How to turn my fresh into brackish...confused

[JaredCBell]

Ok so I read to start out weening my puffer (GSP only) I should be adding 2 table spoons of instant ocean (or whatever brand) sea salt for every gallon of water. Im confused of a couple things. I got my hydrometer (no not doing a refractometer right now) and my bag of Instant Ocean mix thats good for 50 gallons (I have 29 gallons). And, correct me if im wrong, but I need to mix the salt in a separate container? I cant add table spoons to the aquarium directly? Or can you? So how much would I add to a separate container and at what gravity?

Im so confused and im not sure why!

[bushwhacker]

does he need to be in brackish water? what was he born in ? wild caught or captive bred... either way you would add the amount of salt to do the full tank to a small amount of water and dissolve that and add it to the tank

[JaredCBell]

does he need to be in brackish water? what was he born in ? wild caught or captive bred... either way you would add the amount of salt to do the full tank to a small amount of water and dissolve that and add it to the tank

im going to have to claim stupidity here and say....What?

Now im more confused!

He was born in freshwater (what he is in now). not sure if wild or captive but i know captive breeding is like near impossible so im guessing wild maybe? i dont know.

i just need to know how much salt to add, and how often to add it to SLOWLY bring this to a brackish tank. Also, I need to know if i can add it directly to the tank, or if I should mix it in a separate container, then add the dissolved salt water to the tank.

i keep trying to research it online and most things are for setting up a brackish tank. Im trying to find out how to transition it from fresh to low brack to mid brack to full brack...years from now ill go full marine.

[Mvjnz]

Also, I need to know if i can add it directly to the tank, or if I should mix it in a separate container, then add the dissolved salt water to the tank.

Yes, mix in a seperate container.

If I'm not mistaking this with another species, then they are born in freshwater, but as they grow older they migrate to brackish waters, and then to saltwater, which is why you need to make your tank brackish - slowly. Right?

[JaredCBell]

Yes, mix in a seperate container.

If I'm not mistaking this with another species, then they are born in freshwater, but as they grow older they migrate to brackish waters, and then to saltwater, which is why you need to make your tank brackish - slowly. Right?

exactly. My figure 8 puffers stay in freshwater and some have been known to go into REALLY low brackwish water. but they can be fine in fresh for life. But ya, the GSP goes full marine years later in its life.

And how do I know how much to mix in a separate container if im only trying to raise my tank about .002 every week/month (dont know which ammount of time either)

[dancethenparty]

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[JaredCBell]

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ok, so that answered my other question. thanks! But...how do I know how much to put in the other container to raise my tank by .002? Like....do I do a 25% water change, then the 25% I put back in have it be a certain salinity? How much? I SUCK at math! (I cut meat for a living!)

[dancethenparty]

ok, so that answered my other question. thanks! But...how do I know how much to put in the other container to raise my tank by .002? Like....do I do a 25% water change, then the 25% I put back in have it be a certain salinity? How much? I SUCK at math! (I cut meat for a living!)
i have no idea. i'm sorry. but i think your on the right track, i would just add some salt, mix it and then have your hydrometer read it, then you don't have the right salinty then do a water change like you said. and then read again and then start the process over again. OR you could go to the saltwater forum and see if someone started a thread that might aid you. or:[Only Registered Users Can See Links.]. OR you can ask at allexperts.com, just go to the site, look up saltwater aquariums and then ask somebody. (i don't feel like i'm betraying this site by telling someone to go to that site as i was told to go to this site by a person at that site.)

[kaybee]

I'll chime in since I've actually done this before.

Firstly, I highly suggest obtaining a refractometer, they're typically more accurate than hydrometers, as refractometers measure down to 1.000 specific gravity, and, in my opinion, are easier to use. Hydrometer readings can be way off. A hydrometer that measure's down to 1.000 SG is preferred over one that measures no lower than 1.010 SG.

For a 29gal tank, add approximately 2 tablespoons of marine salt daily (always dissolved completely prior to adding it to your tank). [Not 2 tablespoons per gallon as inquired in post #1 of this thread]. This will incrementally increase salinity by about +.002 SG per week (use refractometer/hydrometer to fine-tune the actual amount of salt required as substrate and decorations displace water volume). Alternatively, you could add about 1 cup of salt weekly. (again thoroughly dissolved; I recommend the two tablespoons daily mixed in a gallon of tank water in a separate container then added back to the tank).

You'll want to increase salinity gradually over a period of a 2-4 months (for a 2-inch GSP, the target specific gravity should be about 1.010-1.015 and eventually full marine, 1.020-1.025, by or prior to full maturity). The gradual change from freshwater to brackish (and perhaps to full marine) is to allow the beneficial bacteria colony to transition (as salinity increases, fresh water bacteria will slowly die-off and be replaced by saltwater bacteria). If you converted quicker, the FW bacteria would die off and there wouldn't be any SW bacteria fulfilling biological filtration.

Also remember that water changes remove salt, so replacement water will have to be equal to or 0.002 SG greater than the tank water.

[JaredCBell]

I'll chime in since I've actually done this before.

Firstly, I highly suggest obtaining a refractometer, they're typically more accurate than hydrometers, as refractometers measure down to 1.000 specific gravity, and, in my opinion, are easier to use. Hydrometer readings can be way off. A hydrometer that measure's down to 1.000 SG is preferred over one that measures no lower than 1.010 SG.

