Possible Kick Ass Brackish Setup?

[ferco]

Ok I know there are like a dozen of these a week lol but just wanted some general opinion- to see if I am still a noob or have learnt something...

Ok I'm thinking probably a 100Gallon tank set to Brackish- still deciding on a Salinity:
about a 1/4-1/3 left at the top with like a platform for the crickets; with branches... well branching off into each corner of the tank; so I place the box of crickets on the platform deep enough they can't jump out- then they can just cruz around and the Archers can feed when they are hungry- the tank will be sealed so that if the Archers simply get bored and shoot them for the fun but leave them- they can't climb out but will simply find the small platform (that may hold a mud-skipper or two... to be decided) the then either get eaten by the mud-skipper or make it back to the top branches to be shot down when the Archers ARE hungry lol

Ok the stocking:

Would like to have a larger shoal of Archer but I think three will be my max for a 100gallon tank
Maybe a/ couple Sharptail gobies to mop up dead crickets and waste? or would a scat/mono be better for that? Wait are both monos and Scats Brackish- or is one of them not...?

And the possible mud-skippers; but they're not a major part of the plan- would be quite cool though- but would take up some vital room...

So how does that all sound- Will do some drawings later to show you what I mean lol- but for now sit back and imagine-
It won't be the biggest tank around (thought considering I've only ever had a 39 gal until then it will be HUGE to me) but it should kick ass! with loads of bad-ass attitude...

Also have never kept Sharptail gobies or know much about them REALLY- so does anyone have any good info on them- am going to read up on net; but first hand experience is ALWAYS preferable.

Well that's about it- will eagerly await your opinions...

P.S. I'm pretty sure the Sharptail gobies are non-aggressive- and that they have like spines so they should be ok with the Archers if they keep up in size, right? I would be getting all the fish about the same time- or if no getting them the same sizes so that they can keep up and will not (hopefully) get bullied... or worse lol

And I was thinking- someone mentioned before maybe at the beginning having a small breeding pair of guppies of the Brackish equivalent to produce fry for the others to eat- sort of an away from home feeding system- but that was clutching at straws... a good idea?

 

[nmonks]

Would like to have a larger shoal of Archer but I think three will be my max for a 100gallon tank
Maybe a/ couple Sharptail gobies to mop up dead crickets and waste? or would a scat/mono be better for that? Wait are both monos and Scats Brackish- or is one of them not...?

I have no idea what "sharptail gobies" are but I can tell you no goby is going to play scavenger. Gobies are generally pretty fussy about food, and prefer live food and failing that frozen foods. Richard Melczko warns against using crickets as food for mudskippers (which are gobies of course) because he has linked them with certain digestive problems. Most gobies prefer small worms and crustaceans. Scats and monos are both brackish water fish. Monos aren't scavengers either though they will eat crickets in midwater. Scats will eat anything.

And the possible mud-skippers; but they're not a major part of the plan- would be quite cool though- but would take up some vital room...

Mudskippers don't work well with larger fish. They view them as predators, and so stay on land. This isn't good for them in the long term. Mudskippers may be mixed with smaller fish, such as guppies, but that's about it.

Also have never kept Sharptail gobies or know much about them REALLY- so does anyone have any good info on them- am going to read up on net; but first hand experience is ALWAYS preferable.

Tell me what they are with a Latin name and I might be able to point you in the right direction.

Also have never kept Sharptail gobies or know much about them P.S. I'm pretty sure the Sharptail gobies are non-aggressive- and that they have like spines so they should be ok with the Archers if they keep up in size, right? I would be getting all the fish about the same time- or if no getting them the same sizes so that they can keep up and will not (hopefully) get bullied... or worse lol

Gobies don't have spines, so this is even more mysterious. Archers are very, VERY accomplished piscivores, so choose tankmates with care.

And I was thinking- someone mentioned before maybe at the beginning having a small breeding pair of guppies of the Brackish equivalent to produce fry for the others to eat- sort of an away from home feeding system- but that was clutching at straws... a good idea?

This can work well. Some people keep seahorses, pipefish, and bumblebee gobies in this sort of system. But I doubt any guppies will breed fast enough to support archerfish, and the archers will just eat the adults anyway. If you want to breed feeder fishes, much better to do so in another aquarium, and simply remove excess fry when you see them.

Cheers, Neale

 

[ferco]

right am at school just now so will have to be quick:
Thanks for the feedback- cannot for the life of me remember where I saw the suggestion of sharptail gobies- but I googled it: http/www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=5125 so I don't know lol
I was thinking; you said they might not do well with the archers; what about something bigger; I was recommended on another forum:
Jade Sleeper Gobies (Dormitator maculatus); which the guy said were "I have two of them and they aren't aggressive at all and they do a fantastic job at cleaning up."
Also mentioned: "I would go with the gobies. They are not as picky as scats and monos and they will eat almost anything." lol so just now I'm sort of looking at who has published a book about Brackish fist... oh yea that was you! lol so I'll go with your advise.

Anything seriously wrong there ?

Thanks for the help so far.

 

[nmonks]

OK, now we have a Latin name, we're in business. Looks likely to be similar to a watchman goby (marine) or knight goby (brackish) in terms of behaviour and diet. I still think very unlikely to scavenge. It is certainly true that many gobies sift sand like eartheater cichlids, and the the process take any small invertebrates they find. But that's something rather different to what, say, a Corydoras does in terms of eating leftover flake and so on. So while big gobies and archers make a fine combo, I'd think the gobies would need their own food given directly to them.

