Beginning brackish/fig8 questions

[Toadman Z]

So, I've had some Dwarf Puffers for a while now, and as going to take the next step. A LFs has a very cute little fig 8 (about an inch long) that is very happy and healthy looking and being kept in brackish water. I'd really like to set up a brackish tank and get him, but I have a few questions first. I've done what reading I can find, but more input is always better.

1) Any plants other than Java moss and Java fern that would survive in a Fig 8's low end brackish?

2) Would an UG be useful, or do they not work well in brackish?

3) I hear driftwood doesn't work well in brackish. Is that the case, why?

4) Is one Fig8 in a 15 correct? Or can I get away with smaller/more (I'm also hoping for a couple bumble-bee gobies)?

5) When you mix brackish water do you mix with RO or tap water? Or do you mix full marine with RO and then dilute that with tap (my tap is very hard, ph around ?

6) If I use a filter from a FW tank how quickly can I raise the sp gravity without killing off the bacteria?

7)Can I use Biospira to jump start the tank (FW or Salt?)

Any brackish water algae eaters that wouldnt' get munched by a fig 8? (I assume amanos are out for the second reason)

9)Does much algae grow in brackish? Same kinds as fresh, or different?

10) Any tips, or things that I probably didn't think of?

Well, that's a lot of questions, isn't it? But if anyone has the time or inclination to answer some of them, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

[Jayhawk]

Here's my best shot at your questions:

1) Any plants other than Java moss and Java fern that would survive in a Fig 8's low end brackish?

There are supposedly other plants, but these are the only two I've had luck with...oh, all the algaes grow well, too

2) Would an UG be useful, or do they not work well in brackish?

Do you mean a undergravel filter? I think the biggest issue would be your aragonite substrate - you'd need one large enough not to fall through and clog the plate. Otherwise, it should work fine. I use a HOB filter.

3) I hear driftwood doesn't work well in brackish. Is that the case, why?

It deteriorates and lowers your pH which isn't what you want for a brackish tank which needs higher pH. Fake driftwood looks great, though.

4) Is one Fig8 in a 15 correct? Or can I get away with smaller/more (I'm also hoping for a couple bumble-bee gobies)?

Only 1. You could try BB gobies (sometimes it works, sometimes they slowly disappear - depends on your puffer).

5) When you mix brackish water do you mix with RO or tap water? Or do you mix full marine with RO and then dilute that with tap (my tap is very hard, ph around Cool?

You can do it either way. I just use tap water and mix to the correct SG (you've got a hydrometer, right? Or a refractometer?). With your water, I'd just use your tap and mix to about 1.005.

6) If I use a filter from a FW tank how quickly can I raise the sp gravity without killing off the bacteria?

If you use the filter, you need to only bump up the SG .002 per week. Or, use FW Biospira like you mention in #7 and you'd be fine at the higher SG.

7)Can I use Biospira to jump start the tank (FW or Salt?)

Cool Any brackish water algae eaters that wouldnt' get munched by a fig 8? (I assume amanos are out for the second reason)

Your hand with a magnet scrapper or credit card...seriously - no other option here.

9)Does much algae grow in brackish? Same kinds as fresh, or different?

I seem to have a harder time of it in BW, but I think that's because I can't have my group of otos, clown pleco, snails and amano shrimp in the tank working away.

THey're great fish...go for it!

ERic

[Pufferpunk]

As far as the algae issue--I had a slight algae problem for years in my BW (1.005) tank. Now & for the past several months, I have a HUGE problem with hair algae. With all my other tanks, there is none.

[RTR]

I agree with the above comments in general. but will expand a bit on my own practices.

2) For light BW I always use RFUG as the base of the tank with aragonite substrate. This a) keeps the substrate clean and b) boosts the buffering (KH) of the water. I do this by using a sheet of eggcrate light diffuser over the UG plate topped with a double layer of fiberglass mesh screening to block any loss of aragonite throught the UG assembly. The units are powered with Penguin powerheads with the reverse-flow kits - really easy to use. the prefilter is rinsed weekly. For all the detail, see:

http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/ ... lters.html

9) I agree that algae is as much an issues or more of an issue in BW as in FW. This is due, as already mentioned, to the lack of rapidly growing plants and algae cleanup crews, plus the waste (pollution) from messy puffers. Reducing the lighting time or intensity helps, but cleaning up alage is unfortunately up the tankkeeper.

[Toadman Z]

Ooh, lots of good feed back quickly. Great!

I guess I hadn't thought of using aragonite. But it sounds like I definitely should?

I've never had much problem with algae in most of my FW tanks, since they're all low light planted tanks with good cleanup crews, but it sounds like brackish there's nothing to do about it.

I have one tank that has some really good java ferns that I was going to transplant into the new brackish tank. but there's a touch of staghorn (I think, looks like hair algae, but branched) algae growing in the java moss in that tank. Sounds like I should avoid this and use some java fern from one of the other tanks so as not to get the algae started in the BW tank?

Just thought of another question. When feeding snails to your BW puffers, do you still just feed pond and ramshorn (I've got lots) and make sure they eat them right away? Or do these FW snails manage to survive awhile waiting to get eaten?

[RTR]

LOL! Once the F-8 is settled in (same for GSPs), snails never hit the bottom when added for food. These fish are eating machines. Plain ordinary common ponds and common ramhorns are the ticket.

[Jayhawk]

If you have breeding pond/ramshorns in you FW tank, you'll have a good way of keeping the population down now!

I've found java moss to grow really, really well in my BW tank. My java fern is just barely hanging in there. Any black spot on the fern leaves, and my figure 8 tries to eat it thinking it's a snail.

I forgot about the plants helping keep the algae down. Java moss isn't as good a nitrate sink as my other FW plants, so that probably is a factor, too.

Be sure and test your nitrates to make sure you're doing big enough water changes...they are messy eaters.

Eric

[Phaedrus]

Check this out from http://www.tropica.com
plants that accept low end brackish

you may have the best luck with those plants. If you keep your SG in the 1.005 ish range you should be ok.

IME, anything over 1.006 or so and the plant will stop growing and eventually decompose.

[Toadman Z]

So, the tank is getting pretty set up. It still doesn't have enough filter, but I posted pics in the FW puffer section. The LFS got in "bleeding heart" puffers which might be irrubesco, so they're quarantining in the 20g with the BB gobies for awhile before it turns brackish.