Eeekkkk....looks Like I'm Going Brackish!

[divegirl]

Morning all,
Well, my search for Sap's has proved to be fruitless .......
So hopefully by next weekend I will be the loving Mummy to either some F8's or Green Spots, which ever my guy at the LFS can get hold of first. He will sort out my salt for me too, the plan being to go and get the salt on Saturday and dose the tank, then pick the fish up on Sunday. It's going to be a little more expensive, as I think I will go for artificial plants rather than fight the battle of plants that will live with the salt [I think I may have some that will survive though]. I'm going for six fish initially....and these can be swapped and replaced via the LFS at anytime....so any major aggression can be whittled out.

Sooooo....any advice on this little set up? Any live plants [as I do prefer them] that anyone can tell me about?
Aside from that.....off to do loads more reading up now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lisa x

 

[nmonks]

Figure-8s are excellent pufferfish. They're active and retain their pretty colours through their life, something that cannot always be said about other puffers! They don't need a lot of salt to do well, and provided the water is reasonably hard and alkaline, a specific gravity of 1.003 at 25 C will be ample.

In this case, the salinity is sufficiently low that most hard water plants will thrive. So, assuming the other factors are good, i.e., substrate and lighting, feel free to grow all the usual favourites: hardy crypts, Amazon swords, Hygrophila, Vallisneria, etc. Java ferns and Anubias are also good, but they grow to slowly to compensate for algae, so you will want some other plants in there with them. Floating plants, particularly Indian fern, are another good option.

Cheers, Neale

 

[divegirl]

Hey Neale...hope you are well....and thanks for your reply!

I seem to be in the hands of the Gods at the momment , I have told they guy at the LFS to get what he can!!!! I seemed to do enough pontificating over the SAP's.....so I am quite happy to let someone else make the final decision for me as to whether I have F8's or GSP's!!! [both look equally rewarding in their own way]
I've just moved all of my plants out of the 'SAP' tank in readiness for it turning brackish and will slowly re-stock towards next weekend....as long as I've found my fish.
As mentioned before, I'm going for six of either.....with the abilty to return any problem fish, but he seems to think six in a heavily planted tank shouldn't be a problem....well apart form spotting them....these will be juvies.

Lisa x

 

[nmonks]

GSPs will (eventually) need quite saline conditions, at least SG 1.005 @ 25 C, so I don't think they're terribly good choices for planted tanks. But Figure-8s and SAPs are both good with plants. Neither species hide much, and SAPs certainly don't spend much time at all hidden behind things. In fact mine are hovering in the front of their tank right now, asking for their breakfast, so I better get on with it...

Cheers, Neale

 

[lilacamy931]

Congrats Lisa! Fingers crossed for you, excited for you and eagerly await what you will get! All the best! I am not far behind now just 3 weeks to go! Aw better feed the babes their breakfast Neale dont want them sulking