Wanting to set up a 36 gallon Brackish.

veganchick

There is an empty 36 gallon bowfront at petsmart for $10, and I wanted to try brackish, but I never have before. I already have sand substrate that I think should work. Than I'll get a 40 gallon whisper power filter. As for heating I'm not sure. I want to have a planted tank, but I understand that is tough w/ brackish. what are some reccomended plants?
Here are some fish I am interested in putting in the tank. (not all of them obviously)
~bumblebee gobies. I REALLY WANT SOME!
~mollies
~ghost shrimp
~white tip catfish
~figure eight puffer
~ indian glassy fish

Any other reccommendations. Help with stocking? thanks

FordMan

Cabomba caroliniana and vallisneria spiralis are two plants that do famous in a brackish tankget yourself a nich peice of bogwood maybe a fewsoluble rocks to buffer ph some sword tails a couple gold severums maybe a driftwood catfish and a shoal of horsefa ced loaches you'd have yourself a pretty neat biotoope

Cody

Well, what type of brackish setup are you trying to accomplish? Estuary, Brackish River, Swamp setup, etc? I am just going to guess you are thinking of a River community dependant on what you said.

Remember, you will need a refractometer to measure your salinity levels. Or, you can get a hydrometer, but those are not accurate at all. Think of them of test strips. Do you also have the correct salt?

Plants can be Anubius, Vallisneria, Hairgrass, and Java Fern, but I would do fake.

Fordman, you do know that those are all FW?

FordMan

fake plants suck and look cheesey that beginner community tank look (i call it the 12th birthday tank look haha) stuff i why not have a bubble treasure chest and a flourecent colored pirate ship go as natural as you can this tank should be veganized lol your plants will do well .3 oz of instant ocean (1.5 grams) per gallon a 20th over ocean salinity trust go real plants are an important part of any tank not to mention java ferns will flouresh in that environment as will the other plants i mention i mean those plant are from brackish environments

Cody

I never said anywhere that fake plants means the addition of those cheesy decor options. Silk plants look almost exactly like real plants just for the record, and without the hassle.

FordMan

what hassles? the occasional trimming of dead leaves isn't that why we own our own tanks and dont just go to the aquarium once a week SO WE CAN PUT OUR HANDS IN IT WEEEEEEEE lol

Cody

Again, don't jump to conclusions.

You need:
-Enough CO2 in your tank to allow plants to thrive
-Plant Ferts/Root Tabs
-Required Lighting
-Knowing how and where to trim plants

And I'm honestly not getting into a debate on aquarium plants. This is just silly.

aspects

Not a lot of brackish options, longterm, with a 36g. You could do dwarf puffers. Or an AT or NGT grow out tank. They grow very slowly so you would be ok for a couple of years

FordMan

that over complicating things you just need enough fish to produce enough waste and co2 to feed the plants and yes obviously the required lighting which basic full spectrum flourensents allowed 2 watts a gallon easily take care of i mean we're talkin basic flourecents which most hoods have standard you can trim whatever you want where ever ....

ps isn't a fish forum about friendly debate over aquatic issues?

Cody

Dwarf Puffers are a 100% freshwater fish.

And Fordman, good point on the last, but everyone is fine with their opinions.