For a 29gal tank, add approximately 2 tablespoons of marine salt daily (always dissolved completely prior to adding it to your tank). [Not 2 tablespoons per gallon as inquired in post #1 of this thread]. This will incrementally increase salinity by about +.002 SG per week (use refractometer/hydrometer to fine-tune the actual amount of salt required as substrate and decorations displace water volume). Alternatively, you could add about 1 cup of salt weekly. (again thoroughly dissolved; I recommend the two tablespoons daily mixed in a gallon of tank water in a separate container then added back to the tank).

You'll want to increase salinity gradually over a period of a 2-4 months (for a 2-inch GSP, the target specific gravity should be about 1.010-1.015 and eventually full marine, 1.020-1.025, by or prior to full maturity). The gradual change from freshwater to brackish (and perhaps to full marine) is to allow the beneficial bacteria colony to transition (as salinity increases, fresh water bacteria will slowly die-off and be replaced by saltwater bacteria). If you converted quicker, the FW bacteria would die off and there wouldn't be any SW bacteria fulfilling biological filtration.

Also remember that water changes remove salt, so replacement water will have to be equal to or 0.002 SG greater than the tank water.


thats exactly what i needed, thanks. Also, how long you think a GSP is fine in fresh? I have the two figure 8's that i am going to be putting into another tank but I need to set up that tank first and I dont want to start turning this tank to brackish with them in there and then put them into a pure freshwater tank again. So im hoping a few weeks, the GSP will be fine in fresh? SHould I be ok? Ide think so....

[kaybee]

How large is the GSP? If it's 2" or more, the conversion to BW (brackish water) is recommended. If it's smaller it can remain in FW. In any event, increase salinity if any adverse health issues arise with the GSP (they're more suseptible to ailments when kept in FW).

In the wild many brackish puffers routinely enter waters of varying salinities. Converting the tank to brackish and then returning the figure 8's shouldn't be a problem. You could probably drip acclimate them back to FW (though they're low-end brackish puffers). The gradual increase in salinity is more for the beneficial bacteria than the puffers.

[JaredCBell]

he is about 2 inches. Ok so lets say im about to do a 25% water change. I want to fill that tank back up with water that has salt already mixed in it right? How much should I mix in that 25% of water to add back into the tank? The calculations are what are throwing me off and im not getting. Im not sure how much salt to disolve in the water that Im going to be putting back in the tank. And I will be doing this weekly, so how much weekly?

[kaybee]

Add 25% of the salt already added with the replacement water to replace the salt removed via water changes. Keep track of how much has been added to the system because the quantity of compensating salt, while remaining 25%, will increase weekly. Use refractometer/hydrometer to ensure levels aren't under or overshot.

[JaredCBell]

Add 25% of the salt already added with the replacement water to replace the salt removed via water changes. Keep track of how much has been added to the system because the quantity of compensating salt, while remaining 25%, will increase weekly. Use refractometer/hydrometer to ensure levels aren't under or overshot.


ok got that part, that makes sense to me now. But as for starting out. Since it is completely freshwater right now, how much should I start adding and how often? They say 2 tablespoons weekly i think, but does it matter to how much water I add that too to put in the main tank? Just as long as I dont add the salt directly to the main tank right?

[kaybee]

As previously mentioned, for a 29gal, 2 tablespoons of marine salt added DAILY, not weekly to attain a +0.002 SG increase per week.

EXAMPLE:
Week 1
7 days of adding 2 tablespoons daily=14 tablespoons.
Then you do a 25% water change on day 7 (after having already added the salt).
Dissolve 3.5 tablespoons of salt in the 25% of replacement water to maintain current salinity.
SG should be 1.002

Week 2.
7 days of adding 2 tablespoons daily=14 tablespoons. (28 tablespoons total from start)
Then you do a 25% water change on day 14 (after having already added the salt).
Dissolve 7 tablespoons of salt in the 25% of replacement water to maintain current salinity.
SG should be 1.004.

Week 3
7 days of adding 2 tablespoons daily=14 tablespoons. (42 tablespoons total from start).

Then you do a 25% water change on day 21 (after having already added the salt).
Dissolve 10.5 tablespoons of salt in the 25% of replacement water to maintain current salinity.
SG should be 1.006.

Repeat process until target salinity is attained.
When it is reached, replacement water should equal salinity of the tank water.

[JaredCBell]

As previously mentioned, for a 29gal, 2 tablespoons of marine salt added DAILY, not weekly to attain a +0.002 SG increase per week.

EXAMPLE:
Week 1
7 days of adding 2 tablespoons daily=14 tablespoons.
Then you do a 25% water change on day 7 (after having already added the salt).
Dissolve 3.5 tablespoons of salt in the 25% of replacement water to maintain current salinity.
SG should be 1.002

Week 2.
7 days of adding 2 tablespoons daily=14 tablespoons. (28 tablespoons total from start)
Then you do a 25% water change on day 14 (after having already added the salt).
Dissolve 7 tablespoons of salt in the 25% of replacement water to maintain current salinity.
SG should be 1.004.

Week 3
7 days of adding 2 tablespoons daily=14 tablespoons. (42 tablespoons total from start).

Then you do a 25% water change on day 21 (after having already added the salt).
Dissolve 10.5 tablespoons of salt in the 25% of replacement water to maintain current salinity.
SG should be 1.006.

Repeat process until target salinity is attained.
When it is reached, replacement water should equal salinity of the tank water.


awesome, thank you. Sorry you had to spell it out for me