About F8´s Salt level

[brodyx]

Ive read a lot on puffers , but almost every article is bout GSP´s .. I would really love to know what level of SG should i use for my 2 F8´s .. And whats the lowest i can go , cuz i would love to keep my plants with my F8´s...

Till now ive been using a salt called Biomaa , says on the bag "Aquarium Salt" and "Helps Prevent Diseases for use in FW" the guy in my LFS uses a small bag in his 20G aquarium for his F8 and GSP´s and it has been working for me very well , my F8´s seem ok with this salt , and my plants are surviving ,I have Amazones , African Java "musgo" (lol i dont know that word in english) and some common grass .. with some FW fish living there like Plecos , a PAradise fish and a platty..

So , i love my tank and i will love to keep my plants and decoration , hehe what brand of salt will u recommend me to use and how much salt should i use with F8´s ??? or could i keep them with the salt im using (dont really know if its marine salt or just FW salt or if theres a difference between both salts) ??

My F8 are bout 1 inch long , and i have em in a 20G tank with 2 Cascade Filters , a AQUACLEAR 3000 (for 40G) and a DOLPHIN H-200 (for 20G)...

Thnxs..

[Jayhawk]

Here's the best article around on Figure 8's...let it be your bible:

http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=64

Now, the salt you're using doesn't really approximate brackish water (BW) which is made up of ocean water mixed with freshwater. Ideally, you should be using a saltwater mix like Instant Ocean and you need a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity (SG) which for Figure 8's is around 1.005 to 1.008. Lots of plants don't like that salt, but my java fern, java moss and water sprite (along with invading duckweed) are thriving in a SG of 1.005. None of your other fish are made for BW, either, although the platy would probably be OK in light BW.

Eric

[Pamela]

Second Jayhawk...you must get marine salt. For low-end brackish, like F8s like, it's not very expensive at all.
Marine salt has lots and lots of different chemicals in that the fish need, whereas aquarium salt only has sodium chloride, so doesn't count.
Pami.

[RTR]

The buffers and other minerals beyond NaCl in the marine mix are equally if not more important than the NaCl itself. If you use a buffering substrate*, especially if you set it RFUG, you can hold the specific gravity down to 1.003 - 1.005. But without the additional buffering, IME you are on risky water for these fish.

I make no promises on FW plant survival under those conditions. For me, I had poor growth and health with FW plants in brackish water so discontinued using them.

*IME, in order of preference: 1) Aragonite, 2) crushed coral, 3) dolomite.

HTH

[brodyx]

Two new questions to the puffer gurus ...

1) can i use Coral Sand with my puffers and can i plant on them?

2) Does someone has the MARDEL 5-in-1 Test Kit Color Chart? Lol i lost it and i have no idea of what im looking at with my strips

Thnxs

(by the way, i took ur advise and returned my Scat to my LFS , i ordered 3 BB Gobies and tomorrow i will pick em up ...Thnxs)

[Jayhawk]

Hi - good move with the scat for BB gobie trade!

Is Coral Sand a brand name or is it simply crushed coral/argonite sand? If it's not just a name but really either coral or argonite it'll be fine. Just don't put in too deep a layer so you avoid anarobic pockets (I use play sand in my SA cichlid tank and never have had an anarobic pocket, and it's planted...but I do have MTSs churning the substrate for me).

I have a different test kit, so can't help you there. Don't test GH with a FW kit - board experience (and mine) shows some results so high I have to assume the test kits don't react with brackish water. All my other tests (KH, pH, nitrite, ammonia, nitrate) work fine with BW.

Eric

[RTR]

GH and KH test kits for FW and SW use similar reagents, but the reactions are bit different, so the color changes are different, or must be read differently. The water of hydration involved in SW plays games with the color changes. Just something else to complicate our lives.

I have grown plants in crushed coral and in aragonite for very light BW without problems from the substrate. That was for Orange Chromides, not for puffers, so was max 1.003 specific gravity.

[brodyx]

Cool , so tomorrow im gonna get some Coral Sand (a friend uses it for his marine tank so im guessing its not just the name) and im gonna empty my tank...

How do you recommend me to do it? I mean , do i have to cycle the tank again.. im guessing both filters contain my "good bacteria" so.. Do i have to cycle the tank , and if so , how do you recommend me to do it ? How long should i cycle it?

ALL ur advise is welcome hehe as u can c im new at a lot of things and i already made sand changes but i wanna do it with your advice so i know im doing it right this time ..

[Pufferpunk]

I have completely changed out substrate, w/o any recycling problems.

[brodyx]

so ill just take out all of the water , chance the substrate, plant and place decorations , refill the tank (with purified water and all conditioners) , wait till the water is clear and get my fish in the tank again.... right?????????


My tank will end up with:

Equipment:
AquaClear 300 Cascade Filter
Dolphin H-200 Cascade Filter
Air Stone

Substrate:
Crushed Coral Sand

Fish:
2 F8 Puffers (less than an inch long)
3 BB gobies

Water:
Instant Ocean Marine Salt (till brackish, bout 1.003 or 1.005)

Decor:
3 Amazone Plants
3 Common grass
1 wood
Stones to make caves

[reiverix]

My 15g brackish tank has been set up about a month and I've been trying different plants at a SG of 1.005. Anacharis did not do well and I had to pull it. Java fern and java moss are doing ok but it's touch and go. My jungle val seems to be doing the best and is holding it's own, but I wouldn't be surprised if it croaked on me.

[Feathers&Fins]

I've kept Marimo Balls in my bw tanks. Unfortunately, the Puffs liked to play with them and tore them to shreds.