105 Gallon Brackish Setup...lol I Know This Is Like My 5th Post On It

[Mako Man111]

Ok..well I know I've had tons of post on what to do with my 105 gallon tank that I thought I had my mind set on setting up as a large cichlid tank. Well, looking at my LFS selection on very very cool brackish water fish. I'm tempted to say the least.

Before I give you some species I'm interested in, I got a few questions!

Now I'm totally new to the brackish area so bear with me!!

1. If I get a protein skimmer, how long can I go without a water change?

2. A regular HOB filter is fine right?

3. Is a fine gravel an ok substrate?

4. How much salt will I need for a 105 gallon tank??

5. What SG should I keep the tank at? I will have no live plants.

6. Are regular flake, pelets, bloodworms alright food?


The fish I'm interested in:
Dragon Fish, Violet Goby Gobioides broussonetti
Colombian Shark Hexanematichthys seemanni
Archer Fish Toxotes jaculatrix
Mono Argentus Monodactylus argenteus

 

[demonmagus]

I don't think the shark cats will go in that tank. that's all I know lol

 

[AMS]

Ok..well I know I've had tons of post on what to do with my 105 gallon tank that I thought I had my mind set on setting up as a large cichlid tank. Well, looking at my LFS selection on very very cool brackish water fish. I'm tempted to say the least.

Before I give you some species I'm interested in, I got a few questions!

Now I'm totally new to the brackish area so bear with me!!

1. If I get a protein skimmer, how long can I go without a water change?

2. A regular HOB filter is fine right?

3. Is a fine gravel an ok substrate?

4. How much salt will I need for a 105 gallon tank??

5. What SG should I keep the tank at? I will have no live plants.

6. Are regular flake, pelets, bloodworms alright food?


The fish I'm interested in:
Dragon Fish, Violet Goby Gobioides broussonetti
Colombian Shark Hexanematichthys seemanni
Archer Fish Toxotes jaculatrix
Mono Argentus Monodactylus argenteus

A little more research on particular fish and their salt needs would help you out a bit. But to answer your questions:
1. Protein Skimmers do help lowering nitrates and other organics, but water changes are still very neccessary. IMHO dont put off WC's longer because you have a protein skimmer, your basically killing the purpose of having a protein skimmer if you do. Also note that skimmers wont work in a SG under 1.010.

2. A single HOB wont handle the bio-load. Multiple HOB's would be OK, but for a tank this large you are much better off with canisters or wet/dry filters.

3. Yes, but unless you some type of buffer you may want to get a aragonite sand.

4. That is entirely dependant on your SG. See below.

5. See below.

6. Should be, but flakes probably wont be eaten. Add more frozen foods such as silversides, mussel, krill, ect.

One point that you are missing is very important in brackish aquaria is selection of fish and their salt needs. In short, brackish fish can be defined as either low-end or high-end. Low-end means a fish or tank with a SG of 1.005 and lower, high end means a fish or tank with a SG of 1.010 up to full saltwater. Different fish require different "ends". For example figure 8 puffers, bumble bee gobies, and glass fish are low-end brackish water fish, they like their SG 1.005 and lower. Scats, Monos, and Columbian Sharks are high end fish, (as adults) these fish like their SG between 1.010 and full strength saltwater. You must match your stock to match each other salt needs. The mono, shark, and dragon goby are all high-end, they can be housed together. Sadly, the archer is low-end, he will not be comfortable in high-end condtions. You see what I am getting at now?

The "ends" guide is just that, a guide, there are variables. For example, green spotted puffers are born in freshwater, but as they mature there should be salt added gradually to eventually as adults they are in full saltwater. Reseach the specific needs of each fish that you are looking at, with 105 gallons you have plenty of stocking space to play around with.

 

[Mako Man111]

Ok..well I know I've had tons of post on what to do with my 105 gallon tank that I thought I had my mind set on setting up as a large cichlid tank. Well, looking at my LFS selection on very very cool brackish water fish. I'm tempted to say the least.

