Freshwater

In This Chapter
Chapter 23
For the Advanced
Aquarium Hobbyist
Discovering the joys of progressive fishkeeping
Understanding a brackish and marine system
Comparing systems
Once you become successful at keeping freshwater fish, you may begin to
wonder what else is out there. Not all water is equal, as you learned in a
previous chapter, and some aquatic bodies are brackish (slightly salty) or
fully saltwater. Different fish, plants, and invertebrates live in these waters.
Brackish systems are easy to set up. Marine systems are a little more difficult.
Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies, 2nd Edition by Gregory Skomal (Wiley
Publishing, 2006) walks you through the entire marine aquarium process.
Brackish Aquariums
Fish for brackish aquariums are often unavailable from local pet stores and
are usually more expensive than freshwater fish. The water in a brackish
aquarium lies somewhere between fresh and marine in salt content. Popular
species include monos, archers, puffers, and scats. Mollies can also be kept
in a brackish tank. Natural brackish systems fluctuate from season to season
due to rains and evaporation, and brackish fish are well adapted to surviving.
The equipment for a brackish system is similar to that for a freshwater setup,
but only specific plants can tolerate a brackish system. The salt content in
brackish systems can be achieved easily using synthetic marine mix in a ratio
of one gallon of saltwater to every two gallons of freshwater. Your tank will
basically end up being one-third saltwater and two-thirds freshwater.