kH in Brackish Water 6/20/18
"Everything happens for a reason" is one of my favorite sayings
(although I find "Everything" to be a bit too broad) and the case of the
failure of my filter hose in my Goby tank is an example. Before the hose
split, dumped all that water (and my biological filter) onto the floor,
and threw the tank into a mini-cycle, I thought everything was fine.
<Indeed! Sounds quite the crisis.>
But I've been struggling to get the tank to re-cycle again.
<So long as the substrate didn't dry out, there should be plenty of
bacteria, albeit dormant, in the filter and/or substrate.>
I'm using Prime consistently, so the fish are not being affected, but
the ammonia has been "jumping" around from .5 one day, to 2 ppm a few
days later; I'll get a slight rise in nitrite, but then it goes away
without increasing the nitrate (of which the test shows is less than 10)
- it has been very frustrating.
<I would imagine. Nonetheless, I'd still have an optimistic approach
here.
The filter bacteria will be there. There's no reason that damp filter
media should lose all its bacteria, and indeed it should 'regenerate'
into something useful within a few days. Of course do multiple water
changes, perhaps 25-50% a day for the first week, and don't add any
food. But there's no reason for a whole 6-week cycling process that I
can think of.>
But I learned a similar lesson with my 125 gallon tank so I decided to
check the kH of the tank and discovered there is none - no kH at all (if
that hose had not split and caused the cycling problem, I might not have
discovered this until the fish had been affected and might not have put
it together even then). I put one drop of the test liquid in the test
tube with the tank water and the water remained clear. After putting
three drops of the test liquid the water had a slight tinge of yellow
(yes, I know it's supposed to turn blue). I had to put in 10 drops of
the test liquid before it turned a solid yellow and as I added more, it
turned a light orange. I think that what is happening is that the amount
of Instant Ocean I'm using to achieve an SG of 1.005 cannot provide
sufficient kH because 1) I'm using RO/DI water (human remains in the
water), 2) I'm brackish, not full salt, and 3) I'm low end brackish
(1.005).
<I would agree with this analysis. Nothing a bit of baking soda can't
fix!
Something along the lines of 1 teaspoon baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
per 5 gallons/20 litres should do the trick, but feel free to increase
as necessary. Use a KH test kit to keep track, and adjust the dose
accordingly. Experiment with a bucket of water first and see what works.
If you want to raise GH, then 1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium
sulfate) per 5 gallons/20 litres can be used as well.>
When this same situation occurred in my 125 after I re-homed my loaches,
I started using Seachem Alkaline Buffer to bring up the kH (I'm not
chasing a pH, just working to establish a healthy kH.
<Precisely.>
The kH in all the tanks is 8 and that's just fine) and it has been
working perfectly in all the tanks. But then I found myself in a
quandary - I know Seachem make a Marine buffer, but I'm not keeping a
marine tank - just low end brackish, and I was afraid the calculations
and proportions in the directions on the Marine Buffer would only apply
to full salt tanks.
<Should work, just go 10-50% dosage, as seems appropriate with your KH
and/or GH test kits.>
So I decided to use the same Alkaline Buffer I use in my freshwater
tanks.
I calculated the amount needed to bring the kH up to 8 like in my other
tanks and split the dosage into three parts (I didn't want to do it all
at once because I know it will affect the pH - I didn't want to inflict
a radical change on the fish). I added the first dosage earlier this
morning and when I tested this afternoon the test showed a kH of 3.
Unless you think I'm doing something wrong, or you think the Goby and
the Mollies need a higher kH, I'll put in the next two doses over the
next two days. So that's the purpose of this e-mail - do you seen
anything wrong with my thinking or my plan to correct this problem?
<Nope; it's a good plan!>
*Renee *
<Good luck, Neale.>
Re: kH in Brackish Water 6/21/18
Great! Thank you!
<Most welcome. Neale.>
Scat Confusion, sys./salt use
6/29/13
Hello again. I suppose I'm becoming a frequent writer. Today I was told
that to be using marine salt to raise the salinity of my scats tank
(he's about four inches at the moment) was NOT the way to go- I should
be using aquarium salt because marine will raise calcium, and this could
damage my fish's organs and shorten his lifespan (!!).
