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Post by krissy82 on Jul 27, 2015 15:12:14 GMT -5
I've always wanted a 'freshwater' puffer and I've had dragon/violet gobies, but they never lasted long. I have a 10 gallon tank that I want to put a dragon goby and at least one puffer fish in. I found a lot of useful info on this site- badmanstropicalfish.com/brackish/brackish.html - but there's nothing there about the dragon goby. I also really don't want to use sand because whenever I've done that in the past, the sand really messed with my filters. I read that guppies are actually brackish water, is that true? I've never had a salt water tank, but I really want a beautiful dragon goby and puffer. Any advice is appreciated! |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 27, 2015 16:13:52 GMT -5
Yup, we have a set up like this and it's not hard at all. Guppies and mollies like a little salt too. You can actually see color changes for these fish from freshwater vs. brackish. I just SeaChem Cichlid Lake Salt with every water change. Prefect for puffers, crabs, mollies, guppies. www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Seachem.html#cichlid |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 27, 2015 16:14:43 GMT -5
You dont even have to worry about prefect brackish numbers, just dose based on the directions on the salt.
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Post by Carl on Jul 27, 2015 18:01:25 GMT -5
Guppies can be brackish, meaning much higher salt (NaCl) concentrations, but more importantly they prefer high mineral content in their water, even if there is little salt present. The use of a AAP Wonder Shells is highly advised for both Guppies and Gobies since these add a constant supply of mineral Cations. Product Reference: www.americanaquariumproducts.com/MedicatedWonderShell.htmlAs for the sand, you might try adding a tray, such as a reptile dish at the bottom of the aquarium so as to provide an area of sand, but keep it contained. This also works well for Cory Catfish. Here is a thread where another member here made a sandbox for their Cory Cats: everythingaquatic.proboards.com/thread/3749/sandboxCarl |
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Post by krissy82 on Jul 27, 2015 20:17:10 GMT -5
I use freshwater salt in my tanks, I've read that for brackish water you should use marine salt. What I want most in this tank is a dragon goby and some type of puffer. What type of salt should I go with?
Also, when buying these fish, I only see them in freshwater so is there something extra I will have to do to acclimate them to the brackish?
And is it true that sandbox sand is fine for fish tanks?
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 28, 2015 9:11:13 GMT -5
I use freshwater salt in my tanks, I've read that for brackish water you should use marine salt. What I want most in this tank is a dragon goby and some type of puffer. What type of salt should I go with? Also, when buying these fish, I only see them in freshwater so is there something extra I will have to do to acclimate them to the brackish? And is it true that sandbox sand is fine for fish tanks? The SeaChem Cichlid salt I recommended has the salts. It also buffers the KH at the same time. Its still what I recommend or you can use regular marine salt and add alkaline buffers seperate. The sandbox sand is a fine option. |
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Post by Carl on Jul 28, 2015 10:23:00 GMT -5
I have used both but separately Marine Salts (mostly Instant Ocean & Tropic Marin) and SeaChem Cichlid Salts.
I never made any controlled study, but my observations were both worked well.
The big difference is the Cichlid Salt has a lower % of sodium chloride, while sodium chloride is the main ingredient in marine salts. So if marine salts are used, you would only use a fraction of what would be called for in a salt water aquarium where as with African Cichlid Salt is used to the full amount recommended in the directions
Carl
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Post by krissy82 on Jul 28, 2015 15:56:36 GMT -5
Is there anything special I'll have to do when putting a brackish water fish that's been kept in freshwater into it's natural brackish water?
I'm getting a dragon/violet goby for sure. The tank I have to work with is 10 gallons. What type of puffer should I get and how many could I put in this tank with a dragon goby?
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Post by angelminx on Jul 28, 2015 17:27:45 GMT -5
The dragon goby is a "filter feeder", so there shouldn't be any problem with him and the puffers on his part, however they can reach up to 2 feet, so it is best to (eventually)keep them in a 55-gallon aquarium. They should have at least a cave or (2' long) pvc pipe available to hide in, and a fine substrate. The April 2011 Aquarium Fish International magazine article "5 Brackish Fish Every Aqaurist Should Keep", by Stephen G. Noble, recommends a minimum specific gravity of 1.005, and a temperature range of 74 to 82 degrees, and that they love algae. The October 2013 Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine has an article by Joshua Wiegert, "Gobies for the Freshwater and Brackish Tank", which also talks about them, stating they they should be target-fed. I've heard that they often sift thru the sand for their food, so I would assume that mixing some into the sand every evening should help insure that they get some (before anyone else gets it) as well. There is also an article in the 1999 Aquarium USA Annual, by Al Castro, entitled "The Brackish Aquarium" That speaks on the levels of brackishness, and also mentions the puffer that would probably be best for you: the so-called Target Puffer ( Tetraodon leirus) from Thailand. It only reaches 6" and is one of the less aggressive species that is available. There is also a book that I have been wanting to get: "Brackish-water Fishes: An Aquarist's Guide to Identification, Care & Husbandry", edited by Neale Monks Unfortunately none of the stores around here will order it, but it should be available online --I, unfortunately have had to put the purchase on hold, so I can't give you a review of it. I hope this helps  . Angelminx |
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Post by devonjohnsgard on Jul 28, 2015 17:46:04 GMT -5
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Post by krissy82 on Jul 29, 2015 10:12:54 GMT -5
I think I want to get a dragon goby and some type of bichir instead of any puffers. Are bichirs too aggressive for dragon gobies though? I know they both get pretty big, but around here you can only get little tiny ones anyway. I'll deal with their size when the time comes. From what I know, it's better to start the small gobies and bichirs in a small tank.
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Post by Carl on Jul 29, 2015 12:54:11 GMT -5
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