# Brackish water set up?????



## Ishmael_Galon (Dec 9, 2007)

Hello guys. Is there somebody here in this site who has an experience in handling brackish water fishes??? I want to set up a new tank and i chose brackish type of aquarium.

Can you please gide me with this plan of mine....
Hoping for your replies...  opcorn: :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

I have lots of experience with brackish water fish. What are you looking to set up?


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## Ishmael_Galon (Dec 9, 2007)

Im am planning to keep monodactylus sabae. I am looking for the water movement for this type of fish and also setup for its aquarium. Can you guide me in terms of setting the aquarium( i mean the do's and dont's for brackish water) and its water parameters???? What do you recommend for my stock list???

BTW, what is the difference between a brackish water and freshwater????

Thank God someone replied. I am hoping for your reply.... Thank you :dancing: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish:


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## BRANT13 (Feb 18, 2009)

brackish is a mixture of salt and freswater i beleive


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## Ishmael_Galon (Dec 9, 2007)

IF they are a mixture of freshwater and brackish water, how will you immitate that? hearing it make me believe that seting a brackish water tank is very hard


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## Darkside (Feb 6, 2008)

To keep monos you'll need a pretty large aquarium, also they do best in at a marine concentration of salt (as adults). They are found in estuaries, but not usually for any extended period of time. For a true brackish water set up, you're better off going with Archerfish, sleeper gobies and orange chromides. You can also do some of the smaller species like bumblebee gobies, Celebes rainbowfish and glass fish. Mollies deserve an honorable mention as well. My personal favourites are Butis butis, if you can find them, they're a joy to keep.


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## jfly (Feb 17, 2009)

more salt then fresh, less salt than marine


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

smaller mono will grow well in freshwater, so you can buy a small school, and take much time to learn brackish requirements as they mature. mine are now 6", and they still thrive in modest brackish exposures. they appreciate above average water movement, but are not big fans of direct current, so aim power heads into rock and walls. obvious tank mates are scat and datnoid, but some south american cichlids mix well, and tolerate modest salt. in particular, the options less likely to consider TR breeding, such as gymnogeophagus and acarichthys heckelli, will keep the tank at a community level. sifters also help to keep the tank clean with less hands in the tank. shallow sand is a good substrate choice for a fish that prefers pristine water.
what size tank are you considering for this particular set up? although they school as fry, they will mature quickly, so reserve some space in the tank for above average growth anticipation. also, consider a longer tank, rather than a tall one. they are a fast fish, with aggressive conspecific tendencies, but do not chase far. 
IME, they have excellent communication skills, and convey sub dominance well, but are still easily capable of killing one another. they prefer to feed often, and will be much more aggressive to one another if underfed. you must also overcompensate with regard to filtration to allow for this appetite/waste ratio. HTH.


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## Ishmael_Galon (Dec 9, 2007)

*Darkside wrote*


> To keep monos you'll need a pretty large aquarium, also they do best in at a marine concentration of salt (as adults). They are found in estuaries, but not usually for any extended period of time.


so i need a bigger tank. I thought that they can be kept in a 15 gallon tank as what the petshop owner told me. i guess i need first to acquire a bigger tank. Is a 75 gallon tank gud enough for them?

*jfly wrote*


> more salt then fresh, less salt than marine


can i use home used salt for maki9ng the water more brackish?

*lloyd wrote*


> what size tank are you considering for this particular set up?


Im considering a 15 gallon tank. but if monos cant do well in that, guess i need to acquire a 75 gallon tank. If you can recommend me something that would fit in a 15 gallon tank that is brackish, please do so.

Got confused, what kind of salt should i use???? and how many salt? Sorry for baing so stupid. Im new to this field.


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## Fogelhund (Dec 3, 2002)

Definately will want a larger aquarium,

You will want to purchase a Hydrometer... a device that measures salinity in the aquarium. 1.012-1.025 seem to be the ranges that most recommend for the salinity levels for brackish, with a fish like Monos you would probably start at the lower end, and raise it as they mature.

They can grow to 27cm in the wild, though more typically 15-18cm in the aquarium, so the 75 gallon would probably suffice.

Table salt contains Iodine, and would be lethal for the fish. You would want to purchase Marine Salt from a pet store. You add the salt to achieve a specific target on your Hydrometer, as mentioned above.


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## lloyd (Aug 24, 2005)

here's a good sizing chart for brackish species:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_br ... sh_species

guppies and mollies make a decent starting experiment for a 15 gallon brackish set up, IMO. remember, that you will likely buy them in freshwater, so the acclimation to brackish should be done slowly over a few days time. also, a bit of practice water changing a fish free tank, will help with confidence regarding salt dosing per gallon. as Fogulhund suggests, a hydrometer is a must have tool, once your fish are at 1.025 or higher. personally, i buy my sea salts at a bulk grocer store much cheaper than any pet store offers.
your biggest concern, IME, with brackish: once your fish are acclimated to 1.025 or higher, they will stress if returned to fresh water. the process of adding salt seldom causes any problems. but for some species, and in particular for mature fish, the experience of returning to fresh water (after a full acclimation to salt) can be deadly. 
however, monitoring salt levels is easy, because measurements are always consistent. and you will be doing these fish a huge health favor, by eliminating the risk of exposure to many lethal freshwater diseases (eg. ick). good luck, and post your results for others follow.


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