How to setup a brackish tank

Question
Hey David, could you please tell me how to setup a 34 litre aqua one brackish tank, what equipment do i need, i want to keep bumble bee gobies, what brackish algae eaters are their, what are some great brackish water cycling fish and could you give me steps on how to setup a brackish tank

Answer
Hi Luke... the basic freshwater aquarium equipment is all that you need for your project.  You will need some aquarium salt or you could use sea salt if you wanted.  I'm in the US so we do everything in gallons here... but your 34L tank converts to about 9 US gallons. To get the proper ration of salt to water for brackish water

Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt per gallon.   Keep pH 7.2-7.8

So in your case nine tablespoons of salt is needed for your tanks.

Feeding your Gobi's:  They need some live food and please do not mix them with smaller, slower fish like guppies or Mollies... they will eat the slower fish.  

Feed 2-3 times a day with standard foods a variety of quality foods. Use flake foods, frozen brine shrimp, frozen bloodworms and Formula one, frozen foods and plankton. Live brine shrimp on a regular basis is recommend and/or tubiflex worms.

Below is a list of brackish fish... not a complete list but rather a list of fish you might enjoy... just keep in mind with a 9 gallon tank the rainbows are probably too big.  

Archer fish, Orange Chromide, Florida eel, Austrailian rainbowfish, Celebes Rainbowfish, freshwater flounder, leopard Puffer, figure eight puffer, gobies, large sailfin Mollies, Columbian shark, and the Silver Shark are all brackish fish.

Your tank will cycle naturally so you do not need to add starter fish unless you absolutely can not wait... this natural tank process takes about a week.  Set the tank up, add the salt, feed the tank everyday as though there were fish in it and wait. When you are ready to buy fish take a sample of water with you to the aquarium and have them test it.  Remember the pH should be 7.2-7.8 plus or minus a .1. Hope this helps... dave