Anableps

Question
Hi there i didnt see any of the experts with knowledge of brsckish water fish so i chose you as i have a compatability question. at the moment i have a brackish set up containing 3 Anablebs, 5 shark cats, a pair of sailfin mollies. i was hoping to get some more brackish fish and was wondering if you would be able to help me. would a dragon goby be compatable with the fish i already keep. and do you have any sugestions as to colourful fish i could also add. my current tank is 3 foot long but i am upgrading to a 6 foot set up. i hope you can help me. many thanks Kerrie.

Answer
Hi Kerrie

Regarding your brakish tank ,
You need to have sea salt like red sea salt or a synthetic sea salt like instant ocean. you also need a hydrometer. You will want to have a salt water test kit, thermostat , heater, protein skimmer (not really needed but nice to have) a good salt water dechlor like Novaqua Plus. You also want extra seashells for the puffers to be able to chew on to keep their teeth trimmed.

Where the ocean meets outward flowing rivers, saltwater and freshwater mix. These areas are called estuaries, mangrove swamps, and salt marshes. The water, which is part saline and part fresh, is referred to as brackish. These brackish waters are home to an amazingly diverse and unique group of animals, some of which are commonly available to keep in the home aquarium. These fish include archers, scats, monos, certain livebearers, gobies, and others.

Plants:
Plants in this tank are very likely to be eaten. Java Fern and Java Moss MAY survive. After raising your specific gravity over 1.015, these plants will begin to die off and they should be replaced with marine algae such as Caulerpa.

Temperature:
80-82 F

pH Level:
7.5-8.5

Decoration:
Sparesly decorate with rocks and branchy driftwood (that has been cured to prevent leaks).

Salt:
All of the fish listed above migrate down the estuary to the ocean when they are several years old, so you will have to mimic this the best of your ability. Buy all of your inhabitants young and start this tank with around 2 tablespoons of marine salt per gallon of water. Every 6 months, add an additional tablespoon of salt per gallon of water during water changes. Stop when you are adding about 7 tablespoons of salt per gallon of water or when your hydrometer measures a reading of 1.020-1.025. This should take about 3-4 years and they should not be rushed into full marine water. Keep in mind NOT to add the salt directly to the tank.

Inhabitants:


take this sit to till you all kind of fishes based on the tank capacity

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/brackish/brackish.html

I hope that will help you