Brackish water changes

[Flutter]

If you're going to go with option #1 I'd simply keep the salinity around 1.003. This will reduce the salinity fluctuations and from what I know there aren't significant benefits of keeping your F8 at 1.005 over 1.003. If you can make it work I think this would be the best option for the fish

[JRC3]

Ok so far alot of different opinions on this. I can honestly say the outcome of this discussion will determine on if my F8 goes into this 29g. The 10g he is in was supposed to be temporary. Please help me decide what would be best for my new F8. My options are

1. put him in my 29g and keep it freshwater or do water changes using the method I described originally if converted to brackish
2. keep him in my 10g and convert it to brackish and be capable of 50% weekly water changes at 1.005
3. try to find him someone who can keep him in a bigger brackish tank ( Last resort ) <------I REALLY dont want to see him go as I am attached already.

The 10g is out of the question. And if you did rehome the F8 you could put dwarf puffers in your 29g along with some kuhli loaches and possible otto catfish once the tank is fully established and growing good algae.

If you can't rehome the F8 with another fishkeeper then the LFS will probably give you some in store credit for him.

The other thing to consider with keeping an F8 is their special diet...DPs don't need those crunchy foods to keep their teeth maintained.

Good luck.

[Radioactive]

Thank you. Diet is not a problem as he gets a variation of snails,clams, abd blood worms.I will soon be trying mussels as well. I honestly dont have a spot to put a 20g storage container in my apartment for pre mixed water. The only spot available would be on the floor by the tank and having a special needs child throws that out the window. Right now I am leaning twords putting him in the 29g and trying different ways of getting my mix to work. 1.003 sounds great as that would increase my chances of keeping plants as well. I will keep a very close eye on my ammonia/nitrite/nitrate after each water change. If I feel like I am putting him in Danger due to my findings , I will do everything in my power (maybe sell some stuff on ebay) to clear room from somewhere and try to work in the container close to the tank for pre mixed water. I will try posting in the other section of this forum to maybe trade a bunch of plastic plants I am not using for a peice of equipment that will help me keep his home and water changes a little better.

[Iliveinazoo]

I carried out a 50% water change last night on my F8 tank, it was at SG1.004@25 DegC due to some evaporation knocking the salinity up from the usual SG1.003@25DegC. Used fresh water for the first few buckets and then a salty solution for the last. Fish didn't seem bothered and were still swimming about happily this morning when I left the house. But as Flutter alluded to; because its a low salinity tank and it was a 50% change then the salinity of the tank would have barely dropped to SG1.002.

[bertie 83]

To save time you can pump the water in with something like a powerhead 201

[RTR]

Bacterial lifespan is indeterminate- it depend on local conditions existing at the moment plus the type of bacterium in question. But in semi-closed systems (our tanks) it is indefinite so long as hospitable conditions are maintained. This means that it can and may be terminated or damaged at any time by inhospitable conditions, such as specific gravity outside the bug's acceptable range.

It is an axiom (meaning it is always true) that semi-closed systems are eutrophic. That is a two-bit word meaning polluted. Such systems are not and cannot be otherwise. Unpolluted system in the wild are possible and one were relatively common; in captivity and these days in the wild they are less common. In effect that means that there is denser life than the system can support at equilibrium. So we have higher stocking densities than occur in the wild, and we add foods and light and heat so must do routine upkeep to keep the system from crashing. We must remove waste (both dissolved and solid) and attempt to maintain a balance. Sujecting bacteria (susc as the nitrification bacteria) to water conditions outside their "normal" range is always damaging. The degree of damage depends on how far outside thier range we push them, and how long those improper conditions are held.

The density of life in a semiclosed system is astronomic - viruses and bacteria and unicellular plants or algae and other microscopic or barely macroscopic life forms is very, very, very high. All surfaces in such systems are coated with micro life forms in the millions and billions, and such unicellur critters are equally dense in the water column itself. It is literally impossible to enumerate all of the life forms in tank.

