Some Basic Information About A Brackish Aquarium
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- In this video I try to cover all the basic information about setting up and maintaining a Brackish Aquarium, I cover the nature of Euryhaline animals, as well as exactly what Brackish Water is, compared to Freshwater or Saltwater.
You've been more help to me in 10 minutes than hours and hours of research on my own.
Glad to help!
"Some Basic Information" ?? It has everything I was looking for. All-in-one video. Great Job!
I'm glad you enjoyed! Thanks for watching.
This dude seems like a really good person. I hope he's proud of himself and happy in life.
Finally a video that answered ALL my questions!! Much more confident in setting up my tank today!!
great vid. perfect timing for me as i
am looking to get my green spotted puffer tank converted over to brackish soon
I bought a gsp fish the other day knowing it would be a challenge but o could not for the life of me find a solid source for information. Your video helped answe almost every one of my questions.
This video is information gold! Made me feel much more comfortable transitioning my GSP to brackish!
THANK YOU for the no-fuss straight facts. I appreciate this type of info very, very much!
I've gotten interested in brackish tanks recently and would love to keep an f8 puffer someday. Your videos have helped me learn quite a lot and have cleared up a lot of confusion. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much! This is the best information I have found on brackish water.
"Prof. Hiteshew"...always sharing and educating...what a pure asset you are to the hobby...Thank You.
I kno this is a 2yro video but I just was recommended it when I mentioned I want to do a brackish tank & was trying to do research on them. Thanks so much great video & info & I'm definitely gonna watch your video on doing live plants in brackish tanks!! That's 1 big question I had as I've heard so many conflicting opinions in a short time lol
Check out my "brackish tank" playlist. There's all sorts of stuff on there. Hope it helps!
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly You bet I will!! Just got back into the hobby 4 months ago & this time I started with multiple tank syndrome & can't stop lol!!
Really really appreciate your attention to detail in description.
Such an interesting video, every sentence was informative!
Answered so many questions in this video! Thanks 😊
Props on your aquarium brother. Looks like something off a river stream 💯
Great info Dan! I learned a lot about brackish water and a tank.
Beautiful figure eight! Love your tank!
Great video, I got some bumblee bees and I'm going to try and add mangroves to the tank, and try and bonsai the tree, will also have a toad puffer in there as well.
Terrific stuff, very informative
Dude perfect video thank you
I love hearing you 😃
This was an AMAZING video. I'm subbed.
Great vid. I watched bc I am interested in possibly getting fiddler crabs. Thanks
thanks very useful info and nice video.
Nice guide Dan!
I learned quite a lot from this video and had no idea about the Molly's and Guppy's and I have both those in a 55 gallon tank along with my GSP, who I am converting over to a brackish tank today. Even though this video is 2 years old now I truly hope you will see my comment cause I do have a couple of questions, I only wish they could be answered today, LOL. First question: Is it safe to put a very young GSP in a brackish tank? I just got another GSP and it is very tiny right now, maybe a 1/2 inch in length, maybe even a bit smaller than that. However, from what I have learned in your video it sounds as though it will be fine to move him into the brackish tank.
Second question: If I decide to move my Molly's into the brackish tank does it not matter how long they have been in fresh water? Also, my Molly's tend to always lay eggs somewhere in the tank, I can never find them though, and I end up with babies and at the moment I have 5 baby mollies that are now approximately 3/4" long, give or take cuz just like a litter of puppies there is a runt, a bigger bully and the in between, it is the babies I'd really like to transfer over to the brackish tank. The question is once again, is it safe to just simply move the baby molly's over into a full scale brackish tank or should I change the water gradually? Again, I feel you have already answered both my questions for me but if there is anything I need to know or you feel you should add please let me know. If I decide to go ahead and move these fish over I will come here and write another comment to let you know how things went. Wish me luck!!
I can't say for sure about the GSP. I'd say yes, if I had to guess (if it were my fish, I wouldn't be worried about it).
As far as your Mollies, they're live bearers. Lol You won't find any eggs. And yes, they continue to breed like mad in a brackish tank.
Good luck! I hope it works out for you.
