just have to convert them over. I've seen people keep scats, archers and salmon tails altogether in a 5 foot freshwater setup. 

 

Here's the equipment you need to set a brackish tank if you want up:

  • Aquarium. Some articles claim that a 55 gallon or larger aquarium is required for brackish water aquaria but this is untrue. You could go as low as a 10g or even a 5.5g. The recommended set-ups later in the article may help you chose tank size.

     

  • Filter. The best filters for a brackish tank are hang on the back mechanical and bio-wheel filters or canister filters. Undergravel filters will not work properly with a sand substrate. For aquariums larger than 20 gallons, you should use 2 filters on opposite sides of the tank. You will want to have your water turned around 10 times per hour (so you would need a single 300gph filter or two 150gph filters for a 30g tank).

     

  • Heater. Never go cheap on a heater. Submersible heaters are much better at spreading heat and are less likely to shatter. Make sure you get a heater marked for fresh AND saltwater use. You also need to make sure the heater is adequate in size. A rule of thumb is 5 watts of heat per gallon.

     

  • Glass Top/Light Hood. All tanks should be covered and brackish tanks are no exception. Keep in mind, also, that brackish water evaporates faster than fresh water. If you plan on keeping plants, get atleast 1.5 Watts of light per gallon of water.

     

  • Thermometer and Hydrometer. You will need the thermometer to keep the temperature and a hydrometer to measure the salinity of the water. A cheap swing handle hydrometer is fine for this situation.

     

  • Substrate. Brackish water areas always are covered in a sandy, silty, or muddy material and I feel that sand is the best option for a brackish water aquarium. You could use marine aragonite, "Minerial Mud", or play sand (which can be found VERY cheap at hardware and home improvement stores). If you plan on keeping live rooted plants, you will need about a 1" layer of substrate (avoid larger layers as they can build up anaerobic spots) and for a fish only tank, a very thin layer is best.

     

  • Marine Salt. I prefer Instant Ocean but most brands should work. AVOID Freshwater Aquarium Salt as this is not the proper salt to use in brackish or marine tanks (although it is fine in full freshwater tanks to fight off parasites).

     

  • Water Condtioner. As with all aquariums, you will need a product to remove chlorine and chloramine from your tap water before placing it in the tank. Make sure the product is listed for both fresh and saltwater use.


#3 Pattison

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Posted 30 August 2016 - 09:48 PM

Currently have 5 mudskippers with 2 scatts which are roughly 4cm, is it worth converting them back over to brackish water? Wanting to use a 4x2x2 with canister filter and looking at getting some sand substrate for the setup how much salt would you recommend?  



#4 Poncho

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Posted 31 August 2016 - 06:59 PM

Hey mate,

I'm running a brackish tank for orange chromides and having some great success - it's really interesting to see the response in the fish to different conditions.

Brackish water environments naturally fluctuate in terms of water parameters. At some stages they can have salinity levels greater than seawater and at other times be close to fresh. I think a lot of people go wrong by trying to find an ideal salinity and keep the water at that level permanently. Read up more about the particular environment and try to replicate the natural cycles. The fish will respond to increases and decreases in salinity and are naturally adaptable. I would imagine that keeping salinity constant is not the best strategy for most brackish water fish.

The orange chromides are getting really predictable for me - Ive learnt to do a 50% water change with pure seawater and they'll spawn within a few minutes guaranteed as long as I condition them. Across a number of weeks I'll make small 10% water changes with freshwater which gradually reduces the salinity. I don't know much about mudskippers but would imagine if you keep them in freshwater for prolonged periods that you won't see the best from them.

My advice would be to experiment and learn through experience (and keep us updated as it's hard to find info on these guys)




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