Dormitator maculatus are lovely fish. Entirely agree with your other correspondent here. Kept them with archers and had no problems. They can get big, easily 15-20 cm in aquaria and very commonly up to around 30 cm. Maximum size in the wild is even bigger. But peaceful (though predatory) and very easy to tame. Tough as old boots, very adaptable in terms of salinity. Lovely fish. Again, not really a scavenger, but they will eat pretty much anything that isn't rotten.

Scats *will* eat anything. Their Latin name means "dung eater" (Scatophagus) and in the wild they congregate around sewage outfall pipes, which is why local peoples don't eat them.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Scats *will* eat anything. Their Latin name means "dung eater" (Scatophagus) and in the wild they congregate around sewage outfall pipes, which is why local peoples don't eat them.

learn something new every day! that's grim

 

[Fella]

Oligolepis acutipennis were the mystery gobies I kept for a while. i kept them at 1.005 and they bred continuously, but I never saw fry. They were probably planktonic and eaten by the parents.

I bought them simply as "longfin gobies" and kept them at 1.005. They did great, but sadly (and bizarrely) were both eaten by my grunting toadfish, who is probably as big as they were.

I have a video of mine spawning here - http/www.tropicalfishkeeper.com/content/view/58/48/

They were very tame (nibbling at my fingers in the tank) and dug caves in sand. Great fish, I'd definitely keep them again.

 

[ferco]

right well seeing as it's probably going to be a 100gal tank- again this isn't happening any time soon; I think I could accommodate two Oligolepis acutipennis; with maybe three archers? and a couple of scats? maybe two... to pretty much keep the tank clean. I just wanted something to help clean the tank; especially the substrate; in this case sand as when I did have archers before; I used sand and only the three archers left a lot of mess from the several crickets they demolished every other day... sometimes daily lol.
How does that sound? is it true scats can reach 30cm! will there be enough room in a 100gal for three full grown archers, 2 full grown Oligolepis acutipennis and 2 full grown Scats?
This is getting packed lol
Remember I've never actually seen a 100gal tank in real life; don't think so at least... so I'm still unsure how much fish can go in it- I don't really want to go along with the rules about 1inch per gallon or whatever it is- want there to be as much room as possi- especially with the 'boisterous' archers

Thanks for all the help so far

 

[ferco]

Right just looking at tanks- got really bored- now this is the only place I could find in the UK that seem to make large custom made tank- now I will probs be wanting at least 100galls... now the site: http/www.fitfiltration.co.uk/index.htm
seems to have it covered- the prices are less than I expected; but still pretty expensive lol- anywhere else anyone know of in the UK?
Also it's talking about a sump- now I know roughly what a sump is; but the sizes seem as big as most tanks... and would a sump really help in a Brackish tank; aren't they really meant for fullon marine? IF not would a sump really help? lol this is going to be expensive; ALMOST glad I can't do it yet- couldn't afford it lol

 

[nmonks]

I just wanted something to help clean the tank; especially the substrate

No fish, NO FISH, keeps your aquarium clean. Any fish you add will make it that bit more dirty. So don't add anything for this reason only. Depending on the salinity, you might even be better off with something like Hoplosternum littorale, a charming and robust catfish that does well at SG 1.005.

You can get quite a lot of fish into a 100 gallon tank, but as with any aquarium, not as many as you'd like! I'd have thught three scats, three archers, and a couple of gobies would be about the limit. Plus or minus depending on their size, how fast they grow, filtration, etc.

Yes, scats can reach large sizes. The biggest ones in the wild are around 40 cm I believe. That said, 20 cm is about average in an aquarium. Monos tend to stay a bit smaller, around 15 cm.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Fella]

With those gobies, i'd have been happy keeping the pair in a 30g. They didn't seem to get much bigger while I had them, and baensch supports that.

And with brackish tanks, I think you'll be better off to embrace the algae rather than try to fight it!

 

[ferco]

okay dokey... so how would I combat the problem of bits of cricket falling into the sand? will that become REALLY manky REALLY fast?
Am starting to think that the Scats are unnecessary... I like the sound of that Catfish- I'm not so worried about algae just I don't want bits of cricket festering in the sand and leading to disease?
Googled the Hoplosternum littorale and found it grows to about 24cm...? that sound right- I'm guessing that two gobies AND a catfish isn't the best idea as they both would hang at the bottom? get territorial?
Would I be better off with just one goby? I'm not sure; but as I said it's no rush- got lots of time to decide lol
I don't know why but I really like the goby... just seems really cool to me...
Perhaps 3 archers, 1 goby, and 2-3 scats? again though I'm going for the scats to clean up... hmmm... this is tougher than I thought...

 

[Maximus]

As said before the scats wont "clean up".

The cricket bits and wot-not shouldn't rot too
fast. Regular sifting with a fine net should keep
the sand in spec.

IMO the scats are unneccessary and are a bit
boistrous for the archers. I'd skip out the scats altogether
and get 1-2 more archer/s.

That way you could have an almost species tank and be
understocked, which is always a good thing!

But thats just my plan

....You've got me thinking now lol

 

[ferco]

lol cool- thanks for the help-
probs now looking at maybe 5 archers? or maybe just keep it at 3 and have two of the gobies and that's it- that way lots of room but would it be too empty?

 

[kubora666]

im not brackish btw, but marine and ive got a watchman goby with his lil lobster friend are extremely interesting and dont grow too big.
so maybe a possibility for you there,
Kubora Vuohenraiskaaja

 

[ferco]

yea I saw the whole goby plus shrimp/crab thing on the Blue planet? now what goby will work well with what shrimp/crab thing? sorry that sounds so bad- but you know what I'm getting at; sorry for my noobishness...