# Brackish Riparium.



## Swan900 (Apr 27, 2010)

Nice idea for a brackish riparium. What plants do you have in mind? Becuase alot of flora in which can be used in brackish setups (more hard, alkaline resistant plants) are really hard to emerse, such as Vallisneria _sp._ Echinodorus _bleheri_ and Crypts. But of these requirements Indian and Java fern may be fine imerged. Are you going to use a humidifier in your setup, if so this problem would be more overcomeable.

Then again this depends on where you live as you may have an estuary or brackish environment near you where you can pluck wild plants for your rip. But I am interested in this one, good luck friend .

Swan


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## OverStocked (May 26, 2007)

If kept humid most crypts are not particularly difficult to grow emersed.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

I thought in the wild most crypts grow emersed in the dry season. 


Bound to be a cool tank!


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Yeah neat idea!

I'm also curious about your plant choices, plus what livestock you're planning?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Several of the same plants that I have going right now in my 50 would be perfect choices for this setup.










The brackish-adaptable ones are the following:


_Acrostichum danaeifolium_, leather fern
_Avicennia germinans_, black mangrove
_Laguncularia racemosa_, white mangrove

However, these plants need some vertical space to grow up. Do you have any way of hanging up a light fixture?

Red mangrove (_Rhizophora mangle_) and _Cryptoocoryne ciliata_ would be other good choices.


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

Ooooo.... Looks interesting! I will be following along, I need ideas for my 2.5g.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

Swan900 said:


> Nice idea for a brackish riparium. What plants do you have in mind? ... Are you going to use a humidifier in your setup, if so this problem would be more overcomeable.
> 
> Then again this depends on where you live as you may have an estuary or brackish environment near you where you can pluck wild plants for your rip. But I am interested in this one, good luck friend .
> 
> Swan


Thank you, the plants I have in mind are:
leather fern ,black mangrove, white mangrove, red mangrove, _Cryptoocoryne ciliata, java fern, anubias. I'll add list of plants to the first post when the planting is done._
_I am not going to use a humidifier, I am thinking to partialy cover the top with acrylic sheet._


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

lauraleellbp said:


> Yeah neat idea!
> 
> I'm also curious about your plant choices, plus what livestock you're planning?


I m thinking, bumblebee gobies, nerite snails, amano shrimp, ghost shrimp and perhaps opae ula shrimp, the only problem with the last is they are so small that the fish will finish them up quickly.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

hydrophyte said:


> Do you have any way of hanging up a light fixture?


No I don't, but the tank is about 21'' high.
Do you think red mangrove can be planted in hanging planter?


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I haven't tried it, but I imagine that red mangrove would work well in those large riparium planters. 

Only some killifish species occur in brackish water. With a quick search I found that the Florida flagfish occasionally uses brackish habitats....

*Google: Jordanella floridae*


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

hydrophyte said:


> Only some killifish species occur in brackish water. With a quick search I found that the Florida flagfish occasionally uses brackish habitats....
> 
> *Google: Jordanella floridae*


Thanks for that link, I'll see what I can find at the LFS.
I drained all the salt water, then I filled the tank with freshwater, I 'll increase the salinity slowly after introducing the plants.
Here is where the tank at now:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That's looking great Abdelkrim.

I searched around a bit more and found that there are several native US killies in genus _Fundulus_ that live in brackish water. They all grow pretty big for killies, but you could probably keep one or two for in a time in that tank. They look like pretty cool fish. Here is one vendor who offers a couple of them...

http://jonahsaquarium.com/JonahSite/fishlist.htm


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## !shadow! (Jan 25, 2010)

nice hardscape, can't wait to see plants in.


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## Senior Shrimpo (Dec 4, 2010)

Hey wait... there's a shrimpo? I feel bad now, you came here before me... any way I could change my name? 

I love brackish water, it's a combination of the interesting fish of saltwater and it's a lot easier than saltwater. 

Try Opae Ula! They're pretty and they breed like crazy. Or you could try mudskippers, or archerfish, or anableps, or fiddlers, or scats, or monos! Or any combo of them!

I personally love silver scats, archer fish, anableps and mudskippers in a semi-planted tank. If you raise the water level a little you could definitely keep them all in there. Monos are great but they turn saltwater when they grow up, they're rebellious


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

hydrophyte said:


> That's looking great Abdelkrim.
> 
> I searched around a bit more and found that there are several native US killies in genus _Fundulus_ that live in brackish water.


