The challenge of a brackish water basin
What is a brackish water pool?
A brackish water tank consists of a mixture of fresh and salt water. This occurs naturally in river estuaries. In a brackish water aquarium it is not absolutely necessary to keep the amount of salt water constant at the same amount. Fluctuations also occur in nature due to currents and rainfall. The residents don’t care.
How do you set up a brackish water aquarium?
A brackish water aquarium does not place any special demands on the tank. But to the water. The tap water must be mixed with salt. Depending on the type of fish in the tank, the salt content varies between 0.1 and 3%. That makes 10 to 300 g of salt to 10 liters of water. Whether the salt is mixed with osmosis water, distilled water or soft tap water is irrelevant and a matter of taste.
A hydrometer can help measure the salinity in the pool. If you set up a brackish water aquarium for the first time, you have to decide on a substrate. Almost every common one can also be used for this.
Sand, fine gravel or broken coral stones are best suited. It is important not to use the popular soil substrate. Soil does not tolerate salt water and quickly begins to rot. In the brackish water aquarium, the same behavior applies when it is brought in as in other aquariums. With a few snails, the pool retracts better. They loosen the soil and keep it clean.
How do you plant a brackish water aquarium?
For many plants, growing in a brackish water aquarium is difficult if not impossible. However, that depends entirely on the salt content of the water. If you only have a low salinity, most commercially available freshwater plants can survive and grow in the tank. If you have a very high salt content, you can switch to seawater plants. However, these are difficult to maintain.
Plants such as wire algae, red algae or sea lettuce are the easiest to keep. These cope well with the fluctuating salt content. Stones such as lava are recommended as decoration for the brackish water basin.
Which animals feel comfortable in brackish water?
Many species of fish can be kept in a brackish water tank. Invertebrates in particular feel comfortable in brackish water. Many crabs, shrimps and snails enjoy the salted water. But fish species such as puffer fish, cross catfish, mudskippers and many more can also be kept in the brackish water aquarium without any problems.
You should find out in advance how much salt the respective animal species needs in the water. In this way, the living space can be perfectly adapted for the new residents.