Forty Fathoms

dknaack · Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 101 Location: Kingston

Recently I've been researching bracking aquariums because I plan on starting one soon. People mention how they have tetras and lots of fish which I thought were freshwater in brackish water.

I just want to see what you all think...would it be safe to have glowlights and emperor tetras in a brackish tank?

It will not be a particularly salty brackish tank.. I plan to be on the low end of brackish...just enough to keep bumblebee goby's content.

Thanks.

Derek

Systemtool · Joined: 22 Mar 2009 Posts: 58 Location: Kingston, ON

If you are starting a brackish tank, you have to get some archer fish. They are really cool, if you've never seen them, go to youtube and check them out. They spit water. If you stick a food pellet on the side of the tank, they will spit water at it to knock it down. Mudskippers are also brackish, and really cool. They are fish, but jump out of the water and sit on floating wood etc.

dknaack · Joined: 21 Feb 2008 Posts: 101 Location: Kingston

yea ive heard of both of those fish. they are awesome!

Thanks.

kenny · Joined: 23 Jan 2007 Posts: 61 Location: Frankville

I have an established Brackish tank about 5 or 6 years old right now. I played around with it prior to that but this tank is pretty sustained. I am not sure about glow lights and emperor tetra being brackish. Can you point me that info and I will take a look at it?

Basically brackish fish are fish that live in Estuaries where Marine and Fresh waters mix. There is a huge variance in the degree of salinity in these regions and they are classified into three different zones based on salinity.

I wrote a few articles for Badman's Tropical Fish website several years ago and you might find them still up with several other very good discussion on brackish systems. You can find out about those zones there if you want to.

Archer fish are a fair size btw and belong in a decent sized aquarium.

When people talk about using some aquarium salt that is not Brackish. That is simply making tank water into hard water. High TDS water.

Brackish water is a mix of marine and fresh water usually around .010 - .005 Sg.

My Bumble bee gobies have been in a 20% marine-80% fresh mix the entire time. I also have a Red Claw Crab that has been in there easily over four years now. The gobies spawn regularly.