starting a brackish tank!
- Thread starter ric maniac
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ric maniac
Active Member
thanks! great info
texanangel
Member
Easyish, if you can do saltwater, you're fine.
My favorite brackish water fish: Puffers!
Seriously, look into them, they are adorable and very personable.
My favorite brackish water fish: Puffers!
Seriously, look into them, they are adorable and very personable.
ric maniac
Active Member
wich of the ouffers would you suggest for a small 6g?
ric maniac
Active Member
ya im thinking of breeding mollies. i called my lfs and they said they would give me 2$ per baby of store credit! hehe
ric maniac
Active Member
awsome
ric maniac
Active Member
still lookin for a few quick tips on brackish puffers. im goin to bed but ill check on this tomorrow. thanks everyone.
laxplaya
Member
Originally Posted by reefkprZ
cichlids are usually hard water fish. (high pH). I have never heard of any rock that releases salt to controll salinity. I think you may be a bit confused. chromides are brackish cichlids, but most cichlids will only tolerate brackish not thrive.
the rocks i used were orange with white stripes. I picked them up at ***** oh so long ago. I saw them there today when i picked up some damsels. They release salt and i never added salt to my cichlid tank. The were african cichlids if u wanted to know, from lake malaui.
cichlids are usually hard water fish. (high pH). I have never heard of any rock that releases salt to controll salinity. I think you may be a bit confused. chromides are brackish cichlids, but most cichlids will only tolerate brackish not thrive.
the rocks i used were orange with white stripes. I picked them up at ***** oh so long ago. I saw them there today when i picked up some damsels. They release salt and i never added salt to my cichlid tank. The were african cichlids if u wanted to know, from lake malaui.
reefkprz
Active Member
Lake Malawi is famous for its cichlids, popular in the aquarium trade. Malawi cichlids are divided into two basic groups, loosely referred to as the haplochromines and the tilapiines. Within the first group (Haplochrominae) there are two subgroups. The first consists of the open water and sand dwelling species whose males sport bright colors while the females show a silvery coloration with sometimes irregular black bars or other markings. The second subgroup is known locally and popularly as mbuna, which means "rockdweller." Mbuna are smaller, and both sexes often showing bright coloration, though in many species the females may be brownish overall.
The second group, the tilapiines, consists of the only substrate-spawning species in the lake (Tilapia rendalli), as well as the 4 species of chamb (Nyasalapia). Metriaclima and Labidochromis are popular cichlids in the international aquarium scene.
Water chemistry
The water in lake Malawi is typically alkaline with a pH of 7.7 – 8.6, a carbonate hardness of 107 – 142 mg L-1 and a conductivity of 210 – 285 µS cm-1. The lake water is generally warm, having a surface temperature that ranges from 24 – 29 °C (75 – 84 °F) and a deep level temperature of 22 °C (71.6 °F).
The second group, the tilapiines, consists of the only substrate-spawning species in the lake (Tilapia rendalli), as well as the 4 species of chamb (Nyasalapia). Metriaclima and Labidochromis are popular cichlids in the international aquarium scene.
Water chemistry
The water in lake Malawi is typically alkaline with a pH of 7.7 – 8.6, a carbonate hardness of 107 – 142 mg L-1 and a conductivity of 210 – 285 µS cm-1. The lake water is generally warm, having a surface temperature that ranges from 24 – 29 °C (75 – 84 °F) and a deep level temperature of 22 °C (71.6 °F).
texanangel
Member
Ok, about puffers, get an Amazon puffer (aka. Bumblebee puffer). They are hard to find, but only about ten bucks (at least where I am) and they stay pretty small, only 3" or so. Also, you can put bumblebee gobies with one, I guess their similar markings tell them not to bite each other. The Figure Eight puffers are pretty, but they're meaner.
But the puffers take a long time to acclimate, and be sure to have a cave or overhang for it to sleep in at night. Oh, and don't let them touch the air, if they suck in any air they will die. They puff up with water, but only get a little roundish. Oh, and you must feed them snails, you can get them for free at any lfs. Just say, "I'll take any freshwater snails you have." And ta-da! A whole bag of little brown snails. The puffer eats snails that are about the size of its eye.
But the puffers take a long time to acclimate, and be sure to have a cave or overhang for it to sleep in at night. Oh, and don't let them touch the air, if they suck in any air they will die. They puff up with water, but only get a little roundish. Oh, and you must feed them snails, you can get them for free at any lfs. Just say, "I'll take any freshwater snails you have." And ta-da! A whole bag of little brown snails. The puffer eats snails that are about the size of its eye.
reefkprz
Active Member
Originally Posted by texanangel
Ok, about puffers, get an Amazon puffer (aka. Bumblebee puffer). They are hard to find, but only about ten bucks (at least where I am) and they stay pretty small, only 3" or so. Also, you can put bumblebee gobies with one, I guess their similar markings tell them not to bite each other. The Figure Eight puffers are pretty, but they're meaner.
But the puffers take a long time to acclimate, and be sure to have a cave or overhang for it to sleep in at night. Oh, and don't let them touch the air, if they suck in any air they will die. They puff up with water, but only get a little roundish. Oh, and you must feed them snails, you can get them for free at any lfs. Just say, "I'll take any freshwater snails you have." And ta-da! A whole bag of little brown snails. The puffer eats snails that are about the size of its eye.
that covers puffers pretty well, just wanted to add something to it, if they do not get snails to eat their teeth will over grow and they will then be unable to eat eventually starving, also do not force them to puff it is not only stressfull for the puffer but doing it can lead to internal damage, it is a last ditch survival tecnique.
Ok, about puffers, get an Amazon puffer (aka. Bumblebee puffer). They are hard to find, but only about ten bucks (at least where I am) and they stay pretty small, only 3" or so. Also, you can put bumblebee gobies with one, I guess their similar markings tell them not to bite each other. The Figure Eight puffers are pretty, but they're meaner.
But the puffers take a long time to acclimate, and be sure to have a cave or overhang for it to sleep in at night. Oh, and don't let them touch the air, if they suck in any air they will die. They puff up with water, but only get a little roundish. Oh, and you must feed them snails, you can get them for free at any lfs. Just say, "I'll take any freshwater snails you have." And ta-da! A whole bag of little brown snails. The puffer eats snails that are about the size of its eye.
that covers puffers pretty well, just wanted to add something to it, if they do not get snails to eat their teeth will over grow and they will then be unable to eat eventually starving, also do not force them to puff it is not only stressfull for the puffer but doing it can lead to internal damage, it is a last ditch survival tecnique.
texanangel
Member
Yeah, that's why the snails are so important. Do you know how hard it is to put a puffer under then file its teeth down with a dremol tool? Very iritating for the puffer, and for you.
I just love them because of their cute faces and their big eyes.
I just love them because of their cute faces and their big eyes.
ric maniac
Active Member
ok thanks guys! so much info lol. so how often do i need to get new snails and will the puffers go with mollies?