There are certain bacteria included on which we do rely - especially the nitrogen-oxidizing bacteria which oxidize ammonia to nitrite and the other which oxidize nitrite to nitrate. Those are our "cycling bacteria" anf are obligate attached to substrates. In reality the are only a tiny part of the nitrogen cycle. In certain tanks other techniques may achieve a bigger part of the full nitrogen cycle. In SW "cured live rock" can perfom a much bigger slice of the nitrogen cycle, but still only a fraction. Ditto for DSB (deep sand beds) or plenums can accomplish much the same things. In SW protein skimmers can also remove some DOCs (dissolved organic compounds). Unfortunately, those skimmers cannot function in FW or most BW.

Disinfectants to guard the human safety of public water supplies need to be remove before the water has any contact with sensitive microbes - such as the cycle bacteria. Chlorine disinfectant can be volitilized (off-gassed) by warming to tank temperature and aeration prior to tank use. Chloramines however are not volitale enough and far more stable. Chemical neutralizers such as Prime work quite well and very quickly, effectively instantaneously.

[Radioactive]

Just to give an update. I bought an 18 gallon plastic tub (heavy duty)that will fit on the stand under my tank. I am going to harbor freight tomorrow to see if they have a 200gph fountain pond pump for $10. Next and last thing I will need to save for will be a refractomoter. I have my 29g set up with sand substrate and am getting ready to transition my F8. what would you guys suggest I do for the transition. Key factors I think all should know
1. The 29g has only sand and a tetramax 20 (topfin 20) filter with just filter floss in it right now to grab sand particles. This tank/filter is not established and has only been running a few days
2. I will not be bringing any substrate from my 10g
3. I plan on switching my AQ 50 over to the 29 (this is established/cycled and holds 2 biomax bags and 1 sponge. The topfin filter will come to my 10g at a later time
4. I have a bunch of slate rock in my 10g I can bring to the 29g if it will help alot for my bacteria
5. I have a bunch of healthy Anachoris plants in my 10g I can bring over
6. I have built a bunch of new caves using slate and aquarium safe sylicone that I would like to put in. (all slate has been sanded down and no sharp edges).
7. I plan on getting a few bumblebee gobies before the brackish transition

My plan is to bring this stuff over along with my F8 and keep it freshwater for about 1 more month. I am waiting for my father to send me driftwood from a lake in North Carolina and want to buy plants before I start my conversion to 1.003. This will also give me time to save money for the refractomoter. Thanks again for reading you guys are amazing and I truly appreciate all input and wisdom.

[bertie 83]

Yes move everything from the 10g to the 29g. Make sure its stable then you can up the sg slowly as soon as you are ready. That tub under your tank will make life easier once you have a pump to move water from it to your tank.

[Pufferpunk]

Moving the established filter over should be good enough. Look for a refractometer on Ebay.

[puffykid]

Make sure the few days after you move over the media that you test your parameters to make sure there isn't a mini cycle going on and that the bacteria load is enough, or you may want to do a few extra 50% wcs.

[Radioactive]

Will do. My father bought me a nice large peice of malaysian driftwood from the LFS today. I also traded all my plastic plants to a guy who breeds african cichlids down the street from me in exchange for a hydromoter and powerhead. He got out of salt water. He also had a huge tub of marine salt that he said he would sell me for $15. I believe it was instant ocean. This guy had a 125g, 55g, and about 3 or 4 40g tanks all filled with african cichlids. It was very impressive. When I was in buying the driftwood I had the guy put an order for some bumblebee gobies. He said he would order 8 and let me choose the 3 or 4 I want.

[JRC3]

I love BBGs...In fact, almost my favorite fish. You'll enjoy them. I just ordered 6 more to add to my 12. Four of those were fry from my others.

I'm having luck with nerite snails in my F8 tank so you might consider a few of those. They have a small foot and leave nothing exposed to get nipped at and they are cleaning machines.

Your also gonna love your Mixing setup. I don't recall if you said anything about a heater but you'll probably need one when it gets colder and a cheap one will do fine for a mix vessel.