Brackish Water Fish
Contents:
- [brackish] What fish can I add?
by oleg-at-Veritas.COM (Oleg Kiselev) (18 Mar 92)
- [B] Brackish Plants (part 1 of unknown)
by sessoms-at-med.unc.edu (Eric S. Sessoms) (Wed, 28 Apr 1993)
- FAQ info
by Matthew William Mengerink <mengerin/cs.utexas.edu> (Thu, 17 Nov 1994)
by oleg-at-Veritas.COM (Oleg Kiselev)
Date: 18 Mar 92
34ML2OB-at-CMUVM.CSV.CMICH.EDU writes:
>I'm wondering what my choices are.
From something I compiled a while ago, here is a brief list of brackish water
fishes:
Scats (Scatophagus spp.)
Monos (Monodactilus spp)
Anableps
Achirus species (chose the tropical brackish soles)
Pipefishes
Sailfin mollies and their relatives like mosquito
fishes (Gambusia species) and pike livebearer
Belonesox belizanus
Etroplus spp. (usually E. maculatus), Asian cichlids sold as
Orange and Green Chromides
Malayan halfbeaks (Demorgenys pusillus)
Indian glassfish (Chanda ranga), get the non-painted ones!!!
a number of brackish water killies
some African, like a lampeye Aplocheilichtys spilauchen,
some Middle Eastern, like Aphaniops dispar,
some native to USA eastern seaboard estuaries,
like mummichog, Fundulus heteroclitus,
and American flagfish Jordanella floridae from
the brackish end of Florida swamps;
hermaphroditic Rivulus ocelatus from South America,
Wester US desert pupfishes like Cyprinodon salinus,
a huge number of the nominally freshwater killies will
do splendidly in water that is quite brackish -- and many
of the African and South American species look as colourful
as marine fishes),
Asian Dantinoids (who get too big for small tanks),
Asian and Australian Archers,
some Australian rainbows like Melanotenia macculochi,
their compatriots Australian gudgeons (gobies) like Mogurnda mogurnda,
a number of other gobies, like sleeper gobies,
Additionally, the following plants are said to be good fro brackish tanks:
Java moss, Java fern, Elodea densa (Anacharis), Hygrophila polysperma
As long as the water is not VERY salty: Echinodorus tenellius (pigmy
chain swords), Sagittaria subulata, S. graminea, S. gigantea,
Vallisnaria americana, Water sprite, Hornwort.
Keep in mind that many brackish water fishes have an appetite for greenery
and many tend to rip plants to shreds just for the hell of it.
--
"and a letter in your writing doesn't mean you're not dead" -- Pixies.
Oleg Kiselev oleg-at-veritas.com
VERITAS Software ...!{apple|uunet}!veritas!oleg
by sessoms-at-med.unc.edu (Eric S. Sessoms)
Date: Wed, 28 Apr 1993
Newsgroup: rec.aquaria
a close friend of mine without posting privs has been keeping brackish
tanks for close to two million years now and has a little to offer
on the subject of keeping plants in a brackish aquarium. here goes:
>-java moss does well, but it collects particles and needs to be rinsed
>out occasionally. it sits at the bottom and will adhere to rocks and
>driftwood if left alone for awhile. if there are fish in the tank that
>constantly 'pick' at stuff, it'll wind up in individual strands scattered
>all over your tank, but mostly stuck to your filter. it's really good
>for baby fish to hide in, however, if it stays in a clump.
>-java ferns do REALLY well. they attach to stuff too, but to get them to
>do this, it's best to rubberband them to something to get it started.
>-in my experience, wysteria does well, but it's not mentioned in the
>books. quite possibly it's just hardy enough to take almost anything.
>in brackish, it takes on a neat lime green color and grows pretty fast.
>-vallinesera (sp??)--the regular or corkscrew varieties--is reputed to do
>well, but i've never had luck with it under any conditions. i think my
>gravel was too course for it.
>-i've heard that the amazon sword plants do well, but i've never owned
>them myself.
i should also add a caution. do NOT, under any circumstances, attempt
to keep any variety of scat in a planted tank. to rephrase:
SCATS + PLANTS = SCATS
i have seen what i presume to be doctored photos of scats in planted
tanks, but the only thing i know of that the wont eat is carrots. just
a caution. :)
-- eric
sessoms-at-med.unc.edu
by Matthew William Mengerink <mengerin/cs.utexas.edu>
Date: Thu, 17 Nov 1994
To: laurence/cco.caltech.edu
Hello,
Someone recommended sending you this info on the puffers that
I wrote. Here it is... modify at will.
Cheers,
Matthew
In response to someone's question...
---------------------------------------------
The Tetradoan Nigrifilis:
Previously called Tetradoan Fluviatilis
Commonly known as the "Spotted Puffer"
As a friend once mentioned, these are one of the few fish that have a person
declare "cute" as the appropriate adjective for them.
I will not claim to be a biological expert in this area but here is what I
know of their care:
pH : Above 7.4 is ideal. High is good.
Temp : 78-82 preferred
Salinity : Brackish (tbs per gallon). Can live in fresh but should not be
adjusted to full marine. They do not do nearly as well in fresh
as in brackish
Terrain : Prefer a low level of water with lots of room. An ideal tank is
a 40 long with lots of cave like structures, fine substrate,
perhaps a sandy area for swimming and viewing.
Food : Live is preferred. Frozen brine shrimp or blood worms are suitable.
Most puffers will accept freeze dried bloodworms or the like.
In the wild they eat crustaceans and snails. Supplementing the
puffers with snails or live ghost shrimp is a very good idea. Their
teeth are developed for chewing threw snail shell, and their are
reports of people having to trim the teeth of their puffers which
are not fed hard foods.
Size : 4-7 inches. 5 is common in aquaria.
Disposition:
The spotted puffers are able to be kept with other fish while young.
This of course is limited to mates that can live in a saline environment. The
problem is that when the've grown, they have a tendancy to think of anything
not a puffer as a food item. At just about any stage in their development if
their tank mate is smaller than they are, they are most likely going to eat it.
There are of course exceptions to all rules, but breaking this one yields an "I
told you so." I've seen spotted puffers kept with Monos and Scats. The
puffers were always quite small.
Puffers will live with each other fairly well. However, keep in mind
that at any moment they are able to take one another out. It is in their
nature not to kill one another, but if they are fighting for food, or
particularly cranky on that day, then you've lost a fish.
Finally, note that the temperament of puffers only worsens over time.
Some will not tolerate anything else in the tank once they've gotten older.
Puffers are *extremely* hardy and thus are more apt to suffer abuse.
Getting advice on puffers is difficult due to their hardiness. Some will give
you a line like, "Well I keep my puffer in acidic fresh water, and he does
fine." Please ignore these people.
Overall, I would only recommend the spotted puffer for those that
enjoy a minimalist species tank. Otherwise, enjoy them at the store.
If one enjoys their swimming style, body shape, and curiosity, but
wants tank mates, then go for the Tetradoan S....... (darn!, I can't remember
the name, it is like Sartogous or some such. It is a totally fresh water
type which enjoys all tank mates *EXCEPT* other puffers; if you really want
the name, mail me and I'll look it up for you).
Happy Tanking,
Matthew-at-fish.weird.me.out
The Krib
Fish/Animals
The Krib