Break the Pattern, Set Up a Brackish Aquarium

Are you looking for a new challenge?

Archer

If you are like most aquarium hobbyists, you started with a freshwater fish aquarium, most likely one stocked with  Community fish. After a period of time you were hooked and looking for something new and decided to set up another, larger aquarium full of the colorful African Cichlids. Once you were comfortable with this your next step would normally be of one of two options: the freshwater planted aquarium or a marine aquarium. Today that choice is often to start-up a nano mini-reef aquarium and try your hand at corals and anemones. But, if you want to veer from the herd, you might want to consider setting up a Brackish aquarium. The basic set up is very similar to a freshwater aquarium with just a few tweaks to make it brackish. Natural brackish conditions vary from estuaries, salt marshes and mangrove swamps. You will want the pH to be between 7.4 and 8.2, temperature between 74-84F and need to  add aquarium sea salt. The aquarium lighting can be a standard fluorescent light since most of the fish will prefer somewhat subdued lighting. The substrate could be a standard aquarium gravel, but you can also go with a marine sand or crushed coral to help raise the pH of the water. The filtration can be the same, though canister filters will help eliminate salt creep and evaporation loss. The amount of salt added to the aquarium to make it brackish can depend on the species of fish/plants you wish to keep. Generally brackish water can be from a low of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons to one-fifth the level of saltwater (1 cup per 10 gallons, or a reading of 1.005 with a hydrometer). Many of the fish typically found in a brackish environment can tolerate living in a full strength marine environment as adults.  You could use a standard aquarium salt (NaCl) but will get better mineral balance using a marine salt mix.

They come in all shapes and sizes:

Picking the fish for your brackish aquarium can be dependent on the size of the aquarium and/or the temperament of the fish you wish to keep. You can breakdown the types with the same options as those for a  standard freshwater: Community, Aggressive or Tank Busters (Large). A simple break down of some of these fish is as follows:

Community Brackish fish

• Anableps
• Blackfin Sharks (Columbian sharks)
• Bumble Bee Goby
• Fandancer Goby
• Flounder
• Celebes Rainbowfish
• Mudskippers
• Sailfin Mollies

Aggressive Brackish fish:

• Brackish Puffers
• Needlenose Gars
• Orange Chromides
• Silver Datnoid
• Target Fish

Large, potential Tank Busters:

• Mono Argentus
• Mono Sebae
• Green Scat
• Ruby Scat
• Silver Scat
• Zebra Puffer

Anableps

With this many fish to choose from, deciding which type of set-up can be a head scratcher. One of the more unusual fish in the list is the Anableps, also know as the four eye fish. It actually only has two eyes, but the eye is divided into two sections with two retinas. The Anableps spends most of its time at the very surface of the water and the divided eye allows it to see objects below it in the water and above it in the atmosphere. The lens changes in thickness to correct for the natural refraction of the water. This fish likes to school and should be kept in groups of five or more. It is also a livebearer with a very unusual characteristic, the males and females are either "right-handed" or "left-handed" and "right-handed" males can only breed with "left-handed" females. This is a fish that is best kept in a species only tank, only partially filled with water and lots of rooted decor, like a Mangrove swamp. If you add areas of "land" in the system, you could add some Mudskippers to the aquarium.

The Orange Chromide is just about the only SE Asian cichlid available to the aquarium hobby. It could be kept with most of the Community fish but can also handle its own with the more Aggressive types. The Archer is perhaps the best known of the brackish fish, unique for its ability to shoot a stream of water and knock down flying insects. Bumble Bee Gobies are perhaps the cutest of the group, but can be a bit of a fin nipper. Most of these fish will prefer meaty foods or even live foods. An exception would be the Scats, who for those of you familiar with Latin has a name that means scat eater. (This is a family blog so I cannot give a literal translation!) These guys will eat anything. The Scats and Monos can be easily adapted to a full saltwater aquarium environment as adults and Scats can help control nuisance hair algae but are not considered reef safe. They, along with the Silver Datnoid and Mbu Puffer are "personality" fish that will quickly adapt to begging for food whenever you are near the aquarium. The Ruby and Green Scats can be a bit nippy but the Silver Scat has a live and let live attitude towards other fish. The Scats can get as big as a dinner plate and will require excellent filtration to maintain their water quality. They will devour almost any type of plant. (Knowing this I once covered the top of my 75 gallon tank with a thick layer of Duckweed for my Ruby Scat to chew on. The Scat was about 7" diameter and once it saw the duckweed, it stayed at the top eating until ALL of the duckweed was gone! It took less than 4 hours to clear the top and it never stopped eating.

You have more choices than you think:

Anubius Frazeri

There are many types of plants that can be placed in a brackish water aquarium, especially those with just one or two tablespoons per 10 gallons. Most of the Vallisneria and Anubias plants can add to the decor, along with Micro Sword, Hairgrass or Cryptocoryne.

Java Fern

More indestructible plants, like Watersprite, Sagittaria and Java Fern, can also tolerate the higher levels of salt content and are less likely to be eaten. Java Fern in particular makes a great decorative plant, since it can be easily attached to rocks and/or driftwood with thread or fishing line and will root itself to the object. Floating Water Sprite can make a great hide out for Archers or Anableps, you just might need to anchor the roots with a fishing line weight to keep the filter from pushing all the floating plants to one side. Banana plants can also be utilized to provide some surface plant cover.  All and all the hobbyist has multiple choices as to how to set up a Brackish Aquarium and to decide what types of fish they wish to keep.

Comments

[That Fish Lady]

I'm impressed with how easy to read this article is - good job breaking the content up! However, I'm curious as to why you listed the Mbu puffer as a brackish water fish? While you hit the nail on the head about them being a personality fish, Tetraodon mbu is most definitely a freshwater puffer. : )

[Kristen Sydelko]

Thanks for your comment, "That Fish Lady." I have made the correction and will talk to Don about it. He might have made a mistake in the fish that he meant to list!