That is good to know, from that list I would like to get Fundulus chrysotus, I hope to find them locally.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

Senior Shrimpo said:


> Hey wait... there's a shrimpo? I feel bad now, you came here before me... any way I could change my name?
> 
> I love brackish water, it's a combination of the interesting fish of saltwater and it's a lot easier than saltwater.
> 
> ...


Where have you been Senior Shrimpo?:icon_smil
I tried Opae Ula in previous tank, and got eaten by the fish. I hope to find a combination of small brackish fish and invertebrates that are compatible. I like Fiddler crab, I may get couple of them.


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Etroplus maculatus seems like it would be a cool fish to have. It is a brackish cichlid, you couldn't keep Opae Ula, thats for sure. The fish is carnivorous so keeping small crustacean's. Telmatherina ladigesi looks like another cool one and possibly better suiting for your needs if you want crabs.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

Thank you all for the fish suggestions, the only small brackish fish I saw at the LFS is bumblebee goby and glass fish, so far I have couple nerite snails and couple red claw crabs in the tank. I am going to wait and see if I can find other brackish fish around, otherwise I am going to add possibly 4 gobies and 3 glass fish.
one problem I have with red claw crabs is eating the vall plant I introduced recently, they didn't bother the java fern and anubias, I was hoping to use vall plant as background to cover the hanging planters once they arrive.
I'll post more pictures after receiving more plants.


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## Senior Shrimpo (Dec 4, 2010)

If you raise the water level you can keep archers, they're so cool! Especially if you put mangroves in. But if you put more than one in there they'd fight.

Mudskippers would fit in there. Maybe just put one in though- if not, you need a lot of them so they don't kill the weakest one. 

I recommend: an archer, a mudskipper, and maybe a school of celebes rainbows or glass catfish. It'll be your favorite tank. Put mangroves in with some crickets, and the archerfish will shoot them down from the mangroves.

It's really cool.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

Senior Shrimpo said:


> If you raise the water level you can keep archers, they're so cool! Especially if you put mangroves in. But if you put more than one in there they'd fight.
> I recommend: an archer, a mudskipper, and maybe a school of celebes rainbows or glass catfish. It'll be your favorite tank. Put mangroves in with some crickets, and the archerfish will shoot them down from the mangroves.
> 
> It's really cool.


I will put mangroves in there but I am not going to raise the water level, that is why my only choice of brackish fish is around 3" size.
How large does glass catfish grow? are they really brackish fish? I saw them the other day at the LFS.
school of celebes rainbows sounds good, I hope to find them soon.


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## trackhazard (Aug 24, 2006)

I always thought knight gobies and bumblebee gobies would be good for a brackish setup.

http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/content.php?sid=3087

-Charlie


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

Update:
Added narow leaf java fern as background to cover the planters, hope the red claw crabs leave them alone. also I got my first box of Riparium supplies, Thanks to Devin.


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## lauraleellbp (Feb 3, 2008)

Looking nice!


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

That looks fantastic! Are those plants white and black mangroves, and a leather leaf fern? They look good.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

RipariumGuy said:


> That looks fantastic! Are those plants white and black mangroves, and a leather leaf fern? They look good.


Yes they are, and also there is red mangrove plantlets on the right side of the tank. the problem I am facing now is the limited space, I may end up hanging the light, or making bonsai mangrove trees if that is even possible


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## Da Plant Man (Apr 7, 2010)

Very cool! I might have to make one of my 20g's a riparium, heck maybe even brackish so I can keep crabs like you!


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

shrimpo said:


> Yes they are, and also there is red mangrove plantlets on the right side of the tank. the problem I am facing now is the limited space, I may end up hanging the light, or making bonsai mangrove trees if that is even possible


 
It is possible, or atleast so says what I have read over the interwebz. The key I think is to snip off a little bit at a time over a long period of time. If you do go "Bonsai", please share you results so that I'll know what to do with mine! :biggrin:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey I'm glad to see that those plants arrived OK. The setup is looking great.

If you trim those mangrove trees you have to be careful to not cut off very much. They do not like to be pruned. I already trimmed the tips of those, so you should see them start to back bud further down their stems. 

That moss that is packed around the bases of the plants is just there for shipping and you can remove it now.


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## boringname (Nov 11, 2010)

Until I came to this website I had no idea you could grow mangroves in an aquarium or even indoors. It seems like such a cool idea.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Mangrove trees are pretty easy to grow in riparium culture. All they need is moderate-bright light and good root fertilization. They grow slow and steady.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

I searched different websites about red platy fish, and some claim they are brackish fish and other said they are not, anyone kept them in brackish water? are they really brackish fish?


