My Brackish Journal

[Lhutch]

Square 1:After About A month of just waiting to cycle and thinking,plz add comments Thankyou
40gal
55gal Filter
Crushed Coral Substrate,mixed with sand
20 Watt Sun Bulb Thing
VisiTherm Stealth Heater 55 gal
I bought sizes bigger because i figure theres always room to upgrade

Cloudy Agua(the mess is temporary lol)

I washed the coralsubstrate and the sand quite good to

Finally After A Little While It Started To Clear up

Time To Start Building:

I got Soaked And stirred thing up in the water after trying and trying to get the airstone under the coral substrate,it finally cooperated.

The Plants are 1x Java Fern, 1x Somesort of sword(dontworry ill take it out when things get real salty)


Putting More Stuff in

excuse my cloudyness


When Things Unclouded Time To Test and Tweak:

0 Ammonia
0 Nitrites
40 Nitrates
ph 8.0
Salt 1.002

there in order as followed above


A Presentable Tank:

Fish Time:
2xAustralian Desert Gobies 1 male 1 female
(adding 2 f8's Momentarilly Along with 2xFlounders)

Male

Female

I personally Think there both pretty fun fish

Conclusion: Momentarily check back for more pictures and other stuff,please feel free to add comments

oya Powerhead Yes/no? i hear good things i hear bad things

 

[nmonks]

OK, here's my thoughts:

1. The plants aren't going to be very happy with this substrate. The idea you *need* a crushed coral substrate in a brackish tank is a myth. Unless there's water flowing through the substrate (as with an undergravel) the amount of buffering it provides is trivial. So, if this was me, and I wanted good plant growth, I'd remove the coral substrate to a canister filter (which I'll explain in a moment). Instead, use a gravel and laterite mixture for the plants, or aquatic soil (pond soil) topped with a gravel tidy and then a couple of inches of regular gravel. This will encourage good plant growth, and the gravel tidy stops soil getting into the water. A gravel tidy can be purchased from an aquarium shop, or you can do what I do and buy some plastic mesh from a garden centre for a fraction of the cost. Plants need a minimum substrate depth of 3 inches if you want any kind of growth (epiphytic/floating plants excepted, of course!).

2. Put the coral sand in a canister filter. You don't need to use a huge amount. What matters is once a month you take it out and deep clean it (hot, soapy water) to remove bacterial slime. Only this way will the calcium carbonate stay in contact with the water, buffering it.

3. Add some fine pea gravel or river sand at the top for the gobies and especially the flatfish to burrow into. Both these fishes become much more fun when you watch them behave naturally. On plain gravel they just sit there, looking bored.

4. You need to try to find some way to create height in the aquarium. A 3d backdrop, some tall plastic plants, or bogwood attached to the roof so it hangs down like mangrove roots. The point is you have a deep tank, but all your fishes are more or less benthic. So the tank will look 50% empty. With more "stuff" at the top, the fish (especially the goby and puffer) will be encouraged to swim to higher levels of the aquarium. Gobies especially need somewhere to perch.

5. Add some seashells, preferably a mix of whole and smashed up ones. Oyster and barnacle shells can work well, too. The idea is to give a "marine" flavour as well as providing 3D structures for the gobies to hide in and puffers to explore.

Otherwise, looks great. Hope this is helpful.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Matty P]

Those Australian Desert Gobies have great colours

 

[Lhutch]

what if i reduce the crushcoral and put more sand down?make the ratio 65/35 crushed coral being 35 and sand being 65, because the crushed coral is really cool and already has sea shells and old snail shells in it

 

[roseK]

i like it

 

[Lhutch]

currently removing the crushcoral, my sand is play sand mixed with argonite, 45% Play sand,45%argonite,10%sprinkled with crush coral, more pics on the way just sit tight

 

[Matty P]

currently removing the crushcoral, my sand is play sand mixed with argonite, 45% Play sand,45%argonite,10%sprinkled with crush coral, more pics on the way just sit tight

I'm sittin tight waitin for those pics

 

[nmonks]

Stop! Please try and understand what live plants need. Do you see plants growing out of gravel on land? No. If you want good plant growth, or really any kind of plant growth, you need to take into account the substrate. Mixing gravel with laterite is an excellent low-hassle approach, while mixing gravel/sand with aquatic soil and then topping off with gravel is a low cost option. Either way, you're priming the substrate with iron and the other minerals plants need.

Plain sand is largely insoluble and contains little iron, copper, or anything else plants need. Adding fertiliser to the water doesn't obviate the need for a rich substrate.

Let me put things another way: the only brackish tanks without algae problems are the ones with healthy live plants.

Getting the substrate right matters. Don't do things in haste now, or you'll end up regretting it later!

Cheers, Neale

currently removing the crushcoral, my sand is play sand mixed with argonite, 45% Play sand,45%argonite,10%sprinkled with crush coral, more pics on the way just sit tight

 

[Lhutch]

i have 2 live plants, incase you didnt know im 16 and dont have my license yet,easier said then done, i will put some aquatic plant fertilizer in while i get the chance,more worried about the fish then the plants at this point,thanks for the help tho 8)

 

[Lhutch]

sandy bottom


ready for puffs and flounders gradually gonna upgrade stuff


suggestions?

 

[el_vulture619]

How long has this tank cycled? I hope it has been at least a week or 2.
Also move the tank from the window, you will get alot of algea growing from the extra light. Or put a backround on the tank.

 

[Lhutch]

the tank has been cycling atleast a month(fishless), i did this because i know puffers have a big bioload so i figure strong bacteria strong puffers

 

[Matty P]

Absolutley, when I get my F8 I'm going to make sure I've got plenty of bacteria ready for it when it comes.

 

[Lhutch]

I GOT THE PUFFS!!!!!!! AND FLOUNDERS!!, 2 of each, ill post pics asap

 

[Lhutch]

Got the puffs, now that i look at the receit, they gave me 2 flounders for free acidently, SWEET!

they are pacing up the glass a little bit so i added some more plants

the flounder-'s

How Do i Stop the puffers from pacing around?

Also I put some freezed brine shrimp and the puffs wouldnt eat it, what should i do? just wait and keep variety in foods, i got krill,clams,shrimp,earthworms

How long should i wait to feed them snails, i have like 40 snails in a 20gal breeding


other pics