Discussion - Why did....

[Reefscape]

....you choose a brackish tank, over a a full marine tank? Did you set up a brackish system as a stop gap in your process of moving towards a full marine system? or was there a specific reason for the tank?

Why is there a real lack of brackish water invertebrates available?

As a substrate, would your choice be sand, or a gravel based substrate? and why? What effects, if any, would the substrate have on the ecosystem?

Have you ever concidered moving your brackish tank forward, and switching it too full marine? if you thought about it, but, decided not too, what stopped you making the switch?

 

[headbanger_jib]

i set the brack tank for the toadfish,

wouldn't want to move to salt as much of the stuff i want in a marine tank if i ever setup one is banned here in our country, people do buy and sell illegal stuff, without much trouble, but wouldn't want the hobby getting hurt, if ever they decide to take drastic action against the offenders

 

[Tsubakai]

Got a brackish to house a mudskipper then added four scats to the mix. All going very well. I use coral sand substrate, partly to help with keeping a stable pH, but mainly because whatever we have on the m'skippers basking she kicks into the water eventually. This way I can just scoop some sand off the floor and refill the shelf. Was going to try a mud-type substrate but its too difficult at the moment.

Over time I slowly raise and lower the SG to see if it affects my fish at all but they are all feeding and growing well. The skipper virtually hand feeds now even though she as skittish as anything if there is no food around.

A second brackish tank holds an Aussie puffer who started off in fresh - as he grows I slowly increase the SG and will eventually get to full marine in the long term.

I think one of the problems with brackish is that there is limited choice, not just in fish but also plants etc so people go either with fresh or marine. Also the lack of info available turns people off going that pathway too.

 

[SalmonAfrica]

Why did....you choose a brackish tank, over a a full marine tank? Did you set up a brackish system as a stop gap in your process of moving towards a full marine system? or was there a specific reason for the tank?

It was cheaper - both the fish and equipment. I also have an estuary nearby which could regulary add stock to my tank. My original tank was eventually going to go full-on marine until an unfortunate incident occured...

Why is there a real lack of brackish water invertebrates available?

A lot of brackish inverts have complicated breeding cycles that invlove either both fresh and brackish water, or both brackish and marine water. As such, breeding them on a large scale for the aquarium hobby would be quite difficult, probably impractical.

As a substrate, would your choice be sand, or a gravel based substrate? and why? What effects, if any, would the substrate have on the ecosystem?

Definitely sand. I don't think I've ever heard of a rocky/gravelly bottomed estuary or mangrove swamp, and sand is the cleanest way to replicate the soft substratum typical in such habitats. Beach sand works well because it helps maintain a higher pH and hardness.

 

[Goanna]

Mudskippers and Archer Fish were the reasons I went with a brackish tank. I wanted a very natural looking mangrove setup and that's waht I worked towards.

Funny thing is, they are the two speices I dont have in the tank, lol. I had archers and they all refused food after a while, not sure why. And the mudskippers, well I just dont think I have enough land area for them. In the intiail design I had a mudbank shelf in the foam background, but after that design failed I was in a rush to redo everything, so when I did the second foam background I forgot to build the mud bank before I started cementing, lol.

I am still very happy with the tank and it's current inhabitants. I will try the archers again, but I am going to wait a while. Since I tried from two different suppliers and both times I had the same thing happen (they were all okay, eating very well for a couple weeks and then just refused all food items for no apparent reason).

 

[JK47]

#1) I went BW because my son wanted a skip. I like to work on stuff with him so it was a good excuse to hang with my 11 year old when parents aren't as cool as they used to be.

#2) Never kept an invert in any BW before, skips eat what ever hits the water...

#3) I use pool filter sand for price and never a bad experience but will be switching to crushed coral/argonite on "redo" round 3.

#4) I will convert to salt if I ever loose the skips or the wife gets a newer Lexus and I sneek a new tank in the house while she is washing it. (Yes I have it planned out) I REALLY have a thing for the blue spotted ray's and mandarin goby's.

 

[bromie88]

I was fed up with FW so I wanted to try something different, but keeping marines had a fear factor about them. Then I got my first BW fish, 4 archers And then I got ollie my GSP. Then I found out that GSP's require SW so I progressed to where I am at now, happily keeping marine fish , inverts and corals, but I'm planning either a 30g brackish or native marine aquarium.

All my tanks use playsand for substrate. £3 for 15Kg, bargin.

Is reefscape planning on turning to the even darker side?

 

[bromie88]

I was fed up with FW so I wanted to try something different, but keeping marines had a fear factor about them. Then I got my first BW fish, 4 archers And then I got ollie my GSP. Then I found out that GSP's require SW so I progressed to where I am at now, happily keeping marine fish , inverts and corals, but I'm planning either a 30g brackish or native marine aquarium.

Is reefscape planning on turning to the even darker side?