The Puffer Forum

I'm trying to learn as much as I can about brackish tanks, because I'm pretty positive there will be some F8 puffers in my future -- maybe not for a while, but someday... IF I can still use my Python.

I love my Python. My Python makes the world go 'round. I can't go back to lugging buckets to refill a tank. Kills my back. I could probably manage 1 or 2 buckets' worth of water, but that's about it.

So is it possible to do water changes on a brackish tank with a Python? Can you, say, drain 50% of the tank's water, refill most of it with the Python, then "top off" with a bucket or two of the marine-salted water to get the SG where it's supposed to be? Would that kind of rapid fluctuation be too stressful for the puffers?

And one last little somethin' I've been wondering about: Do brackish tanks get all crudded up with salt on the hood, etc., the way that freshwater tanks do when you're treating with regular aquarium salt for ich, etc.?

I wouldnt recommend it. I use my python to vacuum and then fill with buckets I pre mixed my salt and Stress coat and Stress zyme in. Its not too terrible but I dont have a huge tank.

Yes, the salt gets everywhere!!!!!

I guess you could try doing more frequent, smaller water changes if you have a physical limitation...You could add the salt water at the same time the tank is filling up from the python...but you would really have to be VERY correct in your math..so owning a refractometer would be a plus...you would have to know exactly how much fresh water is going in and how much SW..and know what the salt level would be when you mix the two..

I would agree with the first poster, BUT if you truly have a problem that limits you..I am sure if you are super careful with measuring the salt and with math you could own an F8.

I actually do it that way. But my F8 tank isn't so large. I fill a bucket with water, and mix with saltwater mix over night (I use a pump to mix the salt in the bucket, and I know exactly how much salt is needed for a 50 % water change in my F8 tank. I still do test the water each time though). Then I drain 50 % with my python. I start filling up the tank with FW through a hose, and pour the bucket into the tank at the same time. Filling the tank is done in a minute or two, so it's done quickly, with as little stress for the puffers as possible. I'm not sure I would have done it the same way in a bigger tank though. I probably would have done it the same way as I do with the tanks where I need to lower the PH before pumping the water into the tank: I fill water in a large bin, lower the PH and store the water over night. Then I use a pump to pump the water into the tank. That means absolutely no heavy lifting at all. But one advice if you decide to use a pump: when you stop the pump, make sure you have already lifted the hose out of the water in the tank. If you forget, the water will be sucked back into the bin. And it will continue to flow back until the end of the hose is out of the water. It can get very wet very quickly (yes, I've experienced that too many times to forget anymore).

And yes, you will experience some salt creep. Keep your hood and tank wiped off and dry because it will indeed build up and get crusty.

OK, I know that this is against what you guys have been taught but for my F8 tank (since it's only at 1.005), I drain with the Python, add Prime & as the tank is refilling from the tap, I add the exact amount of salt (prefigured) that I need to replace the 50% I remove, into the impeller side of my Aquaclear filter.

No buckets are ever lifted in this house.

PP that would make a great tutorial vid

If it's a F8 that you want then you will be running at a low salinity so the salinity change will not be so drastic and the only thing that might not cope is the nitrifying bacteria, to avoid the chance of killing this bacteria don't switch your filter on until you've topped up with the python and pre-mixed salt mixture.

That said If you're changing 50% of the water from SG1.005 then your tank is only likely to fluctuate by SG0.0025.

I used to drain my low end brackish tanks with the python as well. Drain with python, have salt pre mixed in a container you can easily handle and as its re-filling with python periodically add it in. Never had any issue doing it that way with water parameters. Would generally split the reintroduction of salt into 4 parts as I refilled.

I mix enough salt for the entire brackish tank change in a two gallon bucket, and add it about halfway through refilling with the python. No troubles.

Nick's idea is better than mine, if you can lift the buckets.

You guys are awesome. Thanks for all the great info! I'm feeling even more confident that there will indeed be a couple of F8s in my future. I can definitely manage one bucket of water, even two, but carrying half a tank's worth back and forth would definitely put my back out.

All righty then. Just need to wait for one of my tanks to be vacant. Not that I'm wishing for premature fish deaths or anything...

I figure if you have the python, fill the bucket with the python, prep your water in advance in the bucket, then drain the next day with the python into your sink and add the water in the pre-salted bucket bucket with a nice picture through your filter. I personally don't have a python, I don't think my sinks nozzle will take it ; so I'm a bucket lifter, I like the exercise. But I don't have a large tank :-\ and when I do get my large tank going I'm probably going to go RO/DI though I probably won't do reef and it'll probably be over kill but less work on my part .

I like PP's suggestion and nicks however; just weary of putting tap directly into my tank I live in nyc and don't really trust the water quality in my tap, so I'd rather drain into a bucket, pre-treat and let sit with salt and a power head over night. Both my Juggerpuff (Rescued figure 8 from Petco) and Mini fugu (baby GSP taken from petland) seem to love it.

I mix mine in a 55 gallon Rubbermaid trashcan and got a used water pump to move the water from the can to the tank.

What Dad does is the "best" way to do it, especially for saltwater and larger brackish/marine tanks.

But for a Figure 8 tank, yeah, its not that big of a swing so you can add the salt to the filter or mix it into a smaller bucket.. you just need to know how much to add, which will take either a little math or a little trial and error, but neither way is too difficult.

The salt creep is annoying.. make sure nothing of your tank or filter is touching any walls for sure.. but as long as you don't have that problem, you can just rinse it off with some freshwater generally.