Pictures Of Planted Brackish Aquariums

[orcafood]

Anyone have any pictures they could post of their planted brackish aquarium?

 

[jennybugs]

My tank started like this

then to this

It's now pretty much like this with silk plants and real moss balls in as I found the stock lighting insufficient for the needs of the valis etc, but has more bogwood in now.

Home to 2 F8 puffers and a swarm of bbgs

 

[nmonks]

My only brackish water tank at the moment is a windowsill aquarium used for some desert gobies. There's some pictures here.

As I've mentioned here many times, the big issue with plants in brackish water aquaria is that you not only need to provide optimal lighting but you also need to consider which species to use. Personally, I wouldn't bother with plants above SG 1.003, though certain species will tolerate salinity levels well above that. Those plants that tolerate quite brackish water, like Samolus valerandi, Bacopa monnieri, and Cryptocoryne ciliata also happen to be light-hungry species, and realistically you will need at least 2 watts per gallon, as well as a good quality substrate, to get reliable results. Imore dimly lit tanks you'd be better off with a lower salinity, SG 1.003, and plants that aren't too fussed about light, such as hardy Cryptocoryne, Java fern, Java moss, and Anubias. I usually find Vallisneria adaptable too, though I admit that some people find it a fiddly species.

Cheers, Neale

 

[orcafood]

Some nice looking tanks there.

I am about to set up the 90g I have sitting around in my basement. It will be dosed with ferts, Mineralized or very rich substrate, injected with pressurized CO2 and have about 300-350w of lighting (two 175w or two 150). It is my hope to be able to have a nice array of hygrophila species, mosses and then either microswords or glosso as a foreground. I guess 1.003 salinity would be ideal? Does that sound like it may work? I would like to have a high tech tank but I already have an orange chromide and a Monodactylus sebae so I think it would be cool to try and keep them around.

Stocking wise for the 90g
4 - Monodactylus sebae
2 - Orange Chromide
1 - Toxotes microlepis
10 - Chanda ranga
possibly 1 or 2 figure eight puffers too.

I know that I have asked this before but what should I stock for algae eating? I was thinking an army of nerite snails or something of the such?

Please review and critique the design.

Thanks

 

[nmonks]

Figure-8s, orange chromides, Toxotes microlepis and Parambassis ranga would all be very healthy at SG 1.003, and given space, should thrive in a planted tank. I have never had much success with Lilaeopsis brasiliensis and haven't even attempted Glossostigma, but the former species at least is known to tolerate slightly brackish water. As for Hygrophila species, given bright light, they seem to do well in brackish water tanks.

Monos are more of a gamble at low salinity than the other species. While they can work well under such conditions, they don't always do so. Proceed with caution, and make sure you keep water quality good and provide plenty of oxygen. Since monos are "surf zone" fish used to strongly flowing water and thrive in tanks with plenty of splashing and bubbles, they aren't likely to be ideally suited to tanks where CO2 fertilisation is being used.

You won't hear me say this often, but you might review whether you want to "go brackish" at all. Toxotes microlepis and Parambassis ranga do perfectly well in freshwater, and figure-8s can be substituted with something like South American puffers. Orange chromides may or may not be brackish water fish depending on who you ask, but if you can find them (e.g., at Wildwoods in Enfield) you could use the superb Etroplus canarensis instead. It's a stunning fish that looks really nice kept in groups, and at around 8-10 cm long, isn't too big. It's expensive though!

Algae control is invariably best done via fast-growing plants, snails and shrimps. Nerite snails can be used in both fresh and brackish water systems, as can some shrimps, notably Amano shrimps and, at low salinity, cherry shrimps. Personally, my "fish of choice" for algae control are the various species of Garra, which are now widely sold and extremely hardy. In brackish tanks, you could use Florida flagfish, mollies, Limia and things like Ameca splendens for much the same effect.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Dave Spencer]

.....I am about to set up the 90g I have sitting around in my basement. It will be dosed with ferts, Mineralized or very rich substrate, injected with pressurized CO2 and have about 300-350w of lighting (two 175w or two 150)......

You have far more light than you will realistically need for this tank. Two T8 tubes the length of your tank will grow any plant you wish to. At the levels you are proposing, you will really need to make sure you get the CO2 right, otherwise no algae eaters are going to save you, and that is provided they eat the type of blooms that you will experience.

High light has always been something of a Nirvana for planted tanks, with so called “high light plants”. This is rapidly becoming a myth on planted tank forums, with there being no plants that require high light. It is the CO2 where emphasis has shifted to. HC has been known as high light plant for it to carpet, but this has been proven to not be the case. With sufficient light it is with good CO2 that it carpets. The same is true for other types of plants too. I am one of those that has been dragged away kicking and screaming from their HO T5 lamps, but I have easily proven to myself that CO2 is the key for a successful planted tank, not high light.

Keeping your light levels to what I have proposed will give you good growth, but without making the CO2 levels and distribution super critical.

I am very interested in finding out which plants thrive, survive or die in brackish set ups.

Dave.

 

[nmonks]

Dave,

While you may be right about CO2 to some degree, there's no question that light is the prime limiting factor to plant growth. This is a piece of science that's been done to death, and I've taught it several times as part of the A-level biology syllabus!

What I mean by "bright light" is not necessarily vast amounts of light, but rather the difference between those plants that are shade tolerant (like Java ferns) and those that are not (like Rotala spp.). If you stick the latter in a tank with poor lighting, say, 1 watt per gallon, it won't grow. CO2 will never be the limiting factor because photosynthesis isn't progressing fast enough to use up the CO2 that's already there in the water.

