brackish tank question

[fishlady]

since we really don't have an area for this topic i thought i would place it here...
here's what i want to ask....
if your slowing converting/acclimating a FW tank to a brackish tank how much of a water change should you do and how much marine salt should be added to slowing do this for a fishie that's in there now that needs to be acclimated to a brackish environment?

it's a 20 long tank.....

[eklikewhoa]

Re: brackish tank question

Don't know what the others do but here's how I have done it in the past....

Mix 5g jug of saltwater accordingly to get 10-15ppt salinity and use that to do 10% water changes on the tank weekly. This should slowly bring the salinity up and throughout the week evaporation will also help since only water evaporates and not salt.

Continue to do this till your tank water is measured the same as your newly made water and then you can increase the amount.

[eklikewhoa]

Re: brackish tank question

You know I think we should ask to have a Brackish/Salt section added to the forum.

[fishlady]

Re: brackish tank question

thanks for the information EK.....
i have a puffer that i'm going to have to do this for and i'm scared silly....i don't want to hurt it....and i just didn't know how to begin to get this started.....

thanks again.....

[PhishPhreek]

Re: brackish tank question

Just add 1 tablespoon of sea salt daily until you get where you want to be.

Going from Brackish to fresh is a little harder.   Take one or two cups of water out every day and add R/O water.  

[mrairportjunke]

Re: brackish tank question

Ek idea is good. I have done similar.  But think about this a true brackfish is very tuff. They in the wild can go from full salt to full fresh and back in matter of a few hours or minutes from tides and floods

[fishboyt]

Re: brackish tank question

How much salt should he have in his water?

[fishlady]

Re: brackish tank question

i was told that the red line puffers like a high brackish..which indicates to me that it's just under a full marine tank???...
so airport are you saying it's okay to go with a teaspoon a day in the water????

[eklikewhoa]

Re: brackish tank question

The problem with adding the salt straight to the tank is the instability.

[mrairportjunke]

Re: brackish tank question

id go more than that. figure out how to raise the salinity by .002 every week till your at about 1.018 or 1.020.  brackfish are tough.  read about true brack conditions in the wild.  there can be extreme fluxuations in salinity.  ask nickentx he pours in salt with the water hose in his tank when he does a water change.  i cut the full salt mixture in half.  i personally mixed it in a bucket and poured it in.  i agree on the unstable mix when adding straight to the tank but nick doesit.  i never had the nerve to do that.  but i mixed mine in a bucket and poured it in and if the mix in the tank with the old water was a little off. id scoop a 2qts out. add salt, mix and pour it back in .  till it was aout 1.018 or so.  give or take doesnt matter.

[fishlady]

Re: brackish tank question

8O ...........Nick he's such a rebel.....
okay...so i'm going to mix it outside the tank first and do the water changes as suggested then.....i don't want to hurt my new little kid...he's so cute.....
i'll post a pic tonight when i get off work......

thanks for all the advice too....very very much.....