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Marine Fish in the Brackish Water Aquarium
A number of commonly traded marine species are actually found in brackish water in the wild. As such, they can make interesting temporary or even permanent additions to the brackish water aquarium depending on the species.
Before adding marine species to your brackish water aquarium, make sure that the water is well oxygenated and properly filtered, with no ammonia or nitrite and only low levels of nitrates (20 mg/l or less). The biological filter must be fully matured. Use a protein skimmer if possible (these work increasingly well in brackish water once the specific gravity reaches 1.010 or more) to minimise the amount of organic matter in the water. Water chemistry is important too, so ensure that the water is hard, alkaline, and effectively buffered against pH drops.
The best way to introduce brackish-tolerant marine fish to the brackish water aquarium is by using some sort of ‘drip method’ to gentle acclimate the fish to the ambient water conditions. Put the marine fish in a bucket along with the water it shipped in. Over the next 30-60 minutes add small quantities of water from the brackish water tank. Once the specific gravity of the water in the bucket approaches that of the aquarium, carfully remove the fish using anet and gently place it in its new home.
It is important to ensure the fish is feeding and well settled. In some cases, these fish are brackish water denizens only when young, and once they mature will need to be transferred to a normal marine aquarium.