<Utter rubbish. Who told you that…??? Scats live in the SEA. So the one
thing you can be sure of is that they LOVE marine aquarium salt mix and
the high calcium carbonate levels it brings. Instant Ocean, Reef
Crystals, or the generic brand of your choice -- it's all good.>
Well, after having been using marine salt for two months to gradually
raise the salinity, we're at 1.004, and now I'm petrified I'm putting my
little friend in danger.
<Nope.>
He acts just fine- eats like a pig, reacts to me being near him with
excitement (ohboyfoodfoodfood)...the only thing I've noticed is that his
color is dark, and when he was at my work, they were bright. Am I
harming him? How should I reverse this?
<See above.>
I was told to simply cease using marine salt and just use aquarium from
now on to get the salinity up...I really hope I haven't harmed him.
(I've been cycling the new 65 gallon I plan on putting him in...also
with marine salt!! Would I reverse this the same way- or would a water
change and then aquarium salt do the trick?)
-long winded Tori
<Rest easy, Tori; you are doing the right thing. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Scat Confusion 6/29/13
Good. My levels read as such- ammonia is at <1, nitrates/nitrites at 0.
pH is ~8.2. Salinity now at 10. I wonder what could be making his colour
so dark, then.
<Scats appreciate big tanks, strong water currents, and above all else,
reasonably high salinity. Try upping the specific gravity to at least
1.005 and see what happens.>
On the calcium test (i used the Nutrafin test), it was two drops before
the water turned people...so his calcium is low. Is there anything you
can think of to brighten him up again?
<Carbonate hardness and calcium content of the water will go up with
more marine salt being used. Furthermore, mix in some coral sand with
any gravel used in the tank. Ideally, add a good handful of crushed
coral into the canister filter (a filter media bag may be useful here).>
I don't know what could be stressing him to cause the darker colors.
Thank you, though!
<Dark colours on Scats and Monos are usually environmental. Cheers,
Neale.>
<<And secondarily from social (bullying) issues. BobF>>
Re: Scat Confusion 6/29/13
Environmental? Do you mean water quality wise, or literal environment
(he seriously blends in perfectly with the tank and the decor. Sometimes
its a chore to find him even when he's right in my face)?
<Either/any… you need to consider widely… water chemistry, pH stability,
salinity, current (turnover/hour), tankmates, etc… Do start here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/scatart.htm
Follow the links at top for more… the requirements of this species and
its genus are quite well understood.>
Do you have any further suggestions about reviving the bright colors-
other factors I may be missing? Thanks again...you guys are life savers.
<Most welcome. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Scat Confusion 6/29/13
Oh! And should I worry about magnesium and calcium? Where
should they be for a small scat of about four inches or so?
<Decent water chemistry (high carbonate hardness + use of quality
aquarium salt) should take care of this/these. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Scat Confusion 6/29/13
My bad! Last PS of the evening- I totally JUST realized
that you're the same Neale Monks who wrote the book I've been devouring
at work- the Brackish Fishes book. In my efforts to become a brackish
specialist I've been reading it cover to cover, and I enjoy it very
much!
<I'm very glad to hear this!>
Okay...whew. I think I'm done with post-haste thoughts, now- now I'm
just curious about where his calcium and magnesium levels should be, or
if I should even worry about those.
<See previous; in short, no, assuming salinity and hardness are
adequate, they'll be taken care of.>
That, and other factors that could make him so dark. Sorry again if I
seem a bother- this is my first brackish fish, and I adore him. I want
him to be happy! :)
<Does he have tankmates? Scats are gregarious, and mix well with their
own kind and with Monos and Green Chromides. Avoid two specimens though…
three or more Scats works better, or singletons with trios of Monos or
Green Chromides. Cheers, Neale.>
Using tap water for Brackish 9/23/12
Hi Crew,
<Danielle>
I would like to start a brackish water aquarium using tap water.
The tap water in my area is full of chlorine and ammonia. With a
good conditioner, will I be able to successfully keep monos?
<Chlorine and ammonia combine to form chloramines, which can be
neutralized with many Dechlor products. There shouldn't be any free
ammonia, but you should test your tap water to be sure. Once
treated, this water should work fine for a brackish tank. As to whether
you can successfully keep monos, that depends on your husbandry skills.
