What To Get?

[Sara0229]

So I've just got a 55gal and I want a brackish set up but I'm not sure what to get. I've had a brackish tank once before and really enjoyed it. I am drawn to so many brackish species that I just don't know what get. The tank will be in my living room so I want something attractive. I keep reading about different fish but read so much conflicting information. I'd really like a puffer but I've read many like live foods and this is a problem as our pet shop is 30minutes away. Plus I always think of species tanks as well, sort of boring. Any suggestions?

 

[jonny5]

So I've just got a 55gal and I want a brackish set up but I'm not sure what to get. I've had a brackish tank once before and really enjoyed it. I am drawn to so many brackish species that I just don't know what get. The tank will be in my living room so I want something attractive. I keep reading about different fish but read so much conflicting information. I'd really like a puffer but I've read many like live foods and this is a problem as our pet shop is 30minutes away. Plus I always think of species tanks as well, sort of boring. Any suggestions?

id say first think if you want plants, if you do, then your doing 1.005sg and that narrows down what fish you might want.
If not then go by size, you want decent sized ones or little guys?
some puffers can be community ones, the south american puffer(well is freshwater actually but can handle some salinity) and the figure 8 puffer(highly variable on the individual)
If you want a green spotted puffer, then you will need a species tank or larget tankmates who can handle him.

scats, monos, archers, freshwater moray eel, sleeper gobies like a marble goby, some of the larger spiney eel species, large cichlids like green texas cichlid (bloody beauty) or various tilapias or the mayan cichlid and green chromide, one species of needle fish, and some other guys get big.

Little guys there are almost too many to mention, do some online research. Compared to the availability of freshwater and salterwater species, brackish is very limited and thus should help you narrow down what your going to get.

 

[Sara0229]

plants, I've thought about that but never had much luck with them and always tried them in freshwater. Guess maybe I'll start with that. I'd like a bigger fish so I can see them ok across the room. I had looked at silver scats but I'm afraid a small school would get to big for a 55gal as I have no plans on getting a bigger tank. I also had the thought of maybe a species tank with just a large puffer. I would like maybe a small puffer, some gobys, and maybe some thing else in there but so many puffers seem to do poorly with other fish. I had a puffer once, not sure what he was, and he did ok for a few months but then stopped eating. So I do love the puffers, such personalities, but am slightly skiddish about getting another.

 

[Ceramicbull]

I've never had either of these species, but I might suggest you look into Monos and Violet Gobies (aka, Dragon Goby). Both are large, peaceful, and will do well in a 55g, perhaps together?

I don't know much about them, but mabye a Green Chromide and a few of its Orange Chromide cousins might work well, if you like Cichlids.

If you insist on a puffer, this is a good selection of species available for a brackish tank: a good place to start. People have successfully kept puffers with other fish before, but you are completely at the mercy of the puffer's capricious nature as to whether or not (or when) it will destroy the fins of its tankmates. Again, haven't kept one, but I was interested enough to do a bit of research on them. You might want to browse the "oddballs" forum for a bit, many of the posts there are about puffers so it might help you comprehend what you're getting into with any particular species. Personally, if I ever do get a puffer, it'll be a single big one in a tank by himself (and lots of plants).

Hope this helped,

C-Bull

 

[talisker]

i've got 2 green spotted puffers in a 55gallon with 6 bumblebee gobies and this seems to work well, the puffers don't bother them at all

 

[Sara0229]

How do your green spotted puffers react when you put your hand in the tank? Are they curious or skiddish?

 

[talisker]

How do your green spotted puffers react when you put your hand in the tank? Are they curious or skiddish?

one of them ended up on the floor today he bit me and i pulled my hand out fast and didn't notice that he came out with my hand until i heard a kind of croaking noise and saw him puffing on the floor, picked him up and put him back in and he swam off as though nothing had happened
they are generally curious, if i put my hand fully in the tank they are ok and won't try to bite, it's if you just have the ends on your fingers in the water then they will have a go

 

[Sara0229]

OOPS! Well at least he was ok, and hopefully you were too! I had some sort of puffer many years ago and the thing I found most appealing about him was his personality. They are so smart. I've decided to do my set up slowly one step at a time. I'm going to start off some plants and slowly adjust my water to where I want it. I'll keep researching fish so I can have everything properly set up for them. I'll be ordering them online because my local pet store doesn't have anything I want. And I can't see spending all that money on shipping if I don't have everything just right for them.

 

[sgmegan]

one species of needle fish, and some other guys get big.

I was wonder what species of needle fish you are refering to, I have been trying to find more info on these guys everywhere!