Acclimating plants to BW tank
- gerbilfat
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2015 10:18 am
- My Puffers: Honeybell, GSP
- Location (country): Florida, USA
Acclimating plants to BW tank
Hello!
I read a bit back and didn't see a topic about this, so sorry if it's a repeat! I have a 30gal BW tank at about 1.014sg that I'd love to plant. The tank originally started many moons ago as a FW tank. Of course all of the original plants couldn't tolerate the salt and slowly had to be removed, except for some java ferns and a marimo (which surprisingly is doing quite well?). The substrate is aragonite sand. I had a single dwarf puffer in the tank when it was freshwater for about 5 years, and when she unfortunately passed on, I got a GSP to go in there, instead. (This tank will be replaced with a larger one soon, looking at 75+ gal replacement )
I've thought about taking a hydrometer/refractometer down to a local bayou or delta along with a bucket and net to collect some native plants. I'm in Florida and there's all sorts of marshy areas around here with plants, but I'm afraid that doing this will introduce disease into my fishtank. None of the fish stores around here sell plants that are already acclimated.
There's a lot of incomplete/conflicting information online about which plants are suitable for BW. The java ferns that were originally in the tank tolerated the change over quite well, but nothing else really did. Are there any plants suitable for the specific gravity of my tank and if so, how would I go about acclimating them? I have a spare 10gal that could be setup with a light and bubbler for some drip acclimation, but there wouldn't be much point if nothing will tolerate the salinity level.
Fake plants are a last resort but that'll have to happen if I can't figure out a solution with real live plants for my puffhaus.
I read a bit back and didn't see a topic about this, so sorry if it's a repeat! I have a 30gal BW tank at about 1.014sg that I'd love to plant. The tank originally started many moons ago as a FW tank. Of course all of the original plants couldn't tolerate the salt and slowly had to be removed, except for some java ferns and a marimo (which surprisingly is doing quite well?). The substrate is aragonite sand. I had a single dwarf puffer in the tank when it was freshwater for about 5 years, and when she unfortunately passed on, I got a GSP to go in there, instead. (This tank will be replaced with a larger one soon, looking at 75+ gal replacement )
I've thought about taking a hydrometer/refractometer down to a local bayou or delta along with a bucket and net to collect some native plants. I'm in Florida and there's all sorts of marshy areas around here with plants, but I'm afraid that doing this will introduce disease into my fishtank. None of the fish stores around here sell plants that are already acclimated.
There's a lot of incomplete/conflicting information online about which plants are suitable for BW. The java ferns that were originally in the tank tolerated the change over quite well, but nothing else really did. Are there any plants suitable for the specific gravity of my tank and if so, how would I go about acclimating them? I have a spare 10gal that could be setup with a light and bubbler for some drip acclimation, but there wouldn't be much point if nothing will tolerate the salinity level.
Fake plants are a last resort but that'll have to happen if I can't figure out a solution with real live plants for my puffhaus.
- Pufferpunk
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Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
You are smart in your concern about introducing pathogens to your fish, by collecting locally. My best suggestion to you is try marine plants. Different colors of macro-algae can look pretty cool! You're only a few points away from SW now, why not go full SW & then you can add live rock & sand & have a VERY interesting tank?
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
- Dwarf Puffer
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Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
You could look into getting mangroves!
-
- Figure 8 Puffer
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Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
Not much help w/ brackish plants... actually, plants period! I just wanted to say, I love your avatar!!! And ur puffer's name! It cracked me up.
Oh, and welcome to TPF!
Oh, and welcome to TPF!
10 gallon: 1 dwarf puffer, 3 Otos, 1 amano shrimp
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
- itlagswrx
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Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
I agree with PP... There's a lot of stuff to choose from with FW and SW.... but not so much in-between. I have one GSP in full marine; they do well in it. I would go that route in all honesty. I stayed backing like... one week lol.
- gerbilfat
- Puffer Fry
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- My Puffers: Honeybell, GSP
- Location (country): Florida, USA
Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
Thank you for all the replies!
I didn't realize how close my tank is to saltwater until Pufferpunk mentioned it... Keeping brackish for the past year has been a big pain in the butt - it's hard to find information online and LFSs don't seem to stock stuff for brackish water. I'd love to have lush, rich jungles in my brackish puffhaus that are the same as what's in my freshwater tanks, but it seems like that might not be possible. Marine almost seems like it would be a lot easier?
I've been afraid to take the leap because I've never kept a marine tank before in 15+ years of fishkeeping. If I mess up, my fish could get sick, or worse... :< But man you guys are right, there's tons of cool stuff available for marine tanks and so many weird shrimps I could get for them!
The full picture from my avatar is here! Honeybell is the fish on the right and it's basically the happiest fish ever, they're the best and do a little food dance every morning. I had dwarf puffs for a while and there's a drawing of those guys, too.
