Interested in brackish aquarium
- Thread starter Barry Tetra
- Start date
I don't know of any Bettas that live in brackish water, some mollies do though. However, mollies can live in fresh water with a high GH, or in brackish, or pure sea water.
Brackish water tanks are simply aquariums that have salt in. They normally have about half strength sea water but it can vary from slightly salty to just below sea water.
Mangroves are usually in pure sea water.
Marine and brackish water tanks are set up the same way as freshwater tanks except they have a calcium based substrate to raise the pH. And you have to cycle them before adding fish because any ammonia because toxic in the high pH.
Brackish water tanks are simply aquariums that have salt in. They normally have about half strength sea water but it can vary from slightly salty to just below sea water.
Mangroves are usually in pure sea water.
Marine and brackish water tanks are set up the same way as freshwater tanks except they have a calcium based substrate to raise the pH. And you have to cycle them before adding fish because any ammonia because toxic in the high pH.
OP
OP
What kind of salt? Sea salt? can you give me more information about sea water or brackish water?
Also I thought mudskipper are Brackish but I saw tons of them on mangroove trees?
Use sea salt or sea water for a brackish water tank. I used natural sea water and diluted it with dechlorinated tap water.
Mudskippers will live in brackish or sea water. Most people that keep them use brackish (half strength sea water) so they don't need to spend as much on salt.
What do you want to know about sea water?
Mudskippers will live in brackish or sea water. Most people that keep them use brackish (half strength sea water) so they don't need to spend as much on salt.
What do you want to know about sea water?
OP
OP
Do I need salinity tester for Brackish?
How much salt per liters?
What kind of mollies are okay for brackish?
One guy from thai aqua forum have guppies in sea water.
(32 parts per thousand)
Also what’s the difference between rock and sea salt?
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A hydrometer is used to measure salt levels in water. They are available in several types.
1) Plastic chamber hydrometer, which has a clear plastic square about 4 inches x 4 inches x 1/2 inch thick. They have a blue, black or white needle in them and a scale on the outside. The container is filled with water and the needle floats to a point. You tell how much salt is in there by where the needle points to.
2) Floating Glass Hydrometer, which is a glass tube that floats in the salt water. They have a scale on the glass and depending on where they float in the water, will tell you how much salt is in the water.
Both of these hydrometers are mainly for marine tanks and don't read low salt levels. The plastic chamber is a bit more expensive but less likely to break. The floating glass hydrometers tend to break if handled roughly.
Then we have the Refractometer, which is significantly more expensive but can measure salt levels that are just above pure fresh water right through to double strength sea water. They are much more accurate but also more expensive.
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All mollies can live in brackish water.
Guppies can live in brackish water but they do better in hard water without salt. If you keep guppies in soft water (GH below 150ppm) then you can add some salt to help them live longer.
You can keep guppies, platies, swordtails and mollies in salt water for a month when you first get them and this will help to kill off any external parasites and gill flukes on the fish.
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Rock Salt is sodium chloride and nothing else.
Marine/ Sea Salt contains sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium and magnesium carbonate/ bicarbonate, and a heap of other minerals and trace elements, including very small amounts of gold.
Sea salt will increase salt levels as well as GH & KH.
Rock salt will only increase sodium chloride (salt) levels.
1) Plastic chamber hydrometer, which has a clear plastic square about 4 inches x 4 inches x 1/2 inch thick. They have a blue, black or white needle in them and a scale on the outside. The container is filled with water and the needle floats to a point. You tell how much salt is in there by where the needle points to.
2) Floating Glass Hydrometer, which is a glass tube that floats in the salt water. They have a scale on the glass and depending on where they float in the water, will tell you how much salt is in the water.
Both of these hydrometers are mainly for marine tanks and don't read low salt levels. The plastic chamber is a bit more expensive but less likely to break. The floating glass hydrometers tend to break if handled roughly.
Then we have the Refractometer, which is significantly more expensive but can measure salt levels that are just above pure fresh water right through to double strength sea water. They are much more accurate but also more expensive.
----------------------
All mollies can live in brackish water.
Guppies can live in brackish water but they do better in hard water without salt. If you keep guppies in soft water (GH below 150ppm) then you can add some salt to help them live longer.
You can keep guppies, platies, swordtails and mollies in salt water for a month when you first get them and this will help to kill off any external parasites and gill flukes on the fish.
