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First time attempting Brackish

2K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  chiefacorn 
#1 ·
So I made the mistake of purchasing an Archerfish for my fw tank. Then I did research and asked questions and realized that it needed brackish water. At first, I was deciding whether I wanted to return him, or just make him deal with straight fw. I decided on the latter, until today, when I saw another one of those "I've never seen that before" fish, looked into it, realized it was brackish, and bought it. Or rather them. 2 Violet Gobies.
So I have a 65 gallon tank, which is currently occupied by Cichlids. Though their numbers are few, and they are small, so I could rehome them into my 55, which has 3 other cichlids in it. Once the current occupants are out (aside from the newbies, they were in fw at the lfs, I can't imagine them having an issue in the next week or so), I can move the Archerfish in and begin the transition from fw to brackish.
So here goes my questions.
Will I need new equipment? I currently have a Marineland C360 and a bubble sponge filter.
Are my fw plastic decorations fine? should I replace them with stone?
How fast or slow should I do the transition?
Which salt is recommended?

I have looked online, and gotten conflicting information. Hopefully someone on here can shed some light on this subject, or multiple parties can argue it out and I can continue to guess... haha.
 
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#2 ·
I've often thought of doing a brackish tank because i've always wanted Archer fish. They are so cool how they will spit water at bugs above the water line. I don't know much about setting up a brackish tank but i believe you use the marine salt and you should probably geta hydrometer to measure salinity. Good luck in your adventure into brackish!
 
#3 ·
" Equipment for Brackish Water
The most important piece of equipment when setting up a brackish aquarium is a good hydrometer to measure SG. Shop around various stores, ask marine hobbyists and search for reviews on the Internet to select the most reliable and serviceable model. All hobby hydrometers are designed for marine aquarium use, so some do not adequately measure lower salinity levels. Check the scale to make sure it can cover the brackish range.

The next essential item is salt. Most brackish hobbyists use a high-quality marine salt mix to best replicate biotopic water conditions. Aquarium salt is another option that has been reported with good success. Just avoid household table salt because of the excess silicates and iodide. Do not add salt directly to the aquarium. Always pre-dissolve it first to avoid burning and shocking your fish and plants.
In terms of tank size, any aquarium will suffice, given that there are brackish fish suitable for everything from micro-cube tanks to 100-gallon tanks or larger. Regardless of tank size, you will need a good-quality heater to maintain the necessary warm temperatures that most brackish fish crave. Mechanical filtration via a power filter is good to circulate the warmth. Make sure there are biological and carbon components in your filter to compensate for the absence of vegetative filtration (more on this later). Never skimp on heaters or filters. If they fail, the results can be disastrous."
I got this article excerpt from Aquarium Fish, Tropical Fish, Freshwater and Saltwater Aquariums
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the information. Unfortunately as of right now this project is on the back burner. I have just a few weeks left of school before I get my AA, and my hours have been cut at work. So the stress of being at the end of my classes, combined with the financial strain that my lost wages have added... Meh, I'll be figuring out something soon.
 
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