The habitat is silty mud substrate of a pale grey colour with Mangrove
pneumatophores and trunks as the main decoration - occasional broken off
bits of Halomeda float around. The suggestion of a marine set-up with a
collection of Caleurpas sounds good to me if you want to make them look
"pretty" but are not trying to produce a realistic "biotope"
I am quite sure the fish will be happy in full marine water. As far as more
dilute set-ups long-term goes I always varied the salinities because i used
alternate FW or SW to replace syphonings and so the salinity varied from
about 3/4 marine to 1/10. After a while my "mangrove roots" became covered
in algae and appeared attractive at least to me.
Both adults and fry tend to utilise the top 1 - 2 inches of the water
column and in the wild there often is a shallow layer of "lighter"
freshwater floating on the surface of the "heavier" SW which is mixed by
wave and tidal action. In the wet season the heavy rainfall and consequent
run-off often ensures that local salinities are as low as 1/4 marine or
thereabouts according to my man in Darwin - Dave Wilson.
Regards,
Bruce.
Bruce Hansen, ANGFA, caring for our aquatic ecosystems.
Please visit us at http://www.ozemail.com.au/~fisher/angfa.htm
----------
> From: Segeberger <klaus.schoening at jungle.org>
> To: rainbowfish at pcug.org.au
> Subject: [RML] Decorating those ack brackishwater tanks
> Date: Friday, 8 May 1998 21:29
>
> Although I love my Pseudomugils cyanodorsalis I am dissatisfied
> with the way I have the aquarium decorated. I keep them at s.g. of
> 1.017 and I would like to know if there are any plants and scavengers
> that would survive and thrive in that environment. Artemia make great
> snacking companions but I wonder if there are any snails that would do
> well and scavenge in that environment and not be eaten by the fish or
> vice versa.
>
>
> Mach, are there any Hawaiian critters you have tried or any brackish
> plants that work in this situation?
>
> I want to continue keeping them at that level of salt water. My
> question is: those of you who keep this fish, how have you decorated the
> aquarium? I bet there is someone out there with some novel ideas or
> solutions to this dilemma. This is too regal a fish to live in the
> austere surroundings I have given it.
>
>
>