The Puffer Forum

So I want to try out a brakish tank so I can have a figure 8 puffer.

What do I need? I would like to change over my 20 gallon long, with white Sand substrate.

I know I'll have to take all fish out, I have some cardinal tetras, a zebra loach, and an eel loach. As well as a rock shrimp.

Would any of those be okay?

I have some plants, I have wysteria, and some java ferns, and micro swords. Would any of those work?

I also have an led grow light for my plants, and co2 injection.

Can all that be used? What kind of salt do you need?

Any info would be nice

I'll go down the list:
1) Fig 8 are great fish. You'll enjoy them.
2) you don't need much to have a brackish tank.
-Refractometer = $25, so you know the specific gravity of your water.
-Standard filter = you probably have one on the 20 gallon tank right now. Keep it.
-Sand. I'd recommend aragonite sand to keep your pH stable. Its not much more expensive than standard quartzite sand.
-Salt. The more you buy the cheaper it gets per lb. For a brackish tank, you can buy any MARINE salt you can get.
3) I don't think any of those would appreciate a brackish environment. Rehome them?
4) Plants in brackish systems typically don't live long. Depending how high you intend to keep your specific gravity, Java Fern is the only one that jumps out from your list at me as compatible. Others will comment on plants that have way more knowledge than me though.
5) The grow light will be just fine. Not sure about the CO2.

Basically, you should plan on raising the specific gravity by 0.02 each week. This will keep your existing bacteria alive and well so you don't have to go through your cycle again.

hope that helps! the transition from freshwater to brackish is easy and fairly cheap. It sounds like all you need is sand, a refractometer, and some salt.

I suggest aragonite sand substrate. I'm pretty sure the only thing that will survive in your tank of the plants you have, is the Java fern.
Here's articles for you to read:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... f=8&t=1658
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... f=8&t=4792
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... =8&t=19348
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... ocus/fig8/

nick709r wrote:So I want to try out a brakish tank so I can have a figure 8 puffer.

What do I need? I would like to change over my 20 gallon long, with white Sand substrate.

I know I'll have to take all fish out, I have some cardinal tetras, a zebra loach, and an eel loach. As well as a rock shrimp.

Would any of those be okay?

I have some plants, I have wysteria, and some java ferns, and micro swords. Would any of those work?

I also have an led grow light for my plants, and co2 injection.

Can all that be used? What kind of salt do you need?

Any info would be nice

Micro Swords (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) is said to do well in lightly brackish water but it didn't survive in my tank but it could have been a lack of light or CO2 injection. Java Fern will do fine but I'm not sure about Wysteria, if the plant prefers hard water then there is a chance that it will survive.

CO2 injection is counter intuitive in a Brackish water aquarium because you want hard alkaline water but the CO2 will make it more acidic. If you use brackish tolerant plants then you shouldn't need the CO2 because they are said to be able to utilise the carbonates in the water. You might want to keep injecting but if your pH drops below 7.5 then I'd give it a miss as the fish are more important than the plants (in my opinion).