Brackish Water tank

[ktk4beees]

I would like to set up an extra 10 gallon tank I have as a brackish water tank to raise nerite snails and amano shrimp. I have never had one before so and help and direction you can provide would be welcome. So direction on how to acclimate the two from fresh to brackish water would be helpful also.

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

I don’t know but I want to. 

[Ninjoma]

On 5/28/2023 at 10:57 AM, ktk4beees said:

I would like to set up an extra 10 gallon tank I have as a brackish water tank to raise nerite snails and amano shrimp. I have never had one before so and help and direction you can provide would be welcome.

I started my first brackish tank a few months ago, so I am by no means an expert, but if you have any specific questions I am happy to try to answer them. One of the better resources I found for information on brackish tanks is this tumblr page: https://thebrackishtank.tumblr.com/

 

On 5/28/2023 at 10:57 AM, ktk4beees said:

So direction on how to acclimate the two from fresh to brackish water would be helpful also.

I think the best strategy is to start the tank as freshwater, then increase the salinity by 0.001 SG each week until you hit your target salinity. Adding about 1 teaspoon of marine salt per gallon of water will give you about a 0.001 SG increase. I personally aim for very low end brackish (1.003SG) because it gives enough salinity and minerals for my fiddler crabs/ red claw crab, while also not limiting my options for plants by too much. I measure my salinity using this refractometer https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Z4ITWU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 
 

[ktk4beees]

On 5/28/2023 at 12:47 PM, Ninjoma said:

I started my first brackish tank a few months ago, so I am by no means an expert, but if you have any specific questions I am happy to try to answer them. One of the better resources I found for information on brackish tanks is this tumblr page: https://thebrackishtank.tumblr.com/

 

I think the best strategy is to start the tank as freshwater, then increase the salinity by 0.001 SG each week until you hit your target salinity. Adding about 1 teaspoon of marine salt per gallon of water will give you about a 0.001 SG increase. I personally aim for very low end brackish (1.003SG) because it gives enough salinity and minerals for my fiddler crabs/ red claw crab, while also not limiting my options for plants by too much. I measure my salinity using this refractometer https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007Z4ITWU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 
 

What about the original set up of the tank and the filtration. I like that I can go to the low end of the salinity as that is the direction I wanted to head to. I also want some plants in the tank for the snails and shrimp.

[Ninjoma]

On 5/28/2023 at 11:54 AM, ktk4beees said:

What about the original set up of the tank and the filtration. I like that I can go to the low end of the salinity as that is the direction I wanted to head to. I also want some plants in the tank for the snails and shrimp.

I would say the tank setup and filtration is the same as a freshwater tank. I personally use the nano HOB filter aquarium coop sells and two nano sponge filters stacked on top of eachother. For substrate I have a mix of inert sand (I had a bunch lying around), crushed coral and aragonite sand. I decorated the tank with seiryu stone and driftwood. Also note, marine salt will increase your GH, KH and PH. Even though my tap water is really soft, I ended up with absurdly hard water (30+dGH), presumably because of the seiryu stone, aragonite sand and crushed coral, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend adding too many of those.

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

On 5/28/2023 at 1:57 PM, ktk4beees said:

I would like to set up an extra 10 gallon tank I have as a brackish water tank to raise nerite snails and amano shrimp. I have never had one before so and help and direction you can provide would be welcome. So direction on how to acclimate the two from fresh to brackish water would be helpful also.

Fiddler crabs are a possibility for you! But they also need a “beach” or ramp to climb out onto. Don’t be fooled by the pet store setup (no land for the crabs). That’s a temporary setup until they get sold. They are not fully aquatic.

Edited May 28, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea

[ktk4beees]

On 5/28/2023 at 1:02 PM, Ninjoma said:

I would say the tank setup and filtration is the same as a freshwater tank. I personally use the nano HOB filter aquarium coop sells and two nano sponge filters stacked on top of eachother. For substrate I have a mix of inert sand (I had a bunch lying around), crushed coral and aragonite sand. I decorated the tank with seiryu stone and driftwood. Also note, marine salt will increase your GH, KH and PH. Even though my tap water is really soft, I ended up with absurdly hard water (30+dGH), presumably because of the seiryu stone, aragonite sand and crushed coral, so I wouldn't necessarily recommend adding too many of those.

If I don't use my RO water, I would start with absurdly hard water with a PH over 8.0. Trying to get a better PH tester so I know what it is exactly. RO is 7.0 and I have the Shrimp Mineral GH & KH already for another Freshwater aquarium that needs softer water than I can provide otherwise. I am a little confused on what salt to but for the set up and maintenance. Do I need Coral Salt or will API salt do the same thing.?

[Ninjoma]

On 5/28/2023 at 1:15 PM, ktk4beees said:

I am a little confused on what salt to but for the set up and maintenance. Do I need Coral Salt or will API salt do the same thing.?