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

Update:
The Bacopa plant didn't make it, everything else is fine. added molly and red platy fish, they are doing great and breeding.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

And the FTS:


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## AoxomoxoA (Apr 22, 2010)

Very nice change. I'll bet you're way more pleased with it now than before. I felt liberated when I finally offed my last bit of liverock & put the salt in storage.

Great job:thumbsup:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey nice going! So you have added the salt already?

I suppose that doesn't surprise me that the B. monnieri didn't make it so well. It looks like now you have the leather fern, black mangrove and red mangrove in there. Are there any other species?


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

dirtyhermit said:


> Very nice change. I'll bet you're way more pleased with it now than before. I felt liberated when I finally offed my last bit of liverock & put the salt in storage.
> 
> Great job:thumbsup:


 Thanks.
You are right although I just started a nano reef. you may want to get that salt out of storage and make one like this:


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

hydrophyte said:


> Hey nice going! So you have added the salt already?
> 
> I suppose that doesn't surprise me that the B. monnieri didn't make it so well. It looks like now you have the leather fern, black mangrove and red mangrove in there. Are there any other species?


hey Devin, yes I used reef salt mix, and beside the above plants there is also white mangrove but it is slowly growing compared to red and black mangrove.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

I am glad to see the leather fern growing well in the brackish water. While looking on the internets I ran into conflicting evidence on whether or not they really grow in brackish conditions.

I was working on my mangrove setup just liast night. I hope to post pictures soon.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

hydrophyte said:


> I am glad to see the leather fern growing well in the brackish water. While looking on the internets I ran into conflicting evidence on whether or not they really grow in brackish conditions.
> 
> I was working on my mangrove setup just liast night. I hope to post pictures soon.


In my case the new leaves of that plant are much larger than the old one when i first had it. and it is growing fast, could be the brackish condition or lighting.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

Quick update:
my wife almost stepped on one of the redleg crabs, somehow the crab managed to get out of the tank and keeps walking in the living room, I covered the top with clear sheet and humidity went up, since then the mangroves took off in full speed, and the red mangrove roots started to get larger and heading toward the water.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

That's very interesting your leather fern is still growing happy in the brackish water. What is the salinity now? It looks like your Java moss is doing well too.

It looks like those black mangroves grew a lot too.

I really want to do a brackish setup all-enclosed like yours so that I can include mudskippers and/or archers. It would be cool to include a misting system too for automatic rinsing of salt from the leaves. I think that a 110 tall would be a good shape for that.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

hydrophyte said:


> That's very interesting your leather fern is still growing happy in the brackish water. What is the salinity now? It looks like your Java moss is doing well too.
> 
> It looks like those black mangroves grew a lot too.
> 
> I really want to do a brackish setup all-enclosed like yours so that I can include mudskippers and/or archers. It would be cool to include a misting system too for automatic rinsing of salt from the leaves. I think that a 110 tall would be a good shape for that.


 the salinity is about 1.006 right now but I try not to keep it stable.
after puting the cover on the tank I don't have any more issues with salt on the leaves, the condensation took care of that.
I think the taller the tank the better for mangroves and archer fish, hope to see your set up soon.


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## RipariumGuy (Aug 6, 2009)

Man did that grow in! Nice job!

I've had the same thing happen with a hermit crab of mine: Only when it escaped, I lost it for about a week. It was still alive and happy when I found it. Amazingly.


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Are these plants still growing? Do you have any new updates?


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

hydrophyte said:


> Are these plants still growing? Do you have any new updates?


 Yes they are pushing the clear cover on top of the tank and hitting the light fixture, I am no longer doing water changes now just feeding and top off once in a while, I want to see how long will last.
all the fish and inverts are healthy, and water parameters are fine.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

Plants still doing fine, the same with fish:


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Hey I hadn't seen this last update. Those plants really grew for you. If you can ever make the space you could give them a lot more room by setting them up in a breeder tank with an open top. 

Nice fish too! I love sailfins.


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## crazydaz (Mar 18, 2007)

What a cool set up!! Any more updates on this system, Shrimpo?? Those mangroves are awesome!


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## hydrophyte (Mar 1, 2009)

Yeah is this tank still going?

I have a half-dozen wild sailfins in my riparium mangrove setup and I like them a lot. They eat like pigs.


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## shrimpo (Aug 2, 2009)

I took this tank down few months ago, the Mangrove tree kept growing few inches out of the tank, the leather fern did very well, the roots went through the planter all over the substrate and reached the front of the Riparium.


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