Has anyone had any Brackish water experience with a small tank?

Question

I am looking into acquiring a small (appr.5 gallon) tank for a desktop and would like to stock it with 4-8 bumblebee gobies (Brachygobius doriae). I am thinking of using a sand substrate, numerous pieces of driftwood and numerous empty snail shells as decoration (and hiding spots to distribute any territorial issues). My question is
1. How many would be good for this sort of species tank?
2. How well do smaller brackish tanks work over time? (ie. numerous problems, nitrates spike all the time, ect)
3. What should the salinity be?
4. Anyone with exp. with this species?

Thanks for your time

Answer 1

1. Bumblebee Gobies can be rather territorial with each other, so it would be best if you could create a tank with a lot of rocks, shells, plants (Java Moss and Java Fern do great in brackish water), caves, and other decorations. I would suggest keeping no more than 3 as you will see increased territory disputes with increased numbers.
2. The nitrates will be no different in brackish water than in freshwater: either way, you need to do weekly maintenance. All small tanks are difficult to stabilize, so be sure to cycle the tank well before adding these guys (*info on cycling without fish below).
3. Keep your salinity pretty close to 1.015 (anywhere between 1.012-1.017 should be fine). When you add water back into the tank, have it mixed to the right salinity for a few hours prior to the water change.
4. I have kept a Bumblebee Goby for a while and all I can say is that they are like tiny little Cichlids... They are a bit tricky to feed, and mine still won't eat flakes (not when I'm watching anyways), but gorges on frozen bloodworms and brineshrimp.

Soop Nazi