My brackish tank

[lizard_of_aus]

This is my 30 gallon brackish aquarium. I keep two green spotted puffer fish in here.

They are so hard to photograph to where they look good. Here is a pic I snapped of one coming out of it's hiding log.

Not the best shot, but they are really cool fish!

 

[jemjdragon]

Puffer fish are fun. =] I like the picture you got of one, though it looks like its frowning. Have you thought of getting more puffer fish types? Like Pea puffers and figure 8 puffers?

Also your tank setup is spiffy =D

 

[lizard_of_aus]

Why thank you Joanna I really do like the Black Tahitian moon sand. I have thought of all the puffers you mentioned. Pea puffers, I read, are freshwater. I don't have any stores around me who carry them. I bought my green spotted from a fish shop 30 minutes away. They also had the figure eight puffers. I'm hoping to get a large enough tank someday to add to what I already have...two is the maximum I understand in a 30 gallon for the green spotted and figure eight puffers.

 

[RampantReptiles]

You are exactly right, pea puffers/dwarf puffers are freshwater. I have 5 of them in my 46 gallon planted tank, 2 girls and 3 boys. They love being together and I am not sure if this is true of other puffer species but they are much better behaved in groups. They mainly bicker with eachother over dominance and leave everyone else alone. Other inhabitants of the tank are
Clown Loach
Kuhli Loaches
Bumble Bee Goby
Algae eating Shark(Siamese Flying Fox)
Otocinclus
Large Ghost Shrimp(Yes the puffers leave them alone, have had these for over a month without a single death)

You could possibly get a bottom feeder type brackish fish that the puffers would leave alone.
This is an awesome resource for brackish tanks http://badmanstropicalfish.com/brackish/brackish.html

 

[RampantReptiles]

Just read this on the comments at the bottom of that websites page not sure if it is true or not...
GSP = Green Spotted Puffer
"Here there is a recommendation of GSP's in a brackish set up. But what people don't know, is that GSP's do not stay brackish. At 4-5" they need to acclimate to full marine to live a full, healthy life. So you have the GSP's mixed with Bumblebee Gobies. The gobies need to stay brackish, therefor there is a confliction of water requirements with these two species in the long run. Also, the max GSP's (full grown) in a 55 gallon should be 2, and that's pushing it. Each GSP requires at least 30 gallons for himself. The reason is not only the bio-load but the aggression of the fish in small quarters."

 

[lizard_of_aus]

Yes I too have been to that website. It's an excellent source of information. I also knew I was going to have to eventually acclimate them to full salt water. Right now, these guys are about 2 inches long..I plan to have them set up in a larger tank before too long. I'm moving in a month so I want to purchase the bigger tank and move it to my new house and get it set up before I move them there. I really considered the dwarf puffers first because I read they are easier to care for than the other puffers, but I've never had a salt water tank. I've had freshwater fish for 37 years and thought it was time for a change, lol. When I purchased these guys the person selling me the fish told me I could keep as many as I wanted in a 30 gallon, so I broke down and got two, and originally I was only going to buy one! :main_rolleyes: I guess I was thinking excuse to buy a bigger tank, lol.

 

[RampantReptiles]

bigger salt water tanks are easier to take care of so if you are going to go full salt you would be better off with a bigger tank anyways. May want to get the bigger tank after you move so that you dont have to move it twice

 

[lizard_of_aus]

Fortunately we are in the process of closing on a house, and we can stay here another month or two. So I thought I would get the bigger tank and set it up at the other house, that way it will already have fully cycled by the time I put them in it . I really want to go at least 125 gallon...we'll see if my hubby throws a huge fit, lol:main_laugh:

 

[RampantReptiles]

6 foot tank would be sweet! You going to do reef? Wait are Green Spotted Puffers reef safe? Dont think puffers are reef safe...

 

[lizard_of_aus]

Yeah I don't know about that...they would probably destroy the reef! I have a piece of live rock in the tank now to help keep their teeth filed down. They pick on it every day...I'd probably just have to do a similar set up to what I have now, just larger, lol. According to badmanstropicalfish.com you can keep
GSP and bumblebee gobies together. They're some cool looking fish too. I wonder how they would handle the salinity of the water once the GSPs got older though...:main_huh:

 

[Taquiq]

Wow, that's a very cool Brackish tank!

 

[lizard_of_aus]

Thank you Joey