Brackish Stocking Ideas

[natalie265]

I'm toying with the idea of turning my 30 gallon (114 liters) into a brackish tank. I'd like to include at least 2 different species (three would be even better), but i'm finding that i don't have many options for such a small space. One idea i've had is one figure eight puffer and 4 or 5 bumble bee gobies. Would that work? Any other ideas?

 

[nmonks]

What are you after? A planted tank? Something more like a rock pool? Those are two different approaches that work well in small tanks. In a low salinity (SG 1.003 @ 25 C) system with plants there are numerous small and undemanding gobies beyond BBGs you might consider: Chlamydogobius, Rhinogobius, Redigobius balteatus. I've got a trio of Chlamydogobius eremius "gold" in a planted brackish water tank on a windowsill alongside various shrimps and snails, and they're great fun to watch. Very tame and very lively. Sure, some of these gobies aren't widely sold in generic pet stores, but as special orders or via online retailers they shouldn't be difficult to come by.

Rock pool tanks can have a higher salinity since plants aren't going to be used. A mix of gravel and sand for the bottom, and then lots of rocks, oyster shells and barnacle clusters can all be used to create the habitat. Brackish water gobies, puffers, blennies, shrimps and nerite snails would all be obvious additions. If the water level were lower, you could keep Indian dwarf mudskippers instead.

An open sand theme might be used for tanks with specialist fish such as halfbeaks, flounders and pipefish. These fish are very fussy feeders and don't necessarily mix well with other types of fish. But they could be combined together in a sort of sandy estuary theme, the flounders eating bloodworms at night, the halfbeaks taking stuff from the surface, and the pipefish eating live foods in midwater.

Plenty of options then. Have a peak at my Brackish FAQ for some more ideas.

Cheers, Neale

 

[natalie265]

Thanks! Your FAQ was very informative!

I want to do a planted tank, therefore, a tank on the low end of the salinity scale, i suppose. My water is naturally hard and alkaline, so i'd prefer to keep species that actually like this water so that i can dispense with the RO water (w/this tank at least). Do you think more than one figure 8 puffer could be kept in a 30 gallon? Or maybe i'll just forget the puffer altogether and get community fish (because aren't figure 8's a tad aggressive?). I really like the orange chromides that you have profiled on your FAQ. Mollies are quite nice too and i wouldn't have to pay to have THOSE shipped!

 

[nmonks]

Do you think more than one figure 8 puffer could be kept in a 30 gallon?

Would try either a singleton or three, the latter demanding good water quality management, i.e., excellent filtration and regular water changes. Pairs aren't altogether reliable, with one fish often bullying the other.

I really like the orange chromides that you have profiled on your FAQ. Mollies are quite nice too and i wouldn't have to pay to have THOSE shipped!

Mollies are excellent fish, and it's really worth hunting down the less familiar varieties such as the Liberty Molly, a particularly beautiful fish. It's pricey, typically 2-3 times the price of regular mollies. You might also look for Limia species, such as Limia nigrofasciata. These are a lot like mollies in some ways, with a sail fin and nicely marked body, but they're smaller and hardier. As for Orange Chromides, they're hard to beat, and whether you get the wild type or the artificial bright orange form, they're both lovely. The wild type is sort of greenish-orange, but males turn almost black when breeding, and they're very impressive to watch.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Gallagher]

I think archer fish look great and are very interesting

 

[natalie265]

Thanks! That gives me some stuff to think about! I'm sure i'll be back on here with a zillion more questions when/if i actually decide to go for it!