If you want to have some of the more colorful aquarium fish, you may need to establish a brackish water tank. Brackish water fish tend to come from freshwater streams that are near the ocean. The water is more salty than freshwater, but not as salty as seawater. The fish in brackish tanks can often survive in completely freshwater tanks, and completely salt water tanks, but they will do better in water that is slightly more salted, yet still considered fresh, than other types of fish.
If you want to have a brackish tank, consider getting a white tip shark cat. These cats are stunning and are great bottom scavengers. These fish need lots of room, though, at least twenty-nine gallons of water. It is also best to keep at least two of them together, as they like each other’s company. The do grow quite large, up to twelve inches in the wild. They are a long living fish, and can live up to ten years in captivity.
Archer fish are another interesting brackish water fish. They grow to around five or six inches long in captivity. They have a silver-white body with black bar stripes down the sides. In the wild, archer fish feed on insects that are above the water’s surface by shooting them with a spray of water. If there are insects around the tank, they will do this in captivity as well. They are a very hard and mostly peaceful fish that do well in a community tank, provided no one in the tank is small enough for them to swallow. They will need at least fifty gallons of water. They will live up to ten years.
Monos are a very uniquely shaped brackish water fish. This diamond shaped fish is silver, black, and yellow in color. If you have monos, they will need to be fed often, and can be slightly aggressive. They need at least fifty gallons of water. They usually grow to around six inches in captivity, but can be larger, and will live to be around ten years old.
Scats are another interesting brackish water fish. They have a somewhat box-like body shape. They do well in at least fifty gallons of water, and like to be kept with other scats. They can grow quite large, up to eighteen inches. They live up to ten years in captivity.
For a colorful addition to your brackish water tank, look for Fan Dancer Gobies. These pink spotted fish are bottom feeders. They do best in a community tank, as without other fish, they tend to fight amongst themselves.
Puffer fish are a favorite brackish fish for many aquarium owners. These fish have an interesting defense mechanism when they are frightened. They will fill up their body cavities with water, making themselves look much larger than life. Some puffer fish have spines on their bodies that protrude then they puff up. The green spotted puffer fish is an extremely popular variety.
If you want to raise these fish and do not have brackish water, you can create brackish water by adding a small amount of sea salts to the water. To do this, start by making up one gallon of salt water for every six gallons of fresh water you add to the tank. It is best to make up the salt water separately from the fresh, and not add the salts directly to the aquarium. The package of sea salts will tell you how much to add. Do not make your tank brackish if you have fish that cannot tollerate it!
