The Puffer Forum

Looks good! Cant wait to see pics of the new puffers.

How are you planning on cycling the tank? If you're going brackish, say good-by to those plants...

I set my tank up as "fresh" March 2011. After it cycled, it house a neolamprologus brichardi for quite a while. He, unfortunately, went filter diving and when I found him it was too late. I borrowed the tanks current inhabitant, a peacock cichlid, from my husbands tank and he has been hanging out in there ever since I lost the brichardi. So the tank is cycled.

Most of the plants are on the list you have posted in the Brackish section that can tolerate SG of up to 1.005. If they start to melt or anything I will move the plants to my planted betta tank and replace with java fern. SG is currently 1.003. I have Anubias barteri, Anubias nana, Elodea, Microsorum pteropus 'Windelov, Moneywort, Alternanthera reineckii, and moss balls. From reading the Anubias, java fern, moneywort, and moss balls will probably be okay. Elodea seems to be quite hardy as well. Not sure about the Alternanthera reineckii, but I have alternate homes available for the plant and lots of fake ones laying around.

Tolerate means that they will only be able to exist. Expect slow to low growth and potential yellowing of the leaves.

I don't believe there are any true brackish water plants.

puffykid wrote:
I don't believe there are any true brackish water plants.

I live within walking distance of a huge brackish river system. There are lots of submerged and floating aquatic plants along the shore. What do you mean by "true brackish water plants"?

Remember, in open BW the SG fluctuates a great deal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brackish_water


This is a good plant forum

http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/

A peacock cichlid at 1.003?

bertie 83 wrote:A peacock cichlid at 1.003?

Hey bertie, he said he had them in full marine but it got to expensive and time consuming so all the fish were removed. Now they want to run a 1.005 for a f8 and wants ideas for brackish plants.

It's a f/w fish tho, or am I wrong lol?

This WAS a reef tank. I kept mostly soft coral and inverts in it. I did not have the cichlids at full marine. I am not stupid and I am also not a he. I have never added salt to the tank and it sat scrubbed and empty for a long time (over a year, I had to sell everything because my husband was laid off and i could not afford to properly care for my corals.) before I set it back up as fresh water. I hadn't measurd the salinity since setting it up as fresh as only the pump and heater are from my reef set up.

My OP says:

This used to be my reef tank and I have done some mods to the lighting (108 watts PC) and fans. Salt water just got too expensive and time consuming, so I switched back to fresh.

Not every new member to your forum is new to fish. I had a beautiful and successful reef tank for many years.

Thanks for those of you that provide helpful information. I think I'll go elsewhere for information/support from now on.

Sorry my fish ignorance was showing, I was the wrong one.

Sorry we offended you, and hope u come back.

Actually cichlids do quite well at a low end brackish. Much more colorful.