Acclimating Fish to Brackish Water

[Mandy]

I am planning on setting up a brackish tank, however, when I visited my LFS, I noticed that the puffers they sell are all in freshwater, so here is my question. What is the correct method of adjusting them to brackishwater before I put them in the tank?

[Agnate]

Well, if they are Freshwater when you get them, the easiest way to do it is to set the tank up and cycle it as freshwater. Then, once they've been in the tank for a couple weeks, you can start bring the SG up by about 0.001-0.002 per week until you hit somewhere around 1.005-1.008. Depending on the puffer you get (GSP/Ceylon or Figure , you'll either leave it at that (for Figure 8s), or continue to raise it pretty slowly over the next couple years. From what I've read, the GSPs and Ceylons don't grow all that quickly, so you only need to raise it every couple months or something.

I'm going to wait for more info on this from some people with more experience with GSPs/Ceylons, because I haven't heard it discussed much, and I only picked mine up a couple days ago (though, I've been here helping people for like 2-3 months or something).

[CoreyK]

I personally would just cycle and acclimate them straight to brackish. It is likely a more suitable environment for them than pure freshwater, and acclimating a euryhaline fish like a puffer is not particularly stress inducing.

[Mandy]

I wanted to cycle the tank as brackish to start with. That way I could add some of the brackish fish first, like a knight goby and then add the puffers last. I know with marine fish you acclimate them with a drip method over several hours, and if the puffers were orginally housed in freshwater, would that work?

[SpockthePuffer]

Yes, drip acclimation would work too

[Mandy]

Thank you

[Agnate]

Sorry, I didn't see the part where you wanted to add other brackish fish right away.

[spoot]

Which brackish puffer are you getting?

[leahjr]

Hi Everyone. I am in the same position as many people it seems like these days who have gone into a "big box store" looking for a pet fish and have come out with a GSP and the completely wrong information for caring for it. I'm sure you can guess the details, but I've been reviewing your site for the past couple of weeks (thank god for you!) and think I have a decent set up and understanding now of how to care for these fish.
We bought the fish beginning of February almost 2 weeks ago. I'm so glad I haven't killed him yet. Last week I moved him into a bigger tank (only 6 gallons, still not ideal I know, but he's very little and I hope to get a bigger tank in a few months). I have two main concerns at the moment:
1) I have never had a tank before and wasn't sure what "cycling" was. I attempted to do my best, used ro water, conditioner, Nitromax - however I only waited 2 days before putting him. I used the old water from his tiny tank plus the new water. He's been in there now a few days and seems very happy, swims around, eats lots of worms, etc. The water tested great (that's why I put him in and then read on your site that it takes like 10 days or something - yikes!). Anyway, since I put him in "early", even though it seems alright, should I be worried and/or watching out for anything? Is it still cycling with him in it?
2) He is in freshwater at the moment. The store sold me aquarium salt and I have since learned that I should use marine salt. This weekend I plan to go buy the salt and hydrometer. I got this part to start with:

bring the SG up by about 0.001-0.002 per week until you hit somewhere around 1.005-1.008

But can someone give me more details as to how exactly to do this? Should I wait awhile? About how long should it take to get to the desired salinity for a 6 gallon tank?
Thanks sooooo much!
Leah

[Woland]

Hi Everyone. I am in the same position as many people it seems like these days who have gone into a "big box store" looking for a pet fish and have come out with a GSP and the completely wrong information for caring for it. I'm sure you can guess the details, but I've been reviewing your site for the past couple of weeks (thank god for you!) and think I have a decent set up and understanding now of how to care for these fish.
We bought the fish beginning of February almost 2 weeks ago. I'm so glad I haven't killed him yet. Last week I moved him into a bigger tank (only 6 gallons, still not ideal I know, but he's very little and I hope to get a bigger tank in a few months). I have two main concerns at the moment:
1) I have never had a tank before and wasn't sure what "cycling" was. I attempted to do my best, used ro water, conditioner, Nitromax - however I only waited 2 days before putting him. I used the old water from his tiny tank plus the new water. He's been in there now a few days and seems very happy, swims around, eats lots of worms, etc. The water tested great (that's why I put him in and then read on your site that it takes like 10 days or something - yikes!). Anyway, since I put him in "early", even though it seems alright, should I be worried and/or watching out for anything? Is it still cycling with him in it?
2) He is in freshwater at the moment. The store sold me aquarium salt and I have since learned that I should use marine salt. This weekend I plan to go buy the salt and hydrometer. I got this part to start with:

bring the SG up by about 0.001-0.002 per week until you hit somewhere around 1.005-1.008

But can someone give me more details as to how exactly to do this? Should I wait awhile? About how long should it take to get to the desired salinity for a 6 gallon tank?
Thanks sooooo much!
Leah

Hi Leah.
And welcome to the Pufferforum.

First things first.
How big is he?

Hopefully is a very young specimen.
6 gallons are far to small for a GSP, but if he is a baby it should work for a short period.
Stability is the most important issue, and your tank is not "cycled yet.
I would change 50% of the water every second day, and be very careful with feeding.
Buy a test-kit for Nitrite and do daily tests in order to assure yourself that he wont be poisoned by his own waste.

We will concentrate on brackish when the tank is cycled.
As long as you keep up water changes he will probably be fine.

[crazedpuffer]

Your tank is definitely still cycling. I'd do daily or every other day 50% water changes untill your nitrite and ammonia readings are zero. You should get a liquid test kit or have your LFS do it.
How big is your puffer? The size on the puffer depends on the sg (salt levels) Either way for a tank that size pour a half a cup of salt into a bucket and mix it with water. Then when it's fully diluted add it to the tank. Be very careful in a tank that small the salinity will be hard to get right, and water evaporating will be problematic.

[leahjr]

Thank you very much. He's about 1 1/2 inches. I've been using test strips. It tested fine 2 days ago. I just tested right now and the Nitrite level was just the very very slightest bit pink, so I will do the water change now and every other day for awhile. The strips show nitrite/nitrate, ph, alkalinity, chlorine, but not ammonia. Do I need a different testing method for that?
I am planning to move him to a larger tank, but I won't be able to do it until next month at the earliest. Should I try to make his current little tank brackish, or will he be ok if I leave him in the freshwater for awhile and then go to brackish water when I move him into the larger tank? (which I will fully cycle beforehand, btw!).
I'm only feeding him once a day, bloodworms, but he begs and begs for them. About how many bloodworms per day should a small GSP be eating?

[SpockthePuffer]

Test strips are extremely inaccurate. You should get a liquid test kit that will test PH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

I'm not sure what others will say but I think leaving him in freshwater would be better. In a 6 gallon tank saltcreep is going to be a major issue unless you're testing the sg constantly and putting freshwater in.

Feed him once a day, skipping one day a week. Feed until his tummy is rounded. If he looks really a few hours after eating he will probably have parasites. Since they are wild caught, most GSPs that are bought have internal parasites, there is an article about treatment in the library.

Good luck, just remember do lots of water changes.

[Woland]

Strips are not reliable.
You need a liquid kit.

Leave him in freshwater for the time being.
Let the tank cycle.
Test daily!

Not more bloodworm than he can eat in 1-2 minutes.
Puffers beg...

[crazedpuffer]

Yeah keep him in FW much easier in a tank that size. Will probablly be safer too.