X-ray Tetras And F8 Puffers As Tankmates

[Veditet]

Hi guys!

I'm thinking of starting up a 40 gallon planted brackish tank. I was thinking of stocking it with the F8 puffers (3 or so), bumble bee gobies, and a small shoal of x-ray tetras. However I'm not sure if the F8s will tear the x-rays to shreds. I was thinking they might be big enough and have small enough fins that they'd be ok?

If not, would something like larger mollies work? I kinda want to have a fish other than puffers that swims around the mid and upper levels of the tank.

 

[nmonks]

While Pristella maxillaris is found in brackish water, I wouldn't recommend trying to keep it at a high salinity. Sg 1.002-1.003 would be around the tops. This is fine for BBGs and Mollies, and perhaps for figure-8s.

Now, the deal with figure-8s is that "they don't play nice". Think very carefully about putting them in any kind of mixed species system. I'd actually plumb for South American puffers in this tank. While SAPs do nip livebearers, mine have caused minimal harm to the (several dozen) Limia in my 180 litre system. They're good with tetras, except perhaps really dozy species like cardinals and neons.

Oh, and SAPs are fine with brackish water.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Colin_T]

You will find puffers nip most fish so they are best kept on their own. Also most tetras don't like salt and if you put them in a brackish tank they could die a lot sooner than they should. Most plants don't like salt either so plastic plants are probably a good choice for greenery.

 

[nmonks]

Hi Colin,

Pristella maxillaris naturally occurs in brackish water. No harm will be done to it. It's incredibly adaptable.

Low salinity will do plants tolerant of brackish water no harm at all. In fact many aquarium plants naturally occur in brackish water: species of Vallisneria, Bacopa, Crinum, Cryptocoryne to name but a few.

Cheers, Neale

You will find puffers nip most fish so they are best kept on their own. Also most tetras don't like salt and if you put them in a brackish tank they could die a lot sooner than they should. Most plants don't like salt either so plastic plants are probably a good choice for greenery.