Brackish Set Up

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

I just got my Gymnothorax Polyuranodon, whom I named Morayarty, today who seems to happily be setting in. Right now he is in a fresh water set up, but I want to slowly convert it over to brackish. I’m looking for ideas on a brackish community set up for a 90g. I would like to do a puffer, a type of schooling fish, and a clean up crew. 
 

green spot or figure 8 puffers are what come to mind but I’m not sure how well they do in a community. I don’t really know any schoolers that are brackish, big enough to live with the moray, but not so big as to out scape the set up. The only thing that comes to mind for clean up crews are Amanos and nerites, but those won’t fair well with a puffer.

Edited June 2, 2023 by BlueLineAquaticsSC

[BlueLineAquaticsSC]

I forgot to mention plants. I’d like to do mangroves and I’ve heard some people have success with Java fern, is there any other viable plants for brackish, or possibly some cool macro algaes

[Ninjoma]

What SG are you aiming for? That will be the main determiner for what fish and plants you can keep. This blog has a lot of useful suggestions for what plants and animals that can be kept ate various salinity ranges https://thebrackishtank.tumblr.com/ This book is also great for brackish fish specifically https://www.amazon.com/Brackish-Water-Fishes-Aquarists-Identification-Husbandry/dp/0793805643

I've had mixed results with anubias at 1.003 SG. Most rotted away, but some is doing fine. Vallisneria and hornwort have been doing really well for me. Rubin sword and hygrophila seem to be okay or at worst dying very slowly.

[Biotope Biologist]

For a clean up crew I would stick to marine inverts. You may have to do a bit of research but many of them are adapted to shorelife where they can do well in brackish water. Nerites are good too and there are some small hermit crabs that are okay at 1.008+

 

Plants mangroves and some plants do okay. Your best bet is emergent plants. As eel grass is borderline impossible to grow in aquaria. Macroalgaes there are a handful out there that are found in tidepools and along the shore that do well. Chaeto is the most popular.
 

Schooling fish I already mentioned in the other post. Not really a ton else. Archerfish, scat, mollies are about the only ones that school. Freshwater damsels will do well in a 90 if you get 2-3 the aggression will stay amongst eachother. They have huge territories for such a small fish. So best to understock them. 
 

I have also read certain species of Tilapia can stay quite small 5-8” and can be kept brackish. I’ve only ever seen the monsters in the wild in brackish pools, but I suppose they are a possibility.

[Beardedbillygoat1975]

Mono argentus or “Monos” are a great choice and a tight schooler. Mollies can be found full or partially converted to salt water. Bumblebee gobies and several other gobies are out there too although you’ll need to go with a chunkier one than a bumblebee with that eel. Dragon gobies are pretty chunky.  

 @Zenzohas some excellent brackish content as well as the blog @Biotope Biologistgave you. 

I’ve got Opae ulae setups and I really like chaeto, caluerpa and haven’t had much success with other macros. Marimo moss balls will convert to brackish.