The Brackish Biotope Aquarium
by Andy Gordon of England, and Michelle Stuart of
Ontario Canada
Reprinted, with permission, from their web site Fishtanksandponds.net
Aquarticles
Archer fish
Photo by Andy Gordon
This type of set-up is not to difficult to achieve but it is highly recommended that
all specialist set-ups are avoided by beginners until they have more experience when it
comes to things like manipulating the water chemistry etc.
Brackish water is not quite fresh water and not quite marine water, it is found where
the two meet, in lagoons, river mouths, tidal rivers and salt-marshes. And just as they
have everywhere else, some creatures have adapted to this environment and make it their
permanent home. The fish that live in such places do make the journey into full saltwater
occasionally, and also into full fresh water, but although they can tolerate those
conditions on a temporary basis they cannot live there all the time or their health will
suffer. If you decide to give it a try you will be rewarded by getting to keep a very
unique and interesting group of fish.
Tank
The size of the tank really depends on the species to be kept but they should be allowed
quite a generous amount of space because water with salt dissolved in it will contain less
oxygen. There should be nothing metallic in the tank or any of the equipment because the
salt will cause it to corrode.
Filtration
An external power filter is probably the best option and easiest to maintain. It should be
set up to deal with mainly biological filtration, and importantly the water returning to
the aquarium should be made to agitate the surface in order to increase the oxygen levels
in the tank.
Substrate and Decor
Aquarium sand or gravel will do for the substrate, but it should also have a few handfuls
of either Aragonite sand or coral sand included to help buffer the water. The decor can be
made up from stones and/or driftwood along with some salt tolerant plants, although
plastic plants may prove to be the best option long term. A decoration made up of mainly
driftwood arranged in to thick tangles will give the most natural look because it will
look like the roots of mangroves.
Water Conditions and Chemistry
This is crucial and it must be right if the fish are to thrive in the long term.
- Temp. - 76 to 80 F
- pH - 7.6 to 8.4
- GH - 10 to 15
- KH - 8 to 12
- SG - 1.002 to 1.007
Use marine salt because this contains all the trace elements and buffers required to
give the correct pH. The salt should be mixed at half the recommended strength.
Feeding
Most of the fish are carnivores and their diet should reflect this. In most cases lots of
live food will be required but this depends upon the species to be kept.
Fish
Rainbow fish:
These fish will eat most of the food offered and they will generally breed freely. Most
are active mid-water swimmers and generally they are very peaceful. They prefer aged water
and dislike any sudden changes in water chemistry so all changes must be made slowly.
Don't keep them with fin-nippers because the males of some species develop long fins.
Anableps:
The four-eyed fish, these are very specialised surface living fish that have split pupils
to allow them to see in the water below and the air above. They live in coastal waters in
large schools, and can even adapt to full sea water. In the aquarium they are peaceful
community fish with other species that require the same conditions of brackish water.
Without salt the fish will fade and become open to all sorts of ailments. The water should
also be hard and alkaline with a pH of about 8. There are different species of anableps
and some are live-bearers. But, unusually, copulation can only be accomplished from one
side. They eat floating insects and can become accustomed to flake food, and live food.
They can reach 1 foot in length and are sexually mature at half this size. They must be
kept well covered because they are excellent jumpers.
Glassfish:
Unfortunately these fish have become more noted because in recent years they have been
subjected to the cruel practice of fish dyeing. Because of their unusual bodies which are
totally transparent, some people decided they could boost sales of them by dyeing them
with some brightly coloured dyes. Fish that have been dyed don't usually thrive
afterwards, in fact most die prematurely and most of the survivors become infected with a
contagious viral disease called Lymphocytes. Needless to say you should never encourage
this barbaric practice by buying them in their dyed state.
That aside they do make good community fish. They are very peaceful but they do prefer
live food and their diet will include small fish if they are small enough to be eaten.
Some other fish to consider:
- Archerfish. 9 inches, eats live insects, surface living.
- Black Mollies. 3 inches, needs some veg. based food in its diet.
- Mono. 9 inches, needs high water quality.
- Bumble Bee Goby, almost 2 inches, small live food, fin-nipper.
- Mudskipper, 6 inches, spends most of its time out of water, carnivore eats small live
food.
- Celebes Rainbowfish, 3 inches, eats most food.
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