Starting A Brackish Tank?

[nanocubeking]

i'm not new to saltwater tanks but brackish tanks intruige me. what is needed to start one along with the specs. i live in florida and i was wondering if i could snorkel and catch small fish out of the water and put them in the tank?

sry that was a stupid question. but i have seen people do it.

 

[nmonks]

Yes you can keep native fish. It isn't difficult. You do of course need to check what the conditions are wherever you collect your fish, and then try to replicate it. In particular, temperature matters. Subtropical fish tend to be sensitive to low oxygen levels when kept in too-warm aquaria.

Anyway, in Florida, there are plenty of suitable small fish. Various killifish, gobies and livebearers can be collected, and there are also small hermit crabs and other invertebrates in the lagoons that would work well too. I've collected puffers and small porgies from the estuaries and kept them for short periods in outdoor tanks.

As always, it's important not to mix native fish with domesticated fish if you intend to return the native fish to the wild. Otherwise you run the risk of letting diseases and parasites from domesticated fish farms get into the wild, a major problem. So use separate buckets and nets too, or at least sterilise them if they're used between native and domesticated fish tanks.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

It is important to look up basic information on fishbase.org.
Ive kept a lot of native floridian fish... These are just a few ive had expierience with. None on this list are particularly difficult. All of these fish have been very rewarding.
1. Striped Blenny
2. Brook Stickleback
3. Blue-fined Killifish
6. Wild Sailfin Mollie
7. Gulf Killifish
11. Longnose Killifish
12. Golden Top Minnow
13. Brook Silverside(diffucult to transport, must be kept in groups,freshwater)
14. Freshwater Flounder
16. Comma Goby
17. Clown Goby
18. Shrimp Eel(awsome, definately a specilist only eel)
25. Florida Pompano(Temporary, under 2inch)
26. Gulf Pipefish(Disapears and reapears, feeding is futile)
31. Pygmy Filefish(Favorite native Tetradontaform)
32. Slough Darter
33. Striped Mullet
34. Fathead Minnow(Baitshop)
35. Skilletfish(very smart, better than most fiashes)
36. Highfin Blenny(smart and farly large, good to nearly freshwater)
38. Sheepshead Minnow(Indestructible)

Invertebrates:

1. Tricolor Anemone(On beach after hurricanes)
2. Crown Conch(Small leggal conch, horse conchs and queen conchs are protected)
3. Striped Hermit Crab(1.006+salinity, have had them for 3 yrs., huge)
4. Freshwater Sponge(tough)
5. Brown Hydra(science project)
6. Freshwater Jellyfish(polyp stage)
7. Crayfish(visciuos)
8. Ghost Shrimp
9. Common Shore Shrimp(pretty, salt tolerant)
10. Several spiecies of Hermit Crabs
11. Encrusting Brackish/Marine Sponges(naturaly grow in a brackish tank if you pick up a few shells or pebbles from the ocean)

Plants:

1. Mangrove Tree (seeds are floating evderywhere)
2. Eelgrass(look for floating pieces with roots)
3. Mermaids Cup
4. Varius Macroalgae

 

[nanocubeking]

thanks guys. ill keep that in mind.

 

[nanocubeking]

also another question. where may i come about finding these small fish. just on the flats rock structures mangroves? barnacle islands.