Brackish Tank Stocking

[LauraFrog]

Everything I have read about the charming kribensis suggests that no matter what water you put it in, if you feed it well and keep it clean it will thrive... I've heard reports of them being found or kept in brackish water with no ill effects, many times. So am I to assume this is okay?

The tank is an 85 litre (2.5 foot) running as freshwater for about 6 months not counting cycle time. It had seven platys, three paleatus corys, a bristlenose, four rainbows (M. splendida ?inornata) and a rosy barb. The platys are still there. I've lent the corys and rosy barb to somebody and gave them the rainbows because my tank is not big enough for them, and the bristlenose has been posted to algae removal duty in my fry tank which is perpetually coated in a foul green slime.

End result: 85 litre tank with seven platys in it. I'm converting it to brackish. Salt is still running pretty low, I'm gradually increasing it so the inhabitants, plants and nitrifyers can adapt. Currently it's at 1.5g/litre. I'd like to get it up to about 4. I added a molly (sailfin male) yesterday. I want to keep breeding livebearers, especially mollies, so I'm planning on adding more platys (maybe) and mollies (defo). I want something for the bottom, and I was thinking bumblebee gobies. I have some in another tank with guppies and they have totally suckered me in with those cute little faces... they have so much personality that I would dearly love to load my big tank with them. Could I keep those with kribs, provided that I introduced the kribs first and allowed them to establish their territory? The tank is very heavily decorated, wood etc lying all over the place.

I've also got four tanks which are going to be soft, acid, freshwater. They are 52L, wet/dry trickle filter 5x hour. Still being set up, not suitable for fish yet. When they are, I'll be taking back all my FW fish that I lent to someone. If I have to, I'll put the kribs in one of those. (LFS owes me two kribs.)

So anybody kept these together before? You think it would be a good idea/disaster?

Thanks...

[zaphod 373]

Hi I have never kept kribs in brackish water although I have also read its possible. I would think you would need to acclimatise them slowly.

As for keeping bubble gobies and kribs together I was under the impression that bubblebees were small and shy or am I thinking of the wrong fish? In general Kribs will kill anything smaller than themselves including each other that live on the bottom particularly if there is a breeding pair.

Active fish like mollys should be ok in groups as all the movement seems to limit their aggression. I think its best to get a group of young ones and let them grow up together but they will still get agro when they breed.

Having said that they are a lot of fun to watch breed when they care for their babies and herd them all round the tank. I have three young albinos at the moment but I have already had to separate the girl who was beating the boys for not being old enough for breeding yet when she is.

Ah just checked google and they are the fish I was thinking of it said they can be fin nippers and territorial but only 3cm in length. Considering they will be competing for the same territory I think they will just make a nice snack for the average sized krib.

Whoops also just checked when this was posted I am sure the kribs have finished their lunch by now if you did try it.