Generally for brackish tanks you want to use marine salt/ sea salt, for the KH, GH, PH and other minerals it contains. This mimics what brackish water is like in nature, so it is better suited for animals that are used to brackish water. I use instant ocean sea salt https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-Aquarium-Sea-Salt/dp/B00NQH210G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26MMR66XMXBDP&keywords=instant+ocean+sea+salt&qid=1685305756&sprefix=instant+ocean+sea+salt%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1

API aquarium salt will not do the same thing. 

[ktk4beees]

On 5/28/2023 at 2:38 PM, Ninjoma said:

Generally for brackish tanks you want to use marine salt/ sea salt, for the KH, GH, PH and other minerals it contains. This mimics what brackish water is like in nature, so it is better suited for animals that are used to brackish water. I use instant ocean sea salt https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Ocean-Aquarium-Sea-Salt/dp/B00NQH210G/ref=sr_1_1?crid=26MMR66XMXBDP&keywords=instant+ocean+sea+salt&qid=1685305756&sprefix=instant+ocean+sea+salt%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-1

API aquarium salt will not do the same thing. 

bought 2 one for set up and 1 for maint. Thanks for the tip, I really appreciate your help in this endeavor.

[Lennie]

Amano shrimp cannot live in brackish water.

Only  baby amanos can for some time and they need to go to freshwater later on. So you are likely gonna kill amanos if you put them in a brackish tank

"As is typical for other shrimp, the male and female will mate and the female will then be berried and carry around the eggs among her pleopods (under her belly) for around 4 weeks. She will then release the babies, which are now in larvae form, into saltwater until they’ve finished growing into miniature adults.

Once the baby Amanos have developed from their larval stage they’re ready to return to freshwater. They cannot survive in brackish water after a few weeks."

https://www.shrimpscience.com/species/amano-shrimp

Edited May 28, 2023 by Lennie

[Ninjoma]

On 5/28/2023 at 2:12 PM, Lennie said:

Amano shrimp cannot live in brackish water.

Only  baby amanos can for some time and they need to go to freshwater later on. So you are likely gonna kill amanos if you put them in a brackish tank

Tell that to the amano shrimp in my brackish tank.

[nabokovfan87]

On 5/28/2023 at 10:57 AM, ktk4beees said:

I would like to set up an extra 10 gallon tank I have as a brackish water tank to raise nerite snails and amano shrimp. I have never had one before so and help and direction you can provide would be welcome. So direction on how to acclimate the two from fresh to brackish water would be helpful also.

I would recommend you watch this:
 

The common method is to put the female into a tub when she is going to release the Zoes.  Once she does, you remove the female back to the tank (freshwater) and then you go ahead and move the zoeys into the brackish setup until they fully develop.

This replicates the natural environment and the process of the zoes going upriver into the brackish tributaries to find food and develop.

[RennjiDK]

The SW nerites and FW nerites are similar families, but require different environments to survive. A lot of species move from FW/SW to brackish to spawn, but don't necessarily do well in that environment as their daily home (ie Amano shrimp). Really what you'd want to replicate is raising each respective species in their natural habitats, and then moving to a brackish environment during spawning periods. I personally think it's more effort than the return is worth, but if it's something you want to pursue, there will be a lot of difficult learning periods along the way. There's a reason why most brackish spawning species are wild caught.

Edited May 29, 2023 by RennjiDK

[RennjiDK]

On 5/28/2023 at 5:14 PM, Ninjoma said:

Tell that to the amano shrimp in my brackish tank.

And I know several people with fancy goldfish, which have been in a <1g bowl for several years. Surviving isn't the same as husbandry. Amanos are not SW shrimp, and while they may take up the extra available calcium during spawning and early development, they're not supposed to be kept in that environment long term.

[Ninjoma]

On 5/28/2023 at 9:12 PM, RennjiDK said:

And I know several people with fancy goldfish, which have been in a <1g bowl for several years. Surviving isn't the same as husbandry. Amanos are not SW shrimp, and while they may take up the extra available calcium during spawning and early development, they're not supposed to be kept in that environment long term.

It would be really helpful if you:

1. Shared your experience keeping amano shrimp in brackish water and what the negative impacts were on them.

2. Provided scientific evidence that shows that keeping amano shrimp in brackish water has negative impacts on their quality of life.

I personally do not find it very helpful to be told "you're not suppose to do x" when I am successfully doing x.

[RennjiDK]

On 5/29/2023 at 12:46 AM, Ninjoma said:

It would be really helpful if you:

1. Shared your experience keeping amano shrimp in brackish water and what the negative impacts were on them.

2. Provided scientific evidence that shows that keeping amano shrimp in brackish water has negative impacts on their quality of life.

I personally do not find it very helpful to be told "you're not suppose to do x" when I am successfully doing x.

1. I have no experience keeping amanos in brackish environments long term. I researched it a while ago and determined it was a bad idea.

2. That's not how science works. You don't get to make claims, and then demand evidence to disprove your personal theories regarding highly studied, peer reviewed subjects. Show me your study of Amano shrimp in a brackish environment. Have you analyzed exoskeletal compositions, molting or breeding patterns, and life expectancy? How has calcium and magnesium consumption changed in your environment compared to a FW control? Has there been any change in trace element consumption with the added macro elements? How many data sets have you run with these experiments? Do you have both biological and chemical scientists reviewing your study for inconsistencies?