This was a really cool video dan and exceptionally well explained 🤗🤗 and you was right about wanting to set one up after watching this 😂
I love this tank its simple but very nice where did you get the rocks ? I get rocks from a creek that runs by my mothers home you can find some nice rocks down there.
I collected all my rocks from around here too. Local streams and even my back yard.
Thanks Dan 😊
Great informative Video! What is your opinion about using wood for decoration in a brackish tank?
It'll rot away faster than in freshwater, or so I was always told. Shouldn't be a problem though.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly Thx!
Hi, great job! Just a few questions, I have a fresh water tank and I would love to add brackish puffers, do I just add the sea salt to my tank (currently no fish in the tank is 3 years cycled and balanced.the substrate is 50pounds of crushed coral just some rocks 2 power heads under gravel filter, 2wheel bio filter on the back and a fluval canister filtering a 55 gallon tank. If I want to get marine puffer do I just add more salt?
Yes, but I'd mix it in a bucket first. Even if the tank is empty, it's best just to get in the habit of using a bucket. Never mix the salts directly in the tank. Otherwise, you're spot on.
Butter Bean looks comfortable. Cute little Butter Bean grow on me fast.
Hi I really appreciated your information. Nice to hear more than just basics however I do have a basic question. In a brackish tank (1.010) do you have a recommendation on type of gravel or sand. I do not intend to have live plants and have fairly hard alkaline water. Is natural gravel ok to use? What is your feeling about an undergravel filter as well as filter hanging with carbon and biological filtration media? I will continue to watch more of your videos but need the gravel info asap. Tank will house sebae monos and archer. Thanks
Hello Dan. I really enjoy in your videos. I want to setup a fluval 15gallon tank as a brackish tank. I want to put bbuble bee gobies, guppies and mollies in the tank. When cycling your tank do you put in marine salt right away or wait until tank is cycled? I have an existing 55gal freshwater in which I am going to use some media to cycle the 15gallon tank.
You can do it either way. If you add the salts later, it won't (shouldn't) disrupt the cycle.
I wonder if I could make a high end brackish tank, around 1.022, just high enough to keep a few palythoa & mushroom coral w/out needing a protein skimmer. My mollies are already in a brackish tank .... then again, after watching y our 3 rules for happy fish keeping, I am reminded I may not really have enough time.... I am a programmer who struggles just to get water changes done once week.......
@@Booneville2024 Thanks. I was wondering - if I had a few soft corals & some fish, how low could I have it w/out harming the corals...... but I have given up fish tanks sadly
I want to set up a brackish tank so bad because I want a green spotted puffer so bad. I got pea puffers but it's not the same. I hear though that they must go full marine as mature adults.
Look at the Figure 8 Puffers. They need low-end brackish and they're awesome!
Hi, I did move a couple Molly's over to the brackish tank and they and the Puffers are doing great! I do have an issue however with algae any tips on how to get rid of the algae? My fresh water tank doesn't have this problem just the braskish tank.
Try the same things you would in any tank. Reduce the feeding (hungry mollies will eat more algae too) reduce the lighting, more frequent water changes, etc...
How do you acclimate plants to a brackish tank and which plants are best for mid range?
Acclimating pants can take time to do it properly. I always just put the plants and let them adjust. I only ever got java fern to live in the brackish water long term. Money wort will probably do pretty good too. Anubias can grow in brackish water too, but I never had lick with it.
Perfect how long do you think I should cycle the the tank after I add the salt before adding fish?
Treat a brackish tank the same as a freshwater tank as far as the cycle and whatnot is concerned.
What is your salinity? Clown fish able to handle in brackish water?? So am i able to put with my archer fish?
I keep it around 1.008, but I have know idea about the clown fish. Sorry.
Dan Hiteshew is your clownfish still doing good right now?
? How would you honestly feel with placing the black fin shark (catfish) in the category of brackish ive been contemplating the 💡 of considering
I looked it up, and they come from brackish wate.
Have a done a video on how to acclimatise plants to brackish water ??
No. I never did anything special. Just shoved them in and hoped for the best.
do the goby do a good job cleaning up the left overs from the puffer i have 3 figure 8 puffers got the trio as babys and do very well super messy eaters need somthing to clean up after they eat any suggestions on fish?
the Gobies help, but the puffers are just messy eaters.