I didn't realize how close my tank is to saltwater until Pufferpunk mentioned it... Keeping brackish for the past year has been a big pain in the butt - it's hard to find information online and LFSs don't seem to stock stuff for brackish water. I'd love to have lush, rich jungles in my brackish puffhaus that are the same as what's in my freshwater tanks, but it seems like that might not be possible. Marine almost seems like it would be a lot easier?
I've been afraid to take the leap because I've never kept a marine tank before in 15+ years of fishkeeping. If I mess up, my fish could get sick, or worse... :< But man you guys are right, there's tons of cool stuff available for marine tanks and so many weird shrimps I could get for them!
The full picture from my avatar is here! Honeybell is the fish on the right and it's basically the happiest fish ever, they're the best and do a little food dance every morning. I had dwarf puffs for a while and there's a drawing of those guys, too.
-
- Figure 8 Puffer
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- Location: CA
Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
*dies*
Haha! That is SO CUTE!
Sorry if I am overstepping boundaries in this topic, Admin, but cld u email me (ecobirdlove [at] yahoo [dot] com) abt the possibility of my purchasing a print of the DP from you?!!
Thanks!
Haha! That is SO CUTE!
Sorry if I am overstepping boundaries in this topic, Admin, but cld u email me (ecobirdlove [at] yahoo [dot] com) abt the possibility of my purchasing a print of the DP from you?!!
Thanks!
10 gallon: 1 dwarf puffer, 3 Otos, 1 amano shrimp
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
- Iliveinazoo
- Fahaka Puffer
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- Location: Southampton
Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
There's a good looking 'planted' marine tank here:gerbilfat wrote:Thank you for all the replies!
I didn't realize how close my tank is to saltwater until Pufferpunk mentioned it... Keeping brackish for the past year has been a big pain in the butt - it's hard to find information online and LFSs don't seem to stock stuff for brackish water. I'd love to have lush, rich jungles in my brackish puffhaus that are the same as what's in my freshwater tanks, but it seems like that might not be possible. Marine almost seems like it would be a lot easier?
I've been afraid to take the leap because I've never kept a marine tank before in 15+ years of fishkeeping. If I mess up, my fish could get sick, or worse... :< But man you guys are right, there's tons of cool stuff available for marine tanks and so many weird shrimps I could get for them!
The full picture from my avatar is here! Honeybell is the fish on the right and it's basically the happiest fish ever, they're the best and do a little food dance every morning. I had dwarf puffs for a while and there's a drawing of those guys, too.
http://www.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/c ... p?sid=3725
The article doesn't seem to go into much detail about the species of macro-algae used but I'm sure that there are a few species out there that would work in a tank environment. I think that I would give seaweed and sea-grass a go if I ever went to the salty side.
- luigimbu
- Puffer Fry
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And a nice new reef tank setup - Location (country): England dorset shaftesbury
- Location: England shaftesbury dorset
Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
Get yourself a protein skimmer raise the salinity to 1.023 and you can put all kinds of macro algaes and live rock In the tank it's looks good and the macro algae and skimmer keep the water tip top.I did this with my gsp he loved it especially grazing on whatever he could find on the live rock.
- Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
1.020 will do.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
-
- Figure 8 Puffer
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Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
Once you get a skimmer up and running and some cured live rock in the tank, there isn't much more maintenance than what you are doing now. You're still doing water changes, but, not as frequently. You're still topping off your water with RODI water to combat evaporation. You're still mixing salt batches.
Going saltwater in the long run will likely save you some money...eventually...starting up is expensive. Just don't get the catch coral bug and you'll be fine. If you do decide to go with a reef tank, God help you.
Going saltwater in the long run will likely save you some money...eventually...starting up is expensive. Just don't get the catch coral bug and you'll be fine. If you do decide to go with a reef tank, God help you.
- Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32773
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
What's wrong with a reef tank???
Other than the $$$ corals...
Other than the $$$ corals...
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
- luigimbu
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Tue Mar 04, 2014 6:29 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Luigi the 18in mbu
Desmond the Gsp 4in (rehomed)
4 large Frontosas
Climbing pearch
Clown knife fish 20inch
And a nice new reef tank setup - Location (country): England dorset shaftesbury
- Location: England shaftesbury dorset
Re: Acclimating plants to BW tank
Yes 1.020 will do but if you want anyhting to live on the live rock a little higher is better for inverts.
My gsp ended up in a full reef tank he loved it and he didn't bother snails or hermit crabs which was good.my pocket didn't like it tho!
So yeah don't catch the coral bug unless you have lots of money and time.
My gsp ended up in a full reef tank he loved it and he didn't bother snails or hermit crabs which was good.my pocket didn't like it tho!
So yeah don't catch the coral bug unless you have lots of money and time.