----------------------
Rock Salt is sodium chloride and nothing else.
Marine/ Sea Salt contains sodium chloride, calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium and magnesium carbonate/ bicarbonate, and a heap of other minerals and trace elements, including very small amounts of gold.
Sea salt will increase salt levels as well as GH & KH.
Rock salt will only increase sodium chloride (salt) levels.
OP
OP
Thank you so much Colin
As I was asking you in post #5
How much do I have to add salt per liters to get saltwater?
What kind of hydrometer are you recommended for beginners?
What kind of substrate for Saltwater and brackish?
As I was asking you in post #5
How much do I have to add salt per liters to get saltwater?
What kind of hydrometer are you recommended for beginners?
What kind of substrate for Saltwater and brackish?
I have no idea how much salt you add to get a specific salinity.
If you buy a packet of marine salt, it usually tells you approximately how much to add. Normally you add salt and aerate it for 24 hours, then check the salinity with a hydrometer or refractometer.
Plastic chamber hydrometer is the best for a marine tank but floating glass hydrometer or a refractometer are better for lower salt levels.
Beach sand or coral rubble. I prefer beach sand.
OP
OP
Uh..Colin, I think I’m interested in saltwater fishes.
I’ve found out that keeping saltwater is not illegal after all in Thailand, the only thing I will need is the “saltwater fish permit paper” and buy them from the “government’s aquaculture place”
there are 5 species that are legalized which including; any type of clownfish, fire goby, clown triggerfish, moorich idol and butterfly fish
Can you recommended fish for beginners?
What are live rocks?
@Colin_T
I’ve found out that keeping saltwater is not illegal after all in Thailand, the only thing I will need is the “saltwater fish permit paper” and buy them from the “government’s aquaculture place”
there are 5 species that are legalized which including; any type of clownfish, fire goby, clown triggerfish, moorich idol and butterfly fish
Can you recommended fish for beginners?
What are live rocks?
@Colin_T
Live rock is simply any rock that has been in the water for at least 6 months. It has bacteria, sponges, seaweed, coral or any other life on it.
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Avoid Moorish idols, most butterfly fish and clown triggers.
The clown triggers grow to over a foot long and kill stuff.
Moorish idols are really hard to get feeding in captivity and 90% of them die within a month of being put in a tank.
Most butterfly fish are specialty feeders and eat small worms or corals. Some butterfly fish do well in aquariums if you get them at about 1 inch long. Racoon, threadfin, Klein's, and vagabond usually do well in captivity but make sure they have nice solid bodies and aren't sunken in around the upper body or head. Never buy adult butterfly fish and only get little ones between 1 & 2 inches long.
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Fire gobies are great little fish. There are 3 species and all do well in captivity. They live in small groups consisting of between 2-10 individuals. They make a home under a rock or coral and have fantastic colours.
The 3 species are Nemateleotris decora, helfrichi, & magnifica.
The decoras are red, purple and white.
The helfrichi is a pale blue and white. The images online show a pink fish, which appears to be a new species or a sub species of N. helrichi.
The magnifica is red, orange and white.
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Anemone fish (clown fish) should only be kept in pairs. Buy two little ones from a group and they should turn into a pair. Try to get one that is a bit bigger than the other, the bigger will become female and the smaller one will become a male. Female anemone fish are always bigger than males.
There are small species of anemone fish and big species. The small species like Amphiprion ocellaris & percula grow to about 2-3 inches. Some like Amphiprion polymnus and A. clarkii can reach 5-6 inches. Most of the other species fall somewhere in between these sizes and grow to 3-5 inches long.
All anemone fish are highly territorial towards other anemone fish and even some damsel fish. They are even more aggressive when defending eggs and big prs of A. clarkii and Premnas biaculeatus have been known to kill smaller fish in the tank when they are breeding.
A mature pr will breed every 2-4 weeks when they are happy. They lay about 300-500 eggs on a rock at the base of their anemone and guard the eggs from other anything that wants to eat them. The eggs hatch at night after about 7 days and the young can be reared up on green water and small species of rotifers.
Anemone fish will eat just about anything and do very well in aquariums. They don't need an anemone to live in but most people like watching the fish swimming about in the anemone. Some anemone fish will only use a certain species of anemone, whereas other fish will hang out in a variety of different anemones.
Anemones can do well in aquariums if the water is clean and there is lots of light. Under good conditions the anemone will grow to a certain size and then divide in two. One anemone will stay put and the other will wander off and find somewhere else to live.
-------------------
Avoid Moorish idols, most butterfly fish and clown triggers.
The clown triggers grow to over a foot long and kill stuff.
Moorish idols are really hard to get feeding in captivity and 90% of them die within a month of being put in a tank.
Most butterfly fish are specialty feeders and eat small worms or corals. Some butterfly fish do well in aquariums if you get them at about 1 inch long. Racoon, threadfin, Klein's, and vagabond usually do well in captivity but make sure they have nice solid bodies and aren't sunken in around the upper body or head. Never buy adult butterfly fish and only get little ones between 1 & 2 inches long.
---------
Fire gobies are great little fish. There are 3 species and all do well in captivity. They live in small groups consisting of between 2-10 individuals. They make a home under a rock or coral and have fantastic colours.
The 3 species are Nemateleotris decora, helfrichi, & magnifica.
The decoras are red, purple and white.
The helfrichi is a pale blue and white. The images online show a pink fish, which appears to be a new species or a sub species of N. helrichi.
The magnifica is red, orange and white.
---------
Anemone fish (clown fish) should only be kept in pairs. Buy two little ones from a group and they should turn into a pair. Try to get one that is a bit bigger than the other, the bigger will become female and the smaller one will become a male. Female anemone fish are always bigger than males.
There are small species of anemone fish and big species. The small species like Amphiprion ocellaris & percula grow to about 2-3 inches. Some like Amphiprion polymnus and A. clarkii can reach 5-6 inches. Most of the other species fall somewhere in between these sizes and grow to 3-5 inches long.
All anemone fish are highly territorial towards other anemone fish and even some damsel fish. They are even more aggressive when defending eggs and big prs of A. clarkii and Premnas biaculeatus have been known to kill smaller fish in the tank when they are breeding.
A mature pr will breed every 2-4 weeks when they are happy. They lay about 300-500 eggs on a rock at the base of their anemone and guard the eggs from other anything that wants to eat them. The eggs hatch at night after about 7 days and the young can be reared up on green water and small species of rotifers.
Anemone fish will eat just about anything and do very well in aquariums. They don't need an anemone to live in but most people like watching the fish swimming about in the anemone. Some anemone fish will only use a certain species of anemone, whereas other fish will hang out in a variety of different anemones.
Anemones can do well in aquariums if the water is clean and there is lots of light. Under good conditions the anemone will grow to a certain size and then divide in two. One anemone will stay put and the other will wander off and find somewhere else to live.
OP
OP
How often do I have to do a water changes in a saltwater tank?
The guy at the store said I have to do daily water changes for animone fish.
The guy at the store said I have to do daily water changes for animone fish.
If you have a filter, some live rock and some marine algae in the tank, you do a water change every 2-4 weeks, depending on number of fish and amount of food going into the tank.
If you have lots of fish or feed heavily, you do water changes more often (once a week).
Anemone fish don't need daily water changes. Just keep the water clean like a freshwater tank. You want 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and less than 20ppm nitrate for a fish only tank. And less than 10ppm nitrate for coral tanks.
If you have lots of fish or feed heavily, you do water changes more often (once a week).
Anemone fish don't need daily water changes. Just keep the water clean like a freshwater tank. You want 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and less than 20ppm nitrate for a fish only tank. And less than 10ppm nitrate for coral tanks.
OP
OP
I don’t understand about gravity and protein skimmer
can you explain what it is?
can you explain what it is?
Specific gravity is the amount of salt in the water. You use a hydrometer to measure the amount of salt and keep the level stable. Have the salinity around 1.022 - 1.025 on the hydrometer's scale.
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Protein skimmers pump very fine air bubbles through water in a tube. The air bubbles help to strip out/ remove any protein in the water. The protein collects in a cup at the top of the skimmer and you tip the cup out whenever it gets about half full.
You don't need a protein skimmer on a marine tank but they do help keep the water cleaner for longer, and are useful if you have big predatory fishes in the tank.
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Protein skimmers pump very fine air bubbles through water in a tube. The air bubbles help to strip out/ remove any protein in the water. The protein collects in a cup at the top of the skimmer and you tip the cup out whenever it gets about half full.
You don't need a protein skimmer on a marine tank but they do help keep the water cleaner for longer, and are useful if you have big predatory fishes in the tank.
OP
OP
How does protein have to do anything with water qualities?
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