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I was wondering what would be a good stock for a 30 gallon brackish water setup? I want a good few live plants if possible. Also I was hoping to keep 2 figure eight puffers and some bumble bee gobies. Can anything else fit in? Also can the pest snail survive in brackish water?

No?

I'm not too knowledgeable about the puffers, but my guess would be that it should work out, as 30 gallons is a good amount of room to play with. However, I would not recommend more than puffers and gobies as puffers are generally not the friendliest of fish.

Snails and other invertebrates are generally not very tolerant of osmotic changes (salt). I doubt it would do very well. Also, puffers consider snails fresh meat, their strong beak-like teeth fit specifically for crushing shells.

In considering plant species, try to go for hardier species. Salt is not exactly friendly to most freshwater plants either as they generally don't have to guard against osmotic changes. If you can get your hands on mangrove they'd be quite appropriate for a brackish set-up as they are from such waters, but I've heard Java Moss or Java Fern also are able to tolerate salt.

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The aquarist is one who must learn the ways of the biologist, the chemist, and the veterinarian.

I have the same size tank. In mine I have one figure eight puffer, six bumble bee gobies, eight platies, and a couple of ghost shrimp that are good hiders. I added the platies because their fry make good treats for the bb gobies.

You could go with two puffers and the gobies. That would bee fine.

As for the snails, if you keep them with the puffer they will not survive. They will be eaten before the salt would kill them. For this reason I got a little one gal. tank just to breed them in.

The only plants that have done well for me is java moss and java fern. The higher salt levels tend to kill freshwater plants quite quickly.

Hope this helps.

Well the reason i wanted the snails in there is for the puffers to eat and help keep their beaks low. So hows does
2 figure eights
6 bb gobies
3 mollies

I'd be worried about the puffers nipping the mollies.

The puffers do need the snails, but the puffers would eat them very fast. That's why I got a small tank to breed them in so I don't have to keep buying them.

I wouldn't worry too much about the mollies. I've only had one platy attacked and that was when it tried to mate with my puffer

i would go with a Fan Dance Goby (Stigmatogobius sadanundio) There a cool little fish. Very peacful. but i dont know if i would put them in with the puffers.

www.responsiblethrashers.com

Regarding the plants, I've gotten some marine macro algaes to survive in a specific gravity of 1.010. So far I have no been able to adapt freshwater plants to water with any measureable amount of salt in it.

You might ask your LFS for a small piece of some very hardy algae and slowly adapt it to your tank slowly, and see how it does.

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I'm not your neighbor, you Bakersfield trash.

'I've only had one platy attacked and that was when it tried to mate with my puffer'
LMAO!!