I seldom feed my Gobies specifically. I just allow them to eat the chunks of food the Puffer scatters around, but as I said, they are very messy. very high bioload.
Yes, I usually don't feed the gobies. The debris from the puffer is usually enough.
Very helpful video. Thank you. Other than Puffers, live bearers, gobies, and mudskippers what species that are interesting can you put in a brackish tank? Also when changing water is it smart to mix the marine in before pouring it inside?
Always mix your water first. I suggest keeping a reservoir of pre-mixed water so it has time for gasses to equilibrate.
You can do Archer fish, or Monos (both get big). There are several species of Rainbowfish that do well in brackish (I kept Madagascans in brackish) and there are lots of north American minnows that do well. My Golden shiners are fine in brackish, for example.
Look at where a fish lives in the wild. It's it's lowland rivers, or estuaries, than there's a good chance it can tolerate brackish water.
I haven't heard anything about filtration. What do you use or recommend?
It depends on the tank. I use the SunSun 304b on my larger tanks like this one. They're low budget with no frills, but they work great.
SunSun Hw304B 525GPH : amzn.to/2p9s76c
Enjoyed the video. Do you know of any catfish that would thrive in a brackish tank?
Most catfish that live in brackish water get very large and only stay in brackish water during mid-life. They usually start in freshwater and move through brackish as they age. Ending up as marine fish in adulthood. They travel back to freshwater to spawn.
I just want to breed colourful nerites 🤷♀️ The main plants to grow in there - for me - will be algae, of course, to feed the nerites, but I'd like some plants to grow above water, like a paludarium, and have no idea yet what non-algae plants would work in that
Java moss definitely will. Java fern can tolerate low end brackish. moneywort and pennywort should be ok too.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly thanks! I'm thinking about trying anubias (barterii or nana, can't tell them apart), as well, it's doing super well in my hard water Tall Tank and it lives above water in my Tetra Tank, so I'm thinking it might survive delta conditions 😊
How did it go with the nerites?? :)
@@embananasplit2935 they laid a bunch of eggs, so I do indeed have at least one male and one female in there, but I never saw them hatch. I believe it's because I have aquarium salt in the tank instead of whatever they put into salt water tanks, so when I get to work on that tank again (I'm presently in a different country and not sure when I will get the chance), I will try to change out the salt. They are otherwise rather happy in there, their eggs just don't hatch. I guess that's ok for now, as I haven't been able to locate for purchase the kind of yellow-orange-red tire track snails I am ultimately hoping to breed, so I'm not missing out on much yet XD I'll get there!!!! Thanks for asking!
@@minagica yes! Good luck! Good to know they at least laid eggs, that’s more than a lot of people get from them lol. I’m going to try my hand at it in the future but it’s a whole process 💀
Would u say having a brakish tank is too difficult for a beginner? I'm thinking of getting some green spotted puffers and I wasnt sure if it's a good idea
As long as you've got some experience, you should be ok. GSP's get pretty big and will need full saltwater by adulthood though.
At the moment I have 8 planted tanks running and one brackish which is cycling. I want my next one to be a salt tank. But my question is for my brackish tank. Do I use the freshwater api test kit or saltwater test kit.
What would be the safest commical to use to get calcium off the top of the tank and filter
What plant is that? When I bought another plant one of those got mixed in and it's looking really good in my tank and I want more.
It's Moneywort.
Hi, if I poured a bottle of brackish water that aquarium shops sold and I mixed with tap water, is is ok? I'm intend to keep mud crabs actually! Thanks 🤔🦀
If it's already brackish when you buy it, you'll just be diluting it if you mix it with tap water.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly diluting means after anti chlorine?
@@monkeyguy80 Dilute the salt content.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly that's 2 table spoons for mud crabs ya
What’s the best substrate to use?
You can use sand, or gravel. I like Eco complete personally. amzn.to/2muQIxz
So I was one who bought a figure 8 puffer without doing my research, thinking I was bying an actual freshwater puffer. I really like the pet, my kids loved him/her the minute they saw it. This means Im going to end up turning my freshwater tank into a brackish tank.
