Brackish Tank Help

I scored another 20 gallon long. I was thinking lets try a brackish. what is a good salinity to keep for a brackish tank? Also what are some good stocking suggestions? i was thinking 1 hogchoker, maybe sticklebacks...sheepshead minnows, needle fish, shrimps and what else. Not saying all those species or any of those..just lookin for advice. I will be going to my mother in laws tomorrow in newport rhode island and would like to collect some things. thanks guys

after researching a little bit needlefish or pipefish are out of the question. i caught hog-chokers before on the cape. i have about 30 spots to check tomorrow. hopefully i can grab one. im going to hopefully catch a million shrimp. are the sticklebacks of salt water just as nippy as the brook stickles? i wanted to avoid mummichogs. maybe if they are colorful ill grab one.

Mummichogs are beautiful fish when colored up for breeding season, fairly drab otherwise, and completely incompatible with shrimp. You'll be amazed how big a shrimp can fit in their mouth.

I think there are two approaches to brackish salinity. One would be to take a hydrometer along when you go collecting, and just make your tank match the conditions you took the fish from. The other is to not worry about it too much. Estuary fish are used to salinity changing with the tide, so water changes that don't match what was in the tank shouldn't be a huge problem.

I suppose I don't have to warn you that fish collected in brackish water may be fully freshwater fish, or fully salt, having wandered to the limit of their tolerance in either direction. Make sure you know what you have.

Mummichogs are beautiful fish when colored up for breeding season, fairly drab otherwise, and completely incompatible with shrimp. You'll be amazed how big a shrimp can fit in their mouth.

I think there are two approaches to brackish salinity. One would be to take a hydrometer along when you go collecting, and just make your tank match the conditions you took the fish from. The other is to not worry about it too much. Estuary fish are used to salinity changing with the tide, so water changes that don't match what was in the tank shouldn't be a huge problem.

I suppose I don't have to warn you that fish collected in brackish water may be fully freshwater fish, or fully salt, having wandered to the limit of their tolerance in either direction. Make sure you know what you have.

Thanks! I'm not gonna take anything I can grab. If I don't get the fish I want I'm not taking anything. I'm primarily going for sheepshead and a hogchoker. Maybe 2 hogs. But if I don't catch a hog then ill prob wait and hit up the cape later in the week. Do you know if the sticklebacks are just as aggressive as the brook stickies?

Thanks! I'm not gonna take anything I can grab. If I don't get the fish I want I'm not taking anything. I'm primarily going for sheepshead and a hogchoker. Maybe 2 hogs. But if I don't catch a hog then ill prob wait and hit up the cape later in the week. Do you know if the sticklebacks are just as aggressive as the brook stickies?

They are aggressisive but nothing compared to mummichugs or sheepshead minnows. You may find some rainwater killies which don't bother anything but northern ones aren't as colorful as the southern ones.

They are aggressisive but nothing compared to mummichugs or sheepshead minnows. You may find some rainwater killies which don't bother anything but northern ones aren't as colorful as the southern ones.

I didn't know that sheepheads were aggressive. Hmm. Well I went out and caught only shrimp. I just let them go. I couldn't even get in the water down here in jamestown. Tomorrow ill be going to the cape or somewhere else on the south coast. Wish I had someone to go with.

Personally, I'd choose the mumichogs over the shrimp. Especially with nice lighting so they throw lots of blue sparkles.

Good luck with it! I'm about to set up my first brackish aquarium, just as soon as I can get a tank cycled. I think I may also do a brackish paludarium for some littoral crustaceans.

I didn't know that sheepheads were aggressive. Hmm. Well I went out and caught only shrimp. I just let them go.

Shrimp are good for a b/w tank, they're either cleaners or dinner. Or fishless conditioning, for that matter.

Sheephead minnows usually set up a pecking order, with the dominant male/s running off anybody who comes in their territories. Makes for a lot of action and movement in the tank, but I haven't seen blood feuds a la FarmerTodd's gilt darters. With some structure for visual screens for each other, a 20L probably can handle 3 or 4 territories, and therefore probably 6 to 10 adult fish. (Based on their behaviors, I like a 1M:2F ratio for CVs.) They make only half-hearted rushes at other sympatric killie species, and of course young fish are less territorial, esp. in the presence of full adults. I have some mixed young in a 20-L, and the 1" CV's are starting the pretentious posturing, it's oh so cute. In a taller tank ... I also have some in a mixed 55 ... there's also room for some mid- and top-water fish. Probably don't want to mix adult CVs with social wallflowers, but other assertive species can hold their own.

Fun personality fish.

HTH - d.d.