F8's water and other stories

[Eddy_b]

Hey, after looking through the net I have come up with a couple of ideas that might work and wanted to run it past the experts (you guys)

Since BW is estuarine and changes Sg rapidly and regularly then it must be better for a BW fish to have the same changes. (being true to the real world and all that). To do this would it be ok to add salt directly to the aquarium say daily, and then do a FW water change to bring the Sg back down?

Also there is lots of debate over F8s being BW/FW. with the general consensus being that its not needed but they generally do better in low BW (sg about 1.005). Since salt is expensive, would it be possible to use an aragonite (or similar) substrate and lava rock to raise the Gh and the Kh and use less salt. this would be cheaper and create a reasonalbly similar environment to low BW.

Please slap me about any flaws that you can find as i do want the best for my fish.

Ed

[Jayhawk]

I would never add salt directly to the tank...I think I recall reading about gill burn in the past. Lava rock won't increase GH/KH, but aragonite will increase the KH. RTR has said he thinks it possible that the higher pH and harness may be what is key for Figure 8's, but the salt for an SG of 1.005 isn't that expensive. I do vary my SG a bit - sometimes adding a few extra tablespoons of salt and other times a few less, but the swing never goes beyond .001 per week up or down (so as not to harm the filter's bacteria).

Eric

[RTR]

Fish in the wild select the density or whatever they want. We have no info on their movement with or against the tides, or what appears to prompt such migration.

For F-8s, light BW is significant for longevity and health. Why? I have no idea, I only know pragmatically that it works. I do suspect strongly that stable high pH and hardness (both types) play a non-trivial role in that longevity, but don't have enough data to show it.

Personally I also suspect that stability is more important to captive fish than to wild, but then we are trying for much longer survival and much greater heath than the fish would have in the wild.

BTW, all my BW fish have been kept over aragonite substrates. It is standard for me.

[Eddy_b]

Thanks guys, its appreciated, definately wont directly add salt to the water column as dont want gill burn - sounds nasty-

Thanks RTR ill definately keep the hardness and pH nice and high, will try and keep some happy puffs, will keep you posted.