Luckily for me, the puffer is very young so I have plenty of time. Now, what do I need to set up the brackish tank in terms of equipment? I already have the basics fresh water stuff (cannister, decent lighting, heater, air pump) what else do I need to get to the next step???
Some marine salts. (and a hydrometer or refractometer to measure specific gravity. not expensive)
Do you have a general recipe for ocean salt/water??
I started with half a cup/5g in a 10g quarantine and got 1.004 on my hygrometer.
I'm new at brackish, (and hygrometers) and want to get this right before bringing my fish home today.
Any advice is greatly appreciated
I found that one well rounded half cup in 5 gallons put me around 1.008. I think 1.004 is fine.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly
Thanks for the quick response :-)>
I want to get columbian sharks from my pet store in a 200gl tank or so how much salt should i put in for them? How would i find that out? Like 1tp of sea salt for every gallon? They can survive i guess in anything from fresh to salt water so can i do anything wrong like give or take a tp per gallon of water and i want to build a filter set up using a large orange Gatorade cooler take the spout off and have that filled with lava rock and filter material
I think they start in freshwater, but you need to increase the specific gravity (salinity) as it ages. They need to be in marine water by adulthood (a few years)
They should be in full out salt water eventually is that what your saying by saying marine water should i do 2 tp for each gallon for awhile and after a yr work them up with water changes up to 7tp per gallon i hear that is considered salt water
Also does that filter sound like it would work or would that filter out to much salf or colect it and increase my salt too much?
I have no idea. I use a refractometer to get the S.G. where I want it. I'm not sure what the requirements are for that fish.
Ok fair enough i love that puffer
Have you seen any signs of spawning with your bumblebee gobies..? Just wondering.
No, I never have.
how do you get your water so clear!!!
i have 2 spotted green puffers but the tank looks cloudy
Great video, but how does your puffer not eat them fish swimming around lol I can't keep any fish in there with him.
He's the most timid puffer ever. I had to remove some other fish because they were causing him too much stress. Lol
I can’t find your plant video, do you you know the name of the plant in this tank?
I never had muc luck with plants in brackish water. Try mony wort, or anubias. java moss will work too.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly thanks
What plants can you recommend for 15 to 20 ppt?
Not sure what "ppt" is, but anubias and java do ok in brackish water. Java moss will grow in just about any water.
I see some people put common plecos in brackish water? I thought they were fresh water only. Is that true? Could I put one in my brackish tank? I don't want to hurt a pleco by putting one in my tank.
can I convert freshwater to brackish rather quickly? or do I have to wait and do it slowly so it doesn't kill the beneficial bacteria?
I think it may shock it a little, but you can pretty much just change it over. Just be sure to keep an eye on testing your water for ammonia or nitrite spikes for a few days afterward. As long as you don't see anything withing a week, I'd say not to worry about.
Sounds good! Thanks for all the advice, really appreciate it.
Ray R No problem.
Can you clarify the name of that bacteria that effects this tank ?
Cyanobacteria
How's your tank and the puffer doing now? :)
Still rolling along the same as usual.
Great video! Thanks for the info! Subd! You could put mangroves in there if you wanted!
Lol Indeed I could.
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly if u need some i could try to send you some seed pods or some of my shoots. I love in FL.. seed pods all over the beaches.
@@Orlandohaschanged Thanks, but I don't have an open top brackish tank anymore. but if you ever happen to see me post video of a new one, you can ask again. A mangrove tree would be cool, for a while.
i might do this with tap water
so is brackish aquarium a freshwater/saltwater aquarium..?
Are those bumble bee goby? Forgive me if you say this. I'm typing this in the beginning.
Yes they are Bumblebee gobies (Brachygobius sp.)
What are the small fish called in this tank ?
Bumblebee gobies (brachygobius spp.)
I'm not sure but I hear red claw crabs are not freshwater and need to live in brackish water is that true
Yes, they need brackish water. I keep them around 1.004.
Dan Hiteshew thanks
are u ever going to doba live stream?
I don't know. Maybe.
