Why did you all convert to Brackish? (thinking about it)

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^ Just as a heads up incase you didn't know... but GSP puffers actually do better in full marine conditions as adults...

Not to mention, the little buggers are known fin nippers and can actually be quite aggressive if they want to be... although how aggressive each one is depends a lot on its individual personality...
 
yeah thanks for the info Fathomer I've done a lot of research into this, and seen many tanks online that have puffers with other brackish fish succesfully (as long as there is enough room)
the tank I'm thinking of converting is 5'x3'x2' and thats 3' wide. I got my puffers as a pair because when I read up on them I heard they are easily bored, so I gave them an intersting aquascape and left them alone together both around 1"-2" and they get on great. very laid back puffers.

It's also to my knowledge that scats and monos prefere marine conditons as adults too which isnt a problem. If the puffers were to suffer too much in the brackish, I would set up a seperate marine tank for them, because They are so cool!
 
Well if you have an aquascaped tank, an that much space maybe it will work? Eitherway, best of luck with it... Cant wait to see some pics...


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Thanks Homer, its still in the planning stages right now as I'm about to go away for 3 weeks (don't worry my tanks will be maintained by my dad).
maybe some time away from my cichlids will make me appreciate them more, but right now Im leaning more towards stripping out the stock and converting to brackish.

It's a shame because I really like my Flag tail Prochilodus, I'll miss him. as for the fish in my Avatar, him and his mate will be going in the puffers current tank as a species only breeding tank.

Most if not all of my fish stores sell their brackish fish from freshwater, so I will keep the tank at fresh water to begin with, get some stock and then when I know I won't be getting any fish for a while, I will start increasing the salinity.

Would probably start with this stocking
x3 Archers
x3mono
x3 scat
x2 GSP
x2 columbian catshark.
Some mollies (for colour and because all the fish will be small growing up around the mollys will make them view smaller fish as copanions not prey).
I plan on expanding the numbers of the fish as time goes on to about 5 archers, and maybe a few more scats and monos.
Other suggestions I can think of adding at some point would maybe be, Dragon goby, Jade goby, other puffers (avocados would be cool).
 
Well I wish I had the time to get a real stock list from you and compare to the ridiculous list of cichlids out there. Heck in the category of Tangynikan community there are about 10 prominent types of setups you can do. I understand the desire to depart from what is perceived as a known quantity. And maybe I'm young in keeping cichlids, only been doing it seriously for 6 out of the 12 or so years I've kept aquarium fish.
 
I'm actually currently going through the process of turning my 125g to brackish... I have three green spotted puffers and a school of glass cats. The reason I am converting it over is the same as the OP I have done marine tanks and of course started off with freshwater, but the brackish interests me so much because I'm slowly altering the entire biological system in the tank to be able to handle salt! Unfortunately my lfs only sells the cool brackish fish at a SG of 1.010-.012 so that's my target over time! But good luck with your tank!


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Thanks dude, its nice to know there is someone else out there who is venturing the path to brackish! my lfs's all sell them in freshwater so I was thinking of either going to 0.2 salinity and then acclimating the fish in a bucket before they are introduced. Right now i still have the cichlids and I am pretty sure i'm going to turn brackish I just am waiting for a while to get some money to do the whole set up.

anyone know how much salt I would need in a 225 to go to 0.02 salinity?

Puffer puffer pass, keep me updated on your progress please?
 
Stratoquarius said:
Thanks dude, its nice to know there is someone else out there who is venturing the path to brackish! my lfs's all sell them in freshwater so I was thinking of either going to 0.2 salinity and then acclimating the fish in a bucket before they are introduced. Right now i still have the cichlids and I am pretty sure i'm going to turn brackish I just am waiting for a while to get some money to do the whole set up.

anyone know how much salt I would need in a 225 to go to 0.02 salinity?

Puffer puffer pass, keep me updated on your progress please?
Click to expand...

I'm doing about 2 scoops of salt (I got the scooper in the box of instant ocean salt I purchased) for a 15 gallon storage bin to bring the sg to .004 so whatever that would equal to... Not good with math sorry! Lol

And my lfs also only sells the fish in fresh which worked well for me, because all I have to do is get the fish I want and than start acclimating them all at the same time!

I will definitely try to keep you posted on it... I'm two weeks in now and all of the fish seem to be doing really well! My puffers to me even seem to be a lot more active now that there is salt in there!


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I'm staying full freshwater forever.

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