The Puffer Forum

How would i go about doing that? Our only petstore in my small town is petland, so thats most likely where i will be getting mine from. I went there yesterday to go check them out (not to buy yet) and the lady told me that 'theyre freshwater fish and thats what theyre living in now." Well obviously i know for a fact that they are brackish, so how do I slowly get him used to the salt?

He won't mind the transition to the salt, but the nitrifying bacteria will. Here's instructions: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19348

(The pet store lady is semi-right, actually. They're usually found in FW in the wild, but they live longer, healthier lives in low-end BW. Anyone who knows anything about F*s keeps them in BW.)

Do it with water changes, introduce a bit of marine salt with the water change and then wait a while and then repeat.

Salt needs to be pre-mixed in water and fully dissolved before introducing it into the tank. There are salinity calculators on the net to work out the amount but you could measure out a small amount say 35g of salt and introduce that into a water change and see if it raises the salinity a bit.

To mix get a bucket of water, add salt and aerate with a powerhead the day before a water change and then do water change as normal adding mixed up water back in.

Then there is my lazy way of doing it:
Boil kettle dissolve salt in boiling water and allow to cool. Do water change and add smaller mix of salt back in gradually as refill the tank.

Might be good to try the longer way first until you get the hang of how much you need per water change once you are at your desired level. As long as you dont go above 1.002 a week the bacteria should be fine.

Also what the woman at the fish shop isnt entirely untrue. In the wild they are found in FW but in captivity they do better in low end brackish so if you theorize perhaps its some of the trace elements in the marine salt that gives them longevity in an aquarium or they are exposed to salinity as they move about through the rivers and estuaries.

Don't use online calculators... Get a hydrometer or refractometer. No two salt batches are exactly the same. Close but not exactly the same. Make sure you check the SG of your tap water. It should be below 1.000 therefore only raise your SG to1.000 then next week to 1.002 then a week later to 1.004. Use only marine salt. And save yourself a few bucks and just get a 5g bucket of instant ocean. You could use rock salt but instant ocean has additives that make it a bit better.

You can still use a brackish calculator to give you a rough idea of how much salt you will need. and then measure using the refractometer or hydrometer.

If you are new to brackish how would you be aware of how much salt affects salinity. Dump 100g in thinking it wont do much only to find youve raised it too far and then have to try and get it out to drop it down to a safe level. and as salinity varies with temp slightly always nice to have a rough idea of how much you will need and air on the side of caution and use slightly less that what the calc suggests. If the tools are there use them.

Brackish Calc

SammyDee wrote:You could use rock salt but instant ocean has additives that make it a bit better.

Nope, salt mix only. Don't use anything other than something intended for a marine tank.

LilGreenPuffer wrote:Nope, salt mix only. Don't use anything other than something intended for a marine tank.

Agreed as it is low brackish you dont need to purchase the top end stuff designed for reef systems. Pick a brand you can readily get hold of and stick to that one. All marine salt is mixed to contain the trace elements in the sea, its just brands have slightly different methods of going about it. For the levels of brackish you are heading to it wont really make a difference. I would still go with a reputable well known brand but you dont have to break the bank.

I not recommending rock salt but I have known ppl to use it in there reef systems with zero problems. It comes in giant chunks then you break it up and mix it. It's a pain in A.. But saves money. I wouldn't do it thou. I'd imagine you'd be adding stuff to the water more than less to proper levels of calc /alk etc where it need to be.

rock salt? as in the kind you use to melt snow? I'm going to get a 2nd opinion on that one

No not sidewalk salt. It's called pure rock salt it comes in chunks, more like bricks. Not lil pepples.

Come straight from the salt mines in Detroit. It was originally from the SW glaciers that carved the great lakes. Soo essentially it's natural as can be. But I still wouldn't use it. I always use instant ocean/ reef crystals

Yeah, the thing is, you're not just adding salt - you're adding many other things as well. Plain old salt just won't cut it.

Sounds like it might be good for FW ich though.

Thats exactly why I wouldn't use it. Lil pebbles etc. But it can be done. That all I was saying. I just wouldn't do it. But I bet we would be surprised at how much instant ocean has fillers if we could find that out.

Prepared marine mix salt isn't that expensive. Use it.
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19348