I heard that bumble bee goby's can live a full life in freshwater.
There's a ton of different species that go by "bumblebee" goby. Most are euryhaline and do better in brackish although plenty of shops sell them as freshwater to make them easier to sell.
There's a ton of different species that go by "bumblebee" goby. Most are euryhaline and do better in brackish although plenty of shops sell them as freshwater to make them easier to sell.
Does it matter than my water ph are a bit low if it's brackish ??
What is "a bit low"? It should be around 7.8 to 8.5 in brackish water, but that's not always the case.
Google actually says that they are better off in freshwater not saltwater and they can only tolerate brackish or saltwater It also says they will live 15 years in freshwater
mollys will do fine even on tap water with no chemicals added other than chlorine and minerals from tap water
can i use sea salt from supermarket? not normal salt for sure
You can, but I wouldn't call it brackish. Marine salts are definitely not the same as "sea salt".
@@DanHiteshew-oneandonly ok thanks for the answer have nice day man :D
@@Booneville2024 so what do you think about table salt? but without iodine and this one is sea salt version
@@Booneville2024 no no fam,i bought marine salt now thanks for answer ;)
by the way do you have a problem with your temperature inside tank when is summer ? inside my tank is almost 30 degrees i was trying everything ventilator,ice everything...
What heater do you have on that tank
Probably an Aquatop.
how many gal is your tank?
This is a 20 long.
long is your tank?
I believe it's 30 inches long.
do you recommend having a tall cube like tank or a long rectangular tank for a figure 8 puffer and Why?
CBoykin No preference. Just be sure to give the puffer plenty of interesting things in the environment (caves, rocks, plants,woodwork, etc). They get bored easily.
ok thanks
I have to say that I don't feel I learned anything here. I already knew brackish water was between fresh and marine, that's grade-school information. It stands to reason I'd have to mix water to get it right before adding it to the tank. I came here looking for information on the differences, if any, in the *aquarium*, not the fish. Does it need special filtration? Different lighting? High flow? Can I set it up just like a freshwater tank and just mix the water or do I have to set it up more like a marine tank to cope with the salt?
hi i have toad fish what water hardness is required
I have no idea. try Badman's Tropicals. or Seriously Fish.
just google it, and you should be able to find the info easily enough.
thank you
Devarsh Bhoir I don't know how much this will help, but I found this site about the Toadfish in the Chesapeake Bay. i live right next to the Chesapeake bay.
www.chesapeakebay.net/fieldguide/critter/oyster_toadfish
thank you for help the link you shared was helpful but ill keep on researching please have a look at my channel and my fish collection
What about perch
Perch can live in brackish water I believe.
i'm early
i mean do
Get video!!!!!
Stop over feeding him he's gut loading these puffers will eat them self to death
So I was one who bought a figure 8 puffer without doing my research, thinking I was bying an actual freshwater puffer. I really like the pet, my kids loved him/her the minute they saw it. This means Im going to end up turning my freshwater tank into a brackish tank.
Luckily for me, the puffer is very young so I have plenty of time. Now, what do I need to set up the brackish tank in terms of equipment? I already have the basics fresh water stuff (cannister, decent lighting, heater, air pump) what else do I need to get to the next step???
You'll need marine salts, NOT aquarium salt. You'll also need either hydrometer or refractometer to measure the specific gravity (salinity). That's it's.
The bacteria in your filter is the same in brackish as it is in freshwater, so no worries or adjustments there.
You should get a tub or bucket (I use a 5 gallon bucket) to use as a reservoir. Make your batch of water at least 24 hours in advance of water changes if you can. It's not a big deal if you forget once in a while.
It's not difficult. You'll do fine, and your puffer will thrive as a result of your care.
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LCKRXQK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
www.petsmart.com/fish/food-and-care/saltwater-aquarium-care/water-care/instant-ocean-hydrometer-18002.html
The sea salt will do a lot more than it says. It's giving you the amount of water it would turn into sea water levels of salinity. You'll be using less than half the amount needed for a saltwater tank.
www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-Aquarium-Salt-10-Gallon/dp/B005WZVY08/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1478837752&sr=1-3&keywords=instant+ocean+sea+salt