20 gallon brackish question

[Andy16]

What are some brackish fish i could keep? Also, would i need any other equipment then a FW setup?

[PufferNewbie]

i have a 20 gallon brackish and all i have is a 20 gallon FW set up + instant ocean salts and a hydrometer

I have a figure 8 and a green spotted atm.. but its not a perfect combo.. they'll probably outgrow them soon.. i've had them for about 7 months now

[Andy16]

Thanks puffernewbie, i dont really want a fish that will ougrow my tank, but i also want something besides puffers. I like the figure 8s though, had one once in my FW setup. I know bad idea. Anyways, I would like to keep puffers but i also want some otehr kind of fish too besides the puffer(ok i will stop saying htat now).

[tricksterpup]

Here is a website that is fantastic in fish and tank size.

http://badmanstropicalfish.com/brackish/brackish.html


jim

[Nippy]

I have the same size tank and same set-up as PufferNewbie.
My fish include:

2 Knight Gobys
2 Bumblebee Gobys
1 Flounder
1 Platy
1 Glassfish
2 Anableps (these will eventually outgrow the tank though).

Check into getting some gobies. They are the coolest! The flounder is pretty neat too.

[Andy16]

AWESOME link trickster. Lots of info

That sounds like a cool set up nippy. Instead of the anableps, could i put a puffer or two in its place? Do you know the scientific name of the flounder? Sounds cool. Right now these are the fish i was
1-2 Figure 8s
2 gobies of some kind

and then whatever else floats my boat:D

[tricksterpup]

I am not sure about the Puffers, since I am not a puffer person. But i can say that if you do a brackish tank and want to use Mollies and Glassfish, they like to be kept in schools. So if you get these guys, get more than one or 2. I would put atleast 3 or 4 mollies, 1 male and 3 females or for glass fish, atleast 6. :)
The brackish fish i have kept are:
chromides
Mollies
Knight Gobies
and a few wild killies that converted to fresh.
jim

[SBA]

bear in mind that puffers of all species can be fin nippers. i have two SA puffers (FW) and one just can't help himself whenever there's a juicy looking cory fin around. the other one couldn't care less.

[Andy16]

ive had one b4 and it wasnt that bad. It was an f8. Then again it might not have likes FW too much. Bad mistake. I really like puffers and it would be a shame to pass over them in a brackish set up.

[Nippy]

The only book I have found the flounder in is very old (about 30 years) so this name may be way out of date:
Achirus errans

As for the puffers, I don't have any experience with brackish ones, but if I remember correctly, they will all eventually outgrow a 20 gallon. I have 2 dwarf puffers but they are in freshwater. Don't know if they can be acclimated to brackish. And they are evil fin nippers. When I first got them, I would watch them calculatingly sneak up on the other fish, viciously nip their tails and then gleefully run away. Little meanies. :mad: :)

[MonoSebaelover]

Dwarf Puffers are a freshwater puffers and will die in brackish. Figure 8 Puffers can reach about 4-6 inches when adult depending on what book or person you refer to. I have a 29 gallon currently with 1 Anablep Anablep, 1 Mono Argentenus, 3 Figure 8 Puffers, 2 Blue Spot Gobies, and a Bumble bee goby. All fish get along amazingly well even though the Mono will soon be leaving to get acclimated to saltwater. I wouldn't trust a Puffer with a Flounder. They are a bit too slow moving, and even though camoflauge works it probably won't work forever. I would just stick with small species (I would pass on puffers, IMO they need at least a 29gallon when adult) like Mollies, Glassfish, Knight Gobies, White Cheek Gobies, etc. All of the "true" brackish fish get far too large for your tank such as Monos, Scats, Archers, Anableps, Mudskippers, Puffs, and Black fin Sharks. Hope this helps and good luck with whatever you decide.

[Andy16]

So is the flounder not good then? Is the puffer issue because of aggresion or just tank size? What if i just kept two puffers?

Wow that was a lot of questions.