setting up a 20 gallon brackish water tank?

Question

Ok so i have everything i need for a brackish waster setup salt and all i ahve put my gravel in and they gave me this florida crushed coral to put in my tank as well. I have a 20 gallon tank and they gave me a 0 pound bag of crushed coral. Do i use the whole thing of coral with all the gravel or am i supposed to use a certain amount per gallons of water?

so i should take out the gravel that is in the tank? and should i just put all the crushed coral in it (10 pounds) or shuold i put a different amount in?

it is mainly for puffers since they can be so much fun. I just could not find anywhere how much of the crushed coral i should use with my gravel

Answer 1

First off, what type of fish are you planning to put into the tank? You should research what the fish's needs are prior to just buying gravel/dolomite or sand and dumping it in the tank. Or taking for granted the pet store is just selling you a product because it is designed for brackish water.

There is no such thing as a POUNDAGE requirement. This is for fish store idiots to tell you in GENERAL. Kind of like the 1"=1gallon rule. Different gravels weigh different amounts.

No matter what you use, your gravel should be 1" in the front of the tank up to 2" at the rear. Hard to say how much since there are a variety of 20 gallon tanks. It never goes by weight (only for standard tanks) tall tanks require less gravel, long tanks require more.

1"-2" that is the max. If you are changing to sand, same principal. Sand is tricky since you DO NOT want air pockets.

Be sure to WASH your crushed coral well. Put it in a bucket swish it around dump the cloudy water and repeat. you will never get all the milky water out but pretty darn close. You can manipulate the gravel once it is in the tank.

Also remember it will displace a lot of water. Make sure your water level is 3" -4" below the top prior to putting the gravel in.

If you are running an undergravel filter, same principal, 1"-2" over the filter.

Answer 2

Brackish water areas always are covered in a sandy, silty, or muddy material and I feel that sand is the best option for a brackish water aquarium. Crushed Coral is basically a less crushed version of it,so youre fine!You could use marine aragonite, "Minerial Mud", or play sand too,believe it or not! If you plan on keeping live rooted plants, you will need about a 1" layer of substrate (avoid larger layers as they can build up anaerobic spots) and for a fish only tank, a very thin layer is best.!

I can give u some more advice on brackish water tanks:
1.AVOID Freshwater Aquarium Salt as this is not the proper salt to use in brackish or marine tanks (although it is fine in full freshwater tanks to fight off parasites).
2. As with all aquariums, you will need a product to remove chlorine and chloramine from your tap water before placing it in the tank[usually called 'water conditioners]. Make sure the product is listed for both fresh and saltwater use.
3.No matter what type of fish is in your brackish water tank,dont let it be colder than 80 degrees!
4.Clean 15% of your water once a week. When adding the replacement water, make sure you add about the same dosage of salt as before.
5.One to two times a week, you should stir up the sand with the back end of a fish net. After stirring, turn the fish net to scoop the debris you have stirred up into the net. If you are using 1" of sand or more, this stirring also helps prevent anaerobic spots from forming (these spots can release deadly gases into your tank).

Answer 3

Your puffers are young at three years old, they live to be 15 or more years. When they become more mature, they will need brackish water. When they are full grown, they WILL need marine conditions, or they will die early. So Betta Fish is correct. You asked a question on the internet, so you'd better prepare for any manner of answers... And you're overstocked. I suggest you set up your ten gallon tank.