Before I give you some species I'm interested in, I got a few questions!

Now I'm totally new to the brackish area so bear with me!!

1. If I get a protein skimmer, how long can I go without a water change?

2. A regular HOB filter is fine right?

3. Is a fine gravel an ok substrate?

4. How much salt will I need for a 105 gallon tank??

5. What SG should I keep the tank at? I will have no live plants.

6. Are regular flake, pelets, bloodworms alright food?


The fish I'm interested in:
Dragon Fish, Violet Goby Gobioides broussonetti
Colombian Shark Hexanematichthys seemanni
Archer Fish Toxotes jaculatrix
Mono Argentus Monodactylus argenteus

A little more research on particular fish and their salt needs would help you out a bit. But to answer your questions:
1. Protein Skimmers do help lowering nitrates and other organics, but water changes are still very neccessary. IMHO dont put off WC's longer because you have a protein skimmer, your basically killing the purpose of having a protein skimmer if you do. Also note that skimmers wont work in a SG under 1.010.

2. A single HOB wont handle the bio-load. Multiple HOB's would be OK, but for a tank this large you are much better off with canisters or wet/dry filters.

3. Yes, but unless you some type of buffer you may want to get a aragonite sand.

4. That is entirely dependant on your SG. See below.

5. See below.

6. Should be, but flakes probably wont be eaten. Add more frozen foods such as silversides, mussel, krill, ect.

One point that you are missing is very important in brackish aquaria is selection of fish and their salt needs. In short, brackish fish can be defined as either low-end or high-end. Low-end means a fish or tank with a SG of 1.005 and lower, high end means a fish or tank with a SG of 1.010 up to full saltwater. Different fish require different "ends". For example figure 8 puffers, bumble bee gobies, and glass fish are low-end brackish water fish, they like their SG 1.005 and lower. Scats, Monos, and Columbian Sharks are high end fish, (as adults) these fish like their SG between 1.010 and full strength saltwater. You must match your stock to match each other salt needs. The mono, shark, and dragon goby are all high-end, they can be housed together. Sadly, the archer is low-end, he will not be comfortable in high-end condtions. You see what I am getting at now?

The "ends" guide is just that, a guide, there are variables. For example, green spotted puffers are born in freshwater, but as they mature there should be salt added gradually to eventually as adults they are in full saltwater. Reseach the specific needs of each fish that you are looking at, with 105 gallons you have plenty of stocking space to play around with.

Thanks a lot! That really helps. Are brackish fish less susceptable to diseases?

 

[James B]

they are slightly less likely to get a fresh water fungal desieses due to the salt in the water i think.

 

[nmonks]

Brackish water fish are not so much resistant to disease as not often exposed to them. In the wild, there are obviously lots of parasites and pathogens that live in estuaries and mangroves. Problem is, when brackish water fish are shipped as freshwater fish, those pests cannot survive. So once you put the brackish water fish into a brackish water aquarium, any freshwater pests get killed, and there aren't any brackish water ones around to cause problems.

So usually diseases with brackish water fish can be effectively treated simply by raising or lowering the salinity as required. Say your pufferfish at 1.005 gets whitespot (which is possible, as freshwater parasites can survive in very low salinity brackish water). Raise the SG to 1.010. The puffer will be fine, but the whitespot will die. Likewise, if your scats and monos at 1.015 get marine velvet, drop the SG to 1.005, and the velvet will die. Simple as that (usually). By the way, this is one way how salmon farmers treat for fish lice: they move the salmon pens up and down the estuary so that sea lice drop off when the salmon are in the freshwater end.

Internal diseases (e.g. lymphocystis) are immune to this effect, and mechanical damage, like pop-eye, are likewise still going to occur.

AMS has covered the rest nicely, so won't comment much beyond that. I can say from experience of all save the goby that your fish should all do well at SG 1.010, but make sure you get true Toxotes jaculatrix. Toxotes microlepis are not happy at 1.010, and prefer either freshwater or SG up to 1.005.

Cheers,

Neale