Surely that's the case? Or am I wrong? If I add CO2 to a tank with 1 watt per gallon, can I grow Rotala, Samolus, and all those other plants adapted to strong light conditions in the wild?

Cheers, Neale

 

[Dave Spencer]

While you may be right about CO2 to some degree, there's no question that light is the prime limiting factor to plant growth.

Very true up to a point Neale. If I was to start up a planted tank in a dark cupboard nothing would grow. Adding light would be the trigger for growth. All plants will have a minimum threshold for light, and it will almost certainly vary from plant to plant.

What I mean by "bright light" is not necessarily vast amounts of light, but rather the difference between those plants that are shade tolerant (like Java ferns) and those that are not (like Rotala spp.).

I have grown Rotala rotundifolia, sp “green” and sp “Nanjenshan”. Being fast growing stems, they will always reach for the light, meaning that they will rarely spend a great deal of time in the shade in a planted tank.

On the subject of the Rotala sp reaching for the light, there is food for thought that they may be reaching to the higher levels of CO2 that occur higher up in the water column. Hemianthus micranthemoides can sometimes creep along the substrate rather than grow upwards. This could be the case that in a planted tank with a very high turn over via filtration and powerheads, the CO2 distribution is sufficient for plants to not go in search of it. This is speculation, of course, but Hemianthus micranthemoides is one of those plants that I was convinced needed high light for it to carpet and not grow leggy. Like most of us, I presumed leggy HC meant it was growing up to the higher light levels. It turns out that, given “sufficient” light as opposed to “high light”, good levels of CO2 directed at the HC will get it carpeting nice and low. What constitutes sufficient light is down to a little experience but, ultimately, 2 x T8 tubes the length of a tank will be sufficient. Nanos are a law unto themselves, and need proportionally. more light.

If you stick the latter in a tank with poor lighting, say, 1 watt per gallon, it won't grow. CO2 will never be the limiting factor because photosynthesis isn't progressing fast enough to use up the CO2 that's already there in the water.

The WPG rule is very vague at best, but 1WPG over a reasonable sized tank such as a 120l should see Rotala sp getting by. Adding CO2 will see an increase in growth in most low light cases. As long as there is photosynthesis CO2 will improve growth proportionally.

Surely that's the case? Or am I wrong? If I add CO2 to a tank with 1 watt per gallon, can I grow Rotala, Samolus, and all those other plants adapted to strong light conditions in the wild?

I am not sure how adapted to high light these plants are. I use more than 1WPG, but my 240l has 1.2WPG and pressurised CO2, and the three Rotala sp in there have very healthy, and relatively rapid growth. The only really accurate method of determining the minimum light threshold of any given plant is to use a PAR meter, but that is out of reach for most of us. I know of one or two people measuring PAR at various depths in aquariums, and they have come to the conclusion that it is non growth limiting CO2 that is the real player, provided there is enough light, of course. CO2 injection can increase growth rates by up to x 10.

A few people, myself included, have been dragged kicking and screaming from their high light tanks, but it is CO2 that shapes our planted the most, once there is enough light. It is in the US where there appears to be the greatest reluctance to move away from high light. Even Takashi Amano`s tanks have been shown to be lower light, with a short mid day burst of light to promote faster growth.

The big deal is that we don`t need as much light as we thought, which means we can buy cheaper luminaries and use less electricity.

Dave.

 

[monoducze]

My "planted" mangroves brackish

Above waterline:

And underwater:

And whole tank:

 

[divegirl]

I'd post pics of mine....but it's all silk!!! Does this count?

Lisa x

 

[woodyship]

Hello All,



I used the CO2 drop checker and it is good now. its yellow-green color.

I also, change my light, i am using now 2X150Watt Metal Hallide 6,500K

and T5 2X34Watt 10,000K

and T5 2X34Watt 6,500K

and T5 4X24Watt 6,500K

and my T5 Light are the best in market (aquamedic and AquaGlu)

and my plant are too leggy
any help please

 

[AdAndrews]

Hello All,



I used the CO2 drop checker and it is good now. its yellow-green color.

I also, change my light, i am using now 2X150Watt Metal Hallide 6,500K

and T5 2X34Watt 10,000K

and T5 2X34Watt 6,500K

and T5 4X24Watt 6,500K

and my T5 Light are the best in market (aquamedic and AquaGlu)

and my plant are too leggy
any help please

what ferts are you dosing? and how much?

 

[kniesh]

Jenny I love that tank, might take some ideas for decoration for mine. I was just wondering how you were gettin on with that stocking as I was after similar for my 6ft 180 gallon?

 

[jennybugs]

If you're talking to me, I still have 9 bbgs and the two F8s in my tank No troubles in the tank and they are all fat and happy.
It's changed since the last pic to have more wood in it. Since I added the wood my hair algae/nitrate problem has gone

and now it has even less silk plants in it and a bit more java fern again

I'd like to know how those mangrove plants are getting on in monoducze's tank

 

[kniesh]

Thanks Jen, I was talking to you. I have ordered 6 BBG's due to be delivered tomorrow. Wanted more but thats all they had left so gonna look around. I want about 20 I think. Gonna add some F8's too so glad to hear its worked for you.

Cant wait to get the puffers but just cant find anywhere in NW or delivers with them