First Brackish Tank

[Fire eel 18]

Since i want to be a marine biologist I'm gonna try to slowly build up to saltwater tanks. I'm hopeing that brackish water tanks are easier than fully saltwater tanks and only a little harder than freshwater.The reason why I'm posting is because i have absolutly no clue on how to run a brackish water tank. I know i need aquarium salt but which kind? Do i need an overflow and sump? What kind of test kit should i get? Whats a protein skimmer? Whats a good website that could help me out i.e teaches me how to test salinity?Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[mnemenoi]

I'm hopeing that brackish water tanks are easier than fully saltwater tanks and only a little harder than freshwater. To some degree, remember that brackish enviroments shift constantly from nearly saline to completely fresh. The fish can usually handle changes in salinity very well, but over extended periods do require some saline conditions. There are low end brackish to high end brackish residents and knowing what your species prefer will assist in keeping them healthy and prospering.

The reason why I'm posting is because i have absolutly no clue on how to run a brackish water tank. There is a great book covering Brackish tanks that does a terrific job explaining everything you would ever wish to know.

I know i need aquarium salt but which kind? Nearly any sea salt mix for salt water tanks would do, avoid just plain aquarium salt as it lacks other essential minerals it will need. Most are fine in brackish tanks, when you get into corals and marine inverts the exact mix can become far more important

Do i need an overflow and sump? It can help, just as one on a freshwater tank could help, but they are not required

What kind of test kit should i get? Refractometer or a hydrometer to measure your salinity levels, otherwise a general freshwater kit should have everything else you would normally need.

Whats a protein skimmer? A piece of equipment used to collect organic waste in Saltwater systems. Not certain about using it in brackish and have never heard of anyone using them. I'd probably just handle with water changes as its functionality could not work in a brackish system

Whats a good website that could help me out i.e teaches me how to test salinity? Wet Web Media has a very in depth Brackish system explanation that is as deep as you wish to dwell into the subject.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Good luck and try some local brackish fish, they are relatively free and can allow you some learning curve before jumping in. Choose your livestock carefully, many brackish fish get large and/or have strange behavior/feeding issues to take into account.

[mistahoo]

Wow! It always surprises me how much you know!

[mnemenoi]

Barretsline has a new Hydrometer for sale in his sale thread if your interested in what you are looking for. I know I have heard various saltwater folk saying that they eventually went with a refractometer, but I am not familiar enough with them to recommend one or the other. We use the older hydrometer.

[Fire eel 18]

It's still too early for me i need to secure the tank first and that could take months. I have to prove to my parents that i can handle the 135 i got from barrett last month and get a job so i'm just trying to get mentally ready to run brackish.But thanks for the heads up.

[Fire eel 18]

finally got the tank!!! It has an overflow,(i dont exactly know what it does ) and pumps. What kind of lights do i need all i want is Green spotted puffers and brackish water plants. Anything else i might need besides a hydrometer? Ive got a spare 10.

[Fire eel 18]

and also i would like to go with a sand substrate. anything special with that?

[mnemenoi]

An overflow is a piece of equipment that directs water to a sump for filtraion, the return pumps filtered water back into the tank. Lights are a personal choice, except in the area of plants. Most plants require a 6500K-10000K spectrum and the easies manner o determine light intensity is watts per gallon (14 watt bulb on a 6 gallon tank = 14/6=2.33 WPG). It is an easy formula and later you can try and determine PAR/intensity. Brackish plants can be especially tough or easy depending on your mindset. Most storebought plants (common in the industry) are not brackish and only a few even survive brackish conditions (java fern and java moss, but only in low end brackish). If it were me, I would try something novel and go collect some yourself. We happen to live near Galveston and I imagine collecting and trying out a variety you find could open the doorway to some brackish plants the hobby has never seen.

Green spotted puffers are certainly cool fish, just be sure to give them space and expect some hard decisions when it comes to tankmates as they are very aggressive neighbors. Many brackish fish are large or are difficult to work with, so choose carefully and be patient when trying to find the species you want.

[mnemenoi]

Sand should be fine, aragonite is even better as it has a natural buffering quality and will keep you in your targeted high end alkaline parameters.

[Fire eel 18]

How much more money can i expect to pay a month than freshwater?

[Nickintex]

Consider native brackish water fish. You can catch some interesting killifish, gobies, sheepshead minnows, green sailfin mollies, pin fish, skillet fish, and invertebrates such as fiddler crabs, marsh crabs, various shrimp,and hermit crabs in ditches and mashes around Freeport and Galveston. All you need is a cast net, minnow trap, and/or dip new, as well as a current fishing license to collect them.

[mnemenoi]

How much more money can i expect to pay a month than freshwater?

The cost of a bucket of sea salt is the only real cost I see beyond the normal costs associated with running a tank.

[Fire eel 18]

Ok, thanks! My dad thought it was gonna be like an extra $100 bucks a month. Appreciate the info!

[mnemenoi]

In all honesty it should run a simple 25-50 dollar bucket of marine salt and that will likely last you a year at least depending on the size of your tank and frequency of water changes. A simple hydrometer will work with the addition of a freshwater testing kit. Otherwise, it will all be in the initial set up, substrate, lighting, heater (optional if you go local brackish species), hardscape. Just set it up and let it cycle like normal and watch your numbers. During water changes add salt to your water and achieve the same/similar specific gravity and you are good to go. Brackish water fish live in an enviroment of shifting salinity, so are actually quite resiliant in that regard. Plants will be a bit tricky in any higher end brackish set up. Livestock will probably be your toughest choices as many do poorly with companions. You mentioned Green Spotted puffers, is that going to be everything going in or do you have anything else in mind? What size tank is it? I can try and assist in some species that might work if I have some idea on sizing.

Brackish tanks are actually far more intimidating in name then actual workload and are a great way to get familiar with saltwater terms and conditions without having to take the plunge.

[Fire eel 18]

The tank is 55gallons, i'm pretty much dead set on getting 3 green spotted puffers im looking for plants that are tall and skinny much like kelp but smaller. Open to all suggestions and once again thank you for all your help.