Brackish setup + plants and other Qs.

[Icedcoldmine]

Hey all so I purchased 54 gallon corner tank and i want to scape it into a mangrove setup but my salinity isn't high enough, 1.007ish.

I'm currently housing 4 figure 8 puffers and using an aquaclear 50 filter.

My question is what are some emersed plants that can live attached to driftwood and above the surface so it looks like a mangrove swamp but it's not. My driftwood is hanging out of the tank. Also what looks natural for a swamp? I have 3 peices of driftwood sticking above the surface with many branches digging into my substrate, it's like an upsideown tree branch.

What other things look natural? Big shells? Black gravel or filter sand? Planted or implanted?

Besides making the tank look astetically pleasing what other fish can I add? Can I add purple short tailed guppies, sailfin mollies, and/or bumble bee gobies, nerite snails? If not what should I do? I want the tank to look cool as possible. Repaired cracks when I got it for free on Craigslist and using only clip on light to illuminate the whole tank with a yellowish color. Would the light be enough to grow plants? If not what bulbs are meant to grow plants? (Plant growing bulb from walmart)

Thanks!

 

[J. H.]

You can get mangroves. They are cheap, but I think they grow slowly. A lot depends on how salty your brackish water will be. As the water gets saltier, less freshwater plants will be able to survive, and eventually you will be able to grow marine grasses and macroalgaes.
Madou Just set up a really nice brackish tank, and discussed the plants he used in this thread.
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/setting-up-my-brackish-tank.691131/#post-7826262
Here Is a video by Dan Hiteshew of his F8 tank. He keeps guppies and Bumblebee gobies, but got rid of his mollies because they were bullying the F8.

I imagine the F8 would eat the nerites, for sure the younger ones at least.

Would the light be enough to grow plants? If not what bulbs are meant to grow plants? (Plant growing bulb from walmart)

You can buy proper plant growing bulb, and if you pick the right one, it will give you even better growth then sunlight. In the old days people used florescent, and they worked fine. LEDs are a little tricky, because lower CRI (color rendering index, has to do with how 'smooth' the light is) ones will not grow anything but algae, but I have switched out a 60w equivalent CFL (fluorescent) for a 60w equivalent 90 CRI LED on my 10g and now have better plant growth then before, so it should be fine. To get good plant growth, you need a lot of light, so if you have doubts that you aren't overdoing it, you probably don't have enough

 

[Icedcoldmine]

You can get mangroves. They are cheap, but I think they grow slowly. A lot depends on how salty your brackish water will be. As the water gets saltier, less freshwater plants will be able to survive, and eventually you will be able to grow marine grasses and macroalgaes.
Madou Just set up a really nice brackish tank, and discussed the plants he used in this thread.
https://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/threads/setting-up-my-brackish-tank.691131/#post-7826262
Here Is a video by Dan Hiteshew of his F8 tank. He keeps guppies and Bumblebee gobies, but got rid of his mollies because they were bullying the F8.

I imagine the F8 would eat the nerites, for sure the younger ones at least.

You can buy proper plant growing bulb, and if you pick the right one, it will give you even better growth then sunlight. In the old days people used florescent, and they worked fine. LEDs are a little tricky, because lower CRI (color rendering index, has to do with how 'smooth' the light is) ones will not grow anything but algae, but I have switched out a 60w equivalent CFL (fluorescent) for a 60w equivalent 90 CRI LED on my 10g and now have better plant growth then before, so it should be fine. To get good plant growth, you need a lot of light, so if you have doubts that you aren't overdoing it, you probably don't have enough

Ah i see. Where can I buy mangroves lol.

Here pictures of the tank currently and here's the driftwood I'm going to use. Only using a couple peices.

 

[Madou]

Ah i see. Where can I buy mangroves lol.

I bought mine on ebay of all places! I don't know where you're from, but if Europe, you'll have no trouble finding them there.

I find their growth is OK, as long as you make sure to water the leaves to clean the salt.
They are interesting plants, so I like them!

The real problem, though, is while you grow them, you'll have to accomodate a spot for them to grow bigger until you can have their entire length in, while leaves are all out, which takes time.

 

[Icedcoldmine]

I bought mine on ebay of all places! I don't know where you're from, but if Europe, you'll have no trouble finding them there.

I find their growth is OK, as long as you make sure to water the leaves to clean the salt.
They are interesting plants, so I like them!

The real problem, though, is while you grow them, you'll have to accomodate a spot for them to grow bigger until you can have their entire length in, while leaves are all out, which takes time.

How long? If I buy them as juviniles? I don't have a hood so how long do you think it might take for them to grow if they are in my filter box?

 

[Madou]

How long? If I buy them as juviniles? I don't have a hood so how long do you think it might take for them to grow if they are in my filter box?

Well, check the thread, it should have the starting date of my tank. They got 10 cm since then.