- Rick>
Danielle
finding and selecting low range hydrometers, BR and SW
f' 2/5/12
Hi WWM Crew,
Your site is pretty much my aquarium bible. Its great! And i have
recommended it to a number of workers in my LFS as well as friends.
Especially after I overheard some really awful advice being given to a
customer at which point I kind of inserted myself into the conversation
and offered some advice. Probably should have minded my own business
but the clerk obviously had never heard of the nitrogen cycle or prime
(which was right there on the shelf) and was selling a bunch of fish to
a guy to put in a tank far too small for the number and size of fish he
was purchasing. I had to speak up, as politely as I could, but i did
manage to educate both of them a bit. I'm no expert, and a year and
a half ago i was clueless, but I have studied and read and read and
read and now i feel like I'm probably approaching the intermediate
level of freshwater fish keeping. I now also have a low to medium
salinity brackish tank with only Black Mollies (2 females and 1 baby
which has turned out to be a Dalmatian and is now big enough, about 1/4
to a 1/2 inch long, so it wont (shouldn't) be eaten. All 3 are
doing very well in this 10 gallon tank. The tank was bought to be a
quarantine tank, but I couldn't leave it empty, so after a month of
fishless cycling and finally getting the Am and nitrites down to 0 and
also, just to be sure, i added a little pure ammonia and watched to see
how it was handled, , it disappeared pretty quickly, nitrites briefly
bumped up a little and in a day or 2 i was back to Am=0, Nitrites=0 and
some nitrates. I then moved 2 mollies from my freshwater tank to this
10 gallon and over time have worked up the salt . I currently use 3
level tablespoons (the measuring spoons, not the food spoons) of
Instant Ocean per 10 liters of water with a tiny bit of prime (1/8 cap
or so) per 10liters of water change. The tank came with a whisper 10
HOB filter which in my opinion is not adequate for a 10 gallon tank,
but rather than replace it with a Whisper 20 I bought a 2nd Whisper 10
to run in parallel, now i can alternate filter swaps and not upset the
nitrogen cycle too much. Also, and this is cool, i found 2 cheap sponge
filters that fit nicely on the whisper intakes and provide a little
more area for nitrifying bacteria to grow in along with keeping any big
particles out of the filter. They work great. I just buy empty filter
cartridges, I don't use carbon unless I see a particular reason to
use it for a week or so. The tank has plenty of plastic plants and a
cave, so its not too plain. I also have a large round (4"
diameter) air stone which the mollies love to play in, its funny, they
actually will swim over the stone and allow it to float them up, then
swim out and do it again, after awhile they get bored and go off to do
something else. Temperature is 80F, Am is 0, Nitrites are 0 and well,
you know how nitrates are, they always climb, but i try to keep them
below 20mg/l. I want to measure the SG using a glass hydrometer , the
trouble is that the scale i am interested in is 1.000 through say 1.010
or possibly 1.015and that tends to be very low on the hydrometer scale.
I just don��t trust any instrument that��s reading
close to one end or the other of its full scale. With that in mind I
went looking for a suitable hydrometer. They are quite hard to find but
I did find these three:
http://morebeer.com/view_product/18650/102224/Hydrometer_-_Final_Gravity
http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=2089
http://www.stevenson-reeves.co.uk/hydrometers/LANS.htm
They are used primarily in beer and wine brewing . I was leaning
towards the first link, the 3rd link seems to have a lot of choices but
its nearly impossible to understand what the ranges are, at least for
me its extremely confusing. All of those in the 3 links above would
need to have their readings temperature corrected. Can you comment on
what would be a good choice for my application? Are they even
appropriate if i adjust the reading for temperature? If not, what do I
do, i suppose i could mix, measure and call it "close enough"
but I'd rather know what I really have in there. One more thought,
I really noticed a striking change in the mollies when they got into
the salted water, they seem much healthier. When they were in the
freshwater tank, I had one that had some white stuff on her belly and
an especially large glob near the anal fin, I couldn't diagnose it,
I watched it for over 2 months, it wasn't Ich, the other molly is
coal black and if it was Ich this would have spread. My