The Puffer Forum

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:27 pm**

I'm trying to change a 20 gallon freshwater tank to brackish for a figure 8. The LFS has the figure 8 in freshwater so I know I need to acclimate them slowly to brackish .002 a week. Would that be done when doing a water change add 10 gallons with one tablespoon of marine salt for each gallon (of the 10 gallons of new water)? Is that slow enough to not disturb the good bacteria?

If anyone has the experience of doing this can you please tell me how you did it?

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:42 pm**

you should use your hydrometer/refractometer, if you have one, if not you should probably invest in one,to measure the salinity of the "new" water. If you want to raise it 0.002/week than the 10 gallons of new water should be at 0.004 for the first week, which would make the 20 gallons in the tank 0.002. Then next week make the new water 0.006, which would result in a SG of 0.004 in your tank. Then just continue until your at your desired SG. You could even raise it 0.001/week.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:46 pm**

Thanks that is a great help. I need to get the salinity to 1.005. That's going to take while huh?

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 12:53 pm**

Well if you raise it 0.001/week it would take 5 weeks. No need to rush it IMO, its better to make sure the bacteria colonies are stable during the change to give your puffer the best environment.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:08 pm**

I answered this in your other post:

Lisa Wrote:

"You will need a refractometer (or a hydrometer that measures low SG) to adjust your water change replacement water to the proper SG. If you do 50% water changes, this is quite easy.
When you take out 50% of your freshwater, adjust the SG of the water you are adding back to the tank to no higher than 1.004. That way the SG in your tank will be 1.002, when you are done the water change. You can, of course, raise the salinity slower than this, and certainly no faster, as to not crash your bio-filtration."

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:38 pm**

Sorry lisalisa I couldn't find where I posted my question. Thanks for the info.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 2:02 pm**

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 2:09 pm**

See our replies to your original question here puffanutter.

Just add one tablespoon of marine salt to your 10 gallon weekly water change. Do the same the next week. And the next. Then add two tablespoons and do that for a couple weeks. Keep bumping it up by a tablespoon and holding it at that level for a few water changes. Test your SG weekly to track the increase. It'll be very slow and gradual. Once you are at your target, just keep using that amount of salt for your changes.
Trying to match your salt to give an increase of exactly 0.002 is too much hassle and totally unnecessary. The rule of 0.002 per week is really only there to make sure you don't go too fast. Using the tablespoon method is much easier and accomplishes what you really want: a slow, steady increase that is easy to track.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 7:46 pm**

Handy board hint - if you are trying to find a post that you made (or some other particular person made), just click on "Memberlist" at the top of the page under the logo. Find your name or the name you are seeking and click of that. Part of the profile shown offer all of the posts made by that person.

Posted: **Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:44 pm**

Thanks that's a huge help. I am new to the whole forum scene so I don't know much about navigating it. Thanks.

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:12 am**

An even easier way to find your name is to look at the bottom of the forum page where it says 'who's online'. You can just click your name there.