Edited May 29, 2023 by RennjiDK

[nabokovfan87]

Finally found it...

These are brackish shrimp: https://aquariumshrimpkeeping.com/opea-ula-shrimp-101-super-shrimp/

[Biotope Biologist]

Nerites have not been successfully bred in captivity. We are still learning about their life history.
 

I do hope you try brackish you could dabble in salt and add some rainbow fish species and bumblebee gobies or could go mid brackish and raise many ‘tidepool’ species. I would really like to set a brackish mangrove tank up as well but I am very quickly running out of real estate as my SO now really wants a nano SW tank. I’ve done a ton of research though if you have any specific questions I can answer them

Edited May 29, 2023 by Biotope Biologist

[ktk4beees]

First I want to thank everyone who replied. It has been a very educational experience and for someone who is always curious about the Aquarium hobbies it has opened my eyes into a world I have wanted to play with but now realize it just is not what I can handle. For whatever reason you put "Salt" in front of water and instantly the price of everything goes sky high. Take the humble Goby. The price for freshwater Gobies is in the neighborhood of $10 but the "Salt" variety runs around $60. The effort factor goes up to. 

I love my Aquariums and they have always brought me a lot of joy which could be why my house if filled with them. 9 total with a 75 gallon coming (talk about a lack of real estate). I have recently had to overcome well water challenges in a Volcanic active area to keep everyone happy hand healthy and so far I have enjoyed success with very few deaths other than shipping mishaps. I enjoy my beautiful Fish and Invertebrates and they supply me with a reason to get up in the mornings (that and my patient service dog).

This topic seems to be of interest to a lot of budding "Salt" water enthusiasts. So I am glad I asked a question of value to the community. I have learned so much about two species that live in my tanks currently and I enjoy. I had no idea of their origins and I guess I am not alone in that ignorance. This has not only enlightened me but I hope others too. There is a whole lot we don't know about what swims around entertaining us daily. It is a good thing to learn things and I thank you all.  

[Biotope Biologist]

On 5/29/2023 at 9:01 AM, ktk4beees said:

First I want to thank everyone who replied. It has been a very educational experience and for someone who is always curious about the Aquarium hobbies it has opened my eyes into a world I have wanted to play with but now realize it just is not what I can handle. For whatever reason you put "Salt" in front of water and instantly the price of everything goes sky high. Take the humble Goby. The price for freshwater Gobies is in the neighborhood of $10 but the "Salt" variety runs around $60. The effort factor goes up to. 

I love my Aquariums and they have always brought me a lot of joy which could be why my house if filled with them. 9 total with a 75 gallon coming (talk about a lack of real estate). I have recently had to overcome well water challenges in a Volcanic active area to keep everyone happy hand healthy and so far I have enjoyed success with very few deaths other than shipping mishaps. I enjoy my beautiful Fish and Invertebrates and they supply me with a reason to get up in the mornings (that and my patient service dog).

This topic seems to be of interest to a lot of budding "Salt" water enthusiasts. So I am glad I asked a question of value to the community. I have learned so much about two species that live in my tanks currently and I enjoy. I had no idea of their origins and I guess I am not alone in that ignorance. This has not only enlightened me but I hope others too. There is a whole lot we don't know about what swims around entertaining us daily. It is a good thing to learn things and I thank you all.  

If you ever want to revisit brackish it’s a small but budding hobby. Doesn’t have to be expensive unfortunately the support isn’t exactly there so it is a bit of trial and error and we are just now starting to see more brackish species in the hobby. No marine lighting no marine filtration needed, just marine salt and a bit of patience. Luckily macro algaes and some non aggressive smaller anenomes are making it into the hobby as well. Cheers! Hope whatever future tanks you plan are successful ones!

 

I have been watching a breeding pair of sticklebacks in the park near my house and I just want a brackish tank all over again. Their behavior reminds me of Seahorses for some reason.

credit: Dwight Kuhn Virgina Tech

Edited May 30, 2023 by Biotope Biologist

[nabokovfan87]

Zenzo just released a video discussing using amano shrimp in brackish. Maybe he can chime in for us here and help with stuff like salinity level and any tips and tricks.  Some species might need a transition to brackish, others may not tolerate it.

@Zenzo how did you get your amanos in the brackish tank going?

On 5/28/2023 at 10:57 AM, ktk4beees said:

brackish water tank to raise nerite snails and amano shrimp. I have never had one before so and help and direction you can provide would be welcome. So direction on how to acclimate the two from fresh to brackish water would be helpful also.

 

[ktk4beees]

Thank you for the Video. It was interesting but for now I have all my tanks going different directions. Added an RODI system to the house that lets me pull either the RO only (fish)or the remineralized water for (Dog and Me). Makes great coffee and does excellent for the various tanks. I'm getting the water chemistry thing down and I think I have headed over the learning curve to proper understanding. I know I have a lot to learn still. So, for the time being I don't want to get any more complicated than I have become.  Still, Some day.