Moving Around All Of My Tanks And Going Mostly Brackish

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Fella

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Pretty straightforward really, i've decided that enough is enough, and I need to go brackish on my 40g, and move out the fish in there at the moment.

Planned stocking for the 2 tanks

75g = 1 x FW lionfish + your recommendations. This tank will be 1.005+


40g = 2 x figure 8 puffers, 1 x longfin goby, recommendations. This tank will be 1.005 or less.


So essentially, for the 75g I'd like to try out some brackish oddballs. They're going to have to be of some size so that the lionfish doesn't eat them.

So, any stocking suggestions? what are the weirdest oddballs available? I always like to try out new fish, and fish like tetras etc haven't really done it for me. I'm a bit gutted to have to tear down my 40g and turn it brackish, but the fish in there stopped getting along, and having a big tank divided makes the office feel like a lab.

So, new brackish fish. I'm willing to take fish in the post so will willingly go with online stocklists.

Any advice gratefully received.
 
No large brackish set up is complete without a moray eel so you have to get one of those for the 75, Gymnothorax tile is the most commonly seen species but also look out for Gymnothorax polyuranodon which is starting to be available and Echidna rhodocheilus which is beautiful gentle eel which specialises in eating crustaceans.

The target fish (Therapon jarbua) is another one i'd love to get my hands on, they are quite readily available in the better shops but always at dinky sizes and i dont have anywhere to grow one out but you have the ideal set up with small and large set ups.

I'd also be tempted to throw a siamese tiger fish of a kind in there, both Datnoids quadrifasciatus and Datnoids campbelli are suitable for brackish tanks.

For the smaller tank there are wasp fish (Vespicula species) which are fantastic little fish that look a bit like a lion fish.
 
Hi Fella

Would you like some of my Monos? I don't know if they going to get to big for your 75 gal. They are about 12 cm big already. I know they are not oddballs but it’s just an idea as I would like to have a few less Monos in my tank.

Thanks

Sabby
 
Hi Fella

Would you like some of my Monos? I don't know if they going to get to big for your 75 gal. They are about 12 cm big already. I know they are not oddballs but it’s just an idea as I would like to have a few less Monos in my tank.

Thanks

Sabby


If they would last long term (Eg longer than a year) in a 75g then sure! Which monos do you have? I perfer the yellow finned rather than the silver and black, but like both. I could exchange them with you once I can get you the chromide? I'll Pm you.


CFC, a moray was a given. I've always wanted a moray. but have never gone high enough brackish for it. I do like Gymnothorax tile, but was it yourself who had an issue with one that was listless for a few days carrying eggs? One of my friends had a similar problem with a tanganyikan eel.

I've never seen targets for sale, nor what they actually look like (apart from above). I'm assuming that they might be schooling or at least pairs? And as for dats, are the microlepis dats suitable for high brackish? As they are by far my favourites.

I've already promised myself some waspfish for the smaller tank too.

So, for the 75g, could we look at a stocking level of -

1 x FW lionfish, 1 x moray of some type, 1 x microlepis dat, 3 x monos ? I could skip the dat if needs be, I wouldn't want something too big and overpowering in a tank like this.
 
A couple of catfish choices. For the 1.005 SG tank, Hoplosternum littorale is robust, hardy, and predator-proof. Also a first-rate scavenger. At up to SG 1.010 or so, Mystus gulio is an excellent alternative to the standard shark catfish. Peaceful but predatory, apparently a schooling fish but probably like other Mystus spp. will do okay kept single. And you get to show off a truly brackish water bagrid catfish to your disbelieving friends!

Some fish I'd personally like to try out are Sarotherodon melanotheron. Classic brackish water cichlids, not too hard to obtain but usually as freshwater fish. They're fine in marine tanks too. Like other tilapia they are robust rather than psychotic, and I've certainly kept other tilapia (Tilapia rendalli and Oreochromis mossambicus) in brackish water communities without problems. Anyway, Sarotherodon melanotheron is a really interesting species, being a paternal mouthbrooder.

Wildwoods has targetfish in stock, but diddly little things. The juveniles are territorial fish, the adults schooling. Very odd. They look a bit like seabass when mature, but they're more omnivorous (in the wild at least) rather than predatory. Yes, they eat small fish/inverts, but they eat a lot of other stuff too.

At SG 1.010 upwards I can't recommend Arothron hispidus highly enough. Big, intelligent, attractive, relatively peaceful, and compatible with tankmates of various kinds. IMHO, a better community fish than the GSPs.

One thing I'm trying to find out more about is the horseface loach. Apparently a brackish water fish in the wild (as are some other loaches, including, apparently, clown loaches). Not sure what the highest permanent SG would be, but my assumption would be around 1.005. Contrary to popular myth, a lot of cyprinids and related fishes are brackish water species in the wild. There is even a marine cyprinid. Not sure why people aren't aware of this. Anyway, there are also some brackish water barbs. A little time on Fishbase (do a search for Puntius + brackish) should reveal a few.

Cheers, Neale
 
Hi Fella

Would you like some of my Monos? I don't know if they going to get to big for your 75 gal. They are about 12 cm big already. I know they are not oddballs but it’s just an idea as I would like to have a few less Monos in my tank.

Thanks

Sabby


If they would last long term (Eg longer than a year) in a 75g then sure! Which monos do you have? I perfer the yellow finned rather than the silver and black, but like both. I could exchange them with you once I can get you the chromide? I'll Pm you.


CFC, a moray was a given. I've always wanted a moray. but have never gone high enough brackish for it. I do like Gymnothorax tile, but was it yourself who had an issue with one that was listless for a few days carrying eggs? One of my friends had a similar problem with a tanganyikan eel.

I've never seen targets for sale, nor what they actually look like (apart from above). I'm assuming that they might be schooling or at least pairs? And as for dats, are the microlepis dats suitable for high brackish? As they are by far my favourites.

I've already promised myself some waspfish for the smaller tank too.

So, for the 75g, could we look at a stocking level of -

1 x FW lionfish, 1 x moray of some type, 1 x microlepis dat, 3 x monos ? I could skip the dat if needs be, I wouldn't want something too big and overpowering in a tank like this.

Datnoids microlepis does better in freshwater and certainly doesnt like being in saltwater with a SG above 1.005, i tried it with my one and once the SG went above 1.005 its slime coat started pealing off in strips so it was quickly taken back down to fresh and has been kept in freshwater ever since (about 4 years). It could work for now but that toad fish is going to need near marine conditions as it grows so they will become incompatable.

Ive lost 2 morays to being egg bound, the big Gymnothorax afer i had and last year a big G.tile, both times it was in the height of summer so i believe it is temperature triggered, im going to stick a chiller on the tank next year so that my latest 4 morays dont suffer the same fate as they will be mature adults by then.
The other thing with morays is they seem to have a very high oxygen dependency, the moment the temperature goes up a couple of degrees or the water quality goes down hill a bit they are out panting and puffing like a asthmatic marathon runner, a couple of powerheads with venturis is a must for the summer months.
 

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