astroclown
Member
Can anyone tell me the salinity level for brackish fishes. Like the scats. and what special things they need?
Brackish Info Plz.
- Thread starter astroclown
- Start date
lionfish28
Member
i think the saltinity is 1.017?I think.:notsure:
moraym
Active Member
I have maintained a brackish tank for four years, salinity level should be 1.008 to 1.010. I think 1.017 is far too high, that is just below my marine levels (.018-.020). Some people say 3-4 teaspons of salt per 2.5 gallons of water, but I've never used this method, I always go by my specific gravity measure. Keep a temperature of 68-80, I've always been at 78.
The salinity of a brackish tank can be slowly adjusted upwards, as many fish can be adjusted to complete marine. Actually, my moray eel stopped eating as much, I adjusted the salt levels up to 1.012 or a little higher for the past two months, and it started eating again. This is because the eel likes a more marine environment as it matures. Many brackish fish like to migrate to more marine environments as they get older. But that being said, a .008-.010 was fine for me for four years, and will work great. Brackish fish, especially scats, spawn in the full marine environment of the ocean, and slowly changing them from brackish to saltwater over years will really make their color stand out. I've been away too much these past couple years to appropriately change them slowly, so they're still in brackish, but the color is still pretty nice.
Green and red scats (Scatophagus argus) can get huge in tanks, and require 50g minimum, but really would do best with an extra 25g on top of that. Mine green and red scat are three years old and quickly approaching 10". They do best with veggie foods (dried seaweed, lettuce, algae). Although mine have been subsisting on a lot of flake food. Feed them mainly Formula 2, mix it up once in a while with Formula 1, Prime Reef, or Brine Shrimp Plus. They get treated once in a while to live brine or blackworms, and they go crazy over that.
I also have a Mono Argentus (Monodactylus argenteus) that is the fastest, most graceful swimmer I've seen. Approaching ten inches as well, uses every bit of the swimming space. Similar in feeding to the scats. They require 50g, but in all honestly, I couldn't see mine in anything less than a 100g, and they grow very, VERY quickly.
My spotted puffer requires only 30g. His diet consists of Formula 1 frozen cubes, frozen squid, krill, silversides. He also assaults any flakes on the surface. Really easy to keep, unfortunately gets after the eel's food once in a while and is almost taken out.
Columbian Sharks (Arius jordani), also known as Catsharks, are commonly seen as freshwater fish. If you find a store that has them in a brackish tank, they make awesome species in a tank. Mine are almost four years and approaching a foot long (I have two). These guys also grow quick, require 70g minimum, and they may also be accimilated slowly to a full marine environment. They are like vacuums and clean up ANY food that is on the bottom, and clean up a lot. They also love pellets, blackworms, bloodworms, and any frozen food that happens to find its way to the bottom.
Finally, the common moray eel. A brownish eel, commonly sold as freshwater eel, but again, try to find one in a brackish tank if you're interested. Mine has grown to 16 inches, eats anything, and I mean anything. Tank has to be very well sealed, as they are escape artists, for more info post questions on the aggressive forum and I'll see them there.
In the past I've had Bumble Bee Gobies (Brachygobius doriae). These cute little guys perch on everything, only get about an inch long. They're great to have, but I had to get rid of them when the eel got larger. Only irritation is that they'll only eat live foods, I fed them tubiflex worms, blood/blackworms, live brine.
Also, another great fish is the Archer Fish (Toxotes jaculatrix). Stays mainly near the top of the tank, requires 100g, but they are great if you have the tank. Get almost a foot long in captivity, although mine has never hit 9" for some reason. Archer fish hunt by spitting water at insects outside of the water, knocking them down, with incredible force. Their eyesight is so good it can adjust through the water's surface line, and spit a stream of water up to four feet and hit an insect. you can keep the water line of the tank a little low, stick food on the canopy glass, and slowly teach the captive Archer to spit at it. An Archer will practice this technique of hunting with a low water line, or sometimes with an open tank. I could never do this due to the eel needing a sealed tank. Eats live insects and live foods, also likes some lettuce or seaweed clipped at the surface. Do a search on the internet and you can find great pictures of them spitting, and videos too.
You can get Mollies too, and they're fine in smaller tanks, but I've never though they looked good so I've never had them.
The one thing to watch in brackish tanks is the filration, these tanks get very dirty, very fast. Especially with an eel and four fish approaching a foot long. Be sure to include twice the amount of filtration you think you'll need. I've got an undergravel running with multiple powerheads, two HOB filters (Millenium 3000s) and a couple canisters.
I've never found extremely good resources for brackish keepers online, if you have any other questions, Private Message me with a link to your post, because I rarely read the Fish Discussion board.
Wow, that's a long thread, hope it all helps.
The salinity of a brackish tank can be slowly adjusted upwards, as many fish can be adjusted to complete marine. Actually, my moray eel stopped eating as much, I adjusted the salt levels up to 1.012 or a little higher for the past two months, and it started eating again. This is because the eel likes a more marine environment as it matures. Many brackish fish like to migrate to more marine environments as they get older. But that being said, a .008-.010 was fine for me for four years, and will work great. Brackish fish, especially scats, spawn in the full marine environment of the ocean, and slowly changing them from brackish to saltwater over years will really make their color stand out. I've been away too much these past couple years to appropriately change them slowly, so they're still in brackish, but the color is still pretty nice.
Green and red scats (Scatophagus argus) can get huge in tanks, and require 50g minimum, but really would do best with an extra 25g on top of that. Mine green and red scat are three years old and quickly approaching 10". They do best with veggie foods (dried seaweed, lettuce, algae). Although mine have been subsisting on a lot of flake food. Feed them mainly Formula 2, mix it up once in a while with Formula 1, Prime Reef, or Brine Shrimp Plus. They get treated once in a while to live brine or blackworms, and they go crazy over that.
I also have a Mono Argentus (Monodactylus argenteus) that is the fastest, most graceful swimmer I've seen. Approaching ten inches as well, uses every bit of the swimming space. Similar in feeding to the scats. They require 50g, but in all honestly, I couldn't see mine in anything less than a 100g, and they grow very, VERY quickly.
My spotted puffer requires only 30g. His diet consists of Formula 1 frozen cubes, frozen squid, krill, silversides. He also assaults any flakes on the surface. Really easy to keep, unfortunately gets after the eel's food once in a while and is almost taken out.
Columbian Sharks (Arius jordani), also known as Catsharks, are commonly seen as freshwater fish. If you find a store that has them in a brackish tank, they make awesome species in a tank. Mine are almost four years and approaching a foot long (I have two). These guys also grow quick, require 70g minimum, and they may also be accimilated slowly to a full marine environment. They are like vacuums and clean up ANY food that is on the bottom, and clean up a lot. They also love pellets, blackworms, bloodworms, and any frozen food that happens to find its way to the bottom.
Finally, the common moray eel. A brownish eel, commonly sold as freshwater eel, but again, try to find one in a brackish tank if you're interested. Mine has grown to 16 inches, eats anything, and I mean anything. Tank has to be very well sealed, as they are escape artists, for more info post questions on the aggressive forum and I'll see them there.
In the past I've had Bumble Bee Gobies (Brachygobius doriae). These cute little guys perch on everything, only get about an inch long. They're great to have, but I had to get rid of them when the eel got larger. Only irritation is that they'll only eat live foods, I fed them tubiflex worms, blood/blackworms, live brine.
Also, another great fish is the Archer Fish (Toxotes jaculatrix). Stays mainly near the top of the tank, requires 100g, but they are great if you have the tank. Get almost a foot long in captivity, although mine has never hit 9" for some reason. Archer fish hunt by spitting water at insects outside of the water, knocking them down, with incredible force. Their eyesight is so good it can adjust through the water's surface line, and spit a stream of water up to four feet and hit an insect. you can keep the water line of the tank a little low, stick food on the canopy glass, and slowly teach the captive Archer to spit at it. An Archer will practice this technique of hunting with a low water line, or sometimes with an open tank. I could never do this due to the eel needing a sealed tank. Eats live insects and live foods, also likes some lettuce or seaweed clipped at the surface. Do a search on the internet and you can find great pictures of them spitting, and videos too.
You can get Mollies too, and they're fine in smaller tanks, but I've never though they looked good so I've never had them.
The one thing to watch in brackish tanks is the filration, these tanks get very dirty, very fast. Especially with an eel and four fish approaching a foot long. Be sure to include twice the amount of filtration you think you'll need. I've got an undergravel running with multiple powerheads, two HOB filters (Millenium 3000s) and a couple canisters.
I've never found extremely good resources for brackish keepers online, if you have any other questions, Private Message me with a link to your post, because I rarely read the Fish Discussion board.
Wow, that's a long thread, hope it all helps.
:yes:
astroclown
Member
Thanks for the info. Moray and great pictures.
You seem to know alot about brackish fishes, so I am going to ask you. What is the best treatment for diseases and parasites for brackish fishes. Example. Ich
Cause I want to start a brackish tank, it looks cool. If you know any good websites on brackish, pls let me know.
Thnks!
You seem to know alot about brackish fishes, so I am going to ask you. What is the best treatment for diseases and parasites for brackish fishes. Example. Ich
Cause I want to start a brackish tank, it looks cool. If you know any good websites on brackish, pls let me know.
Thnks!
moraym
Active Member
Only real problems i've had is with popeye due to the tank being dirty since the eel eats pretty much daily. I've treated by setting up a hospital tank, filling it half with brackish water from the tank, and half with new brackish water, running filters without carbon, and using Maracyn-2.
This has solved popeye/infection problems with my catsharks, which get it a couple times a year.
This has solved popeye/infection problems with my catsharks, which get it a couple times a year.
moraym
Active Member
Oops, forgot to answer the main question, I have never had ich in my brackish tank for some reason. I would think a standard saltwater ich treatment used in a hospital tank would suffice, would have to check with my new LFS guru to be sure.
I have tried a Euran-2 dip once to get rid of a bacteria infection and it was a horrible idea. My OLD LFS told me to dip catshark into a Euran-2 solution since nothing else was working, I followed instructions exactly and it burned off his whiskers and peeled a little of his skin. Luckily he survived, and I will never again trust the store I went to. I'm sure catshark's whiskers are easily damaged, maybe it would work for other fish, but I still don't trust a store that doesn't sell brackish, I never should've asked them.
I have tried a Euran-2 dip once to get rid of a bacteria infection and it was a horrible idea. My OLD LFS told me to dip catshark into a Euran-2 solution since nothing else was working, I followed instructions exactly and it burned off his whiskers and peeled a little of his skin. Luckily he survived, and I will never again trust the store I went to. I'm sure catshark's whiskers are easily damaged, maybe it would work for other fish, but I still don't trust a store that doesn't sell brackish, I never should've asked them.
