The Puffer Forum

Well you won't be going full marine with the BBGs and F8, only around 1.005. I would just fishless cycle the tank at that salinity...Unless you have other tanks running for established freshwater media or filters. If so I'd let the tank run for a while FW, then start increase salinity 1.001-1.002 a week.

How do you plan on premixing the brackish water for water changes (WC)?

NO, you must absolutely use 100% marine salt, like Instant Ocean brand or something, as long as it's marine salt... Aquarium salt will just make salty water... it has some missing key components that make the difference between marine and brine-water. As for adding salt gradually, you only have to do this is your tank is a freshwater tank already cycled. Since your cycling a new tank to get ready, you can start it out at the full S.G. needed. Just make sure it's cycled before you add puffers, or you'll end up doing massive water changes until it's cycled... which isn't fun, trust me. Btw, look up drip-acclimating fish, and I reccomend you do this before you add the puffers/any inhabitant, as they're likely kept in freshwater, unless your lucky enough, like me, to find a fish store that keeps them in brackish.

OK thanks for this.

When would you recommend adding the first gobies? Still FW or with some salt?

re: WC - I was planning to do 30% wc per week (which is what I used to do with my 200l tank) then running FW into this massive plastic jerry can i have but passing it from tap through a nitrate filter first. I then planned to premix the salt (plus stress zyme/cycle and dechlorintator) at this stage until the salinity matched that of the tank then slowly adding to the tank. Would this be a good way to do it or would you suggest more or less water changes?

I kinda misunderstood something; I thought you meant full marine SG when you meant full marine salt. Def want to be using marine salt and not AQ salt.



Nitrates? That sucks.

Sounds like a plan. Do you have a pump and heater so you can let it mix overnight in the plastic tank? Not sure if the salt can be mixed any faster. Someone else may know.

Yeah the Nitrates are a little high in the tap water in my new water area, I have got a nitrate filter which lowers it no end and I think take out some of the other crap we have endure in the UK.

Yeah I have a spare interla power filter as I upgraded the filter in my new tank straight away when I bought it last week. Puffer Punk (cheers man!) has just sent through a cracking instructions on mixing brackish water. I actually have two jerry cans/tanks so I should in theory be able to mix the salt water the night before then do the removal and replace almost instantly.

Apologies for all the questions but do you think I should add the fish FW and then start raising salinity so they acclimatise in the tank this seems like a more sensible way of doing things as the LFS are almost certainly going to be in FW?

Pufferpunk wrote:viewtopic.php?f=8&t=19348

Great instructions thanks for the link, much appreciated.

Why would you continue to add Stresszyme or Cycle to a cycled system?

G S P Freak wrote:NO, you must absolutely use 100% marine salt, like Instant Ocean brand or something, as long as it's marine salt... Aquarium salt will just make salty water... it has some missing key components that make the difference between marine and brine-water. As for adding salt gradually, you only have to do this is your tank is a freshwater tank already cycled. Since your cycling a new tank to get ready, you can start it out at the full S.G. needed. Just make sure it's cycled before you add puffers, or you'll end up doing massive water changes until it's cycled... which isn't fun, trust me. Btw, look up drip-acclimating fish, and I reccomend you do this before you add the puffers/any inhabitant, as they're likely kept in freshwater, unless your lucky enough, like me, to find a fish store that keeps them in brackish.

Thanks for the tip. Do you think that drip acclimatising would work from FW to brackish or would this be too fast? Feels like it would be to much of a fluctuation?

Pufferpunk wrote:Why would you continue to add Stresszyme or Cycle to a cycled system?

To replace any lost bacteria from the water change. I know what you are saying but I have the fear with these sorts of things..
.

Thanks for the tip. Do you think that drip acclimatising would work from FW to brackish or would this be too fast? Feels like it would be to much of a fluctuation?

Absolutely, a drip acclimation of about S.G. 1.002 per hour is usually reccomended, but I just crimp a air hose and let it gravity siphon at about 1 drop per second. The amount of time will vary depending on how much water they're being acclimated in. Remeber that most brackish water fish are able to stand fluctuations in salinity quite well, so I wouldn't worry about over-doing it, as long as you're not tossing them straight into the tank, the acclimation method above should work fine. I've used this method for every one of my new fish/inverts and never had one die yet. Also, you really don't need to add anything to the tank if it's already cycled, the majority of the bacteria live on decor, substrate, and in the filter, so water changes will remove a negligible amount of bacteria.
P.S. if you haven't already, go pick up an instant ocean hydrometer, you're going to need it... They're about $10 USD, I think works out to around 6 or so british pounds.

Jacks2High wrote:

Pufferpunk wrote:Why would you continue to add Stresszyme or Cycle to a cycled system?

To replace any lost bacteria from the water change. I know what you are saying but I have the fear with these sorts of things..
.

None of the bacteria lives in the water. Don't waste your $$$. Cycle is nothing more then dead bacteria. That's like adding extra poop to your tank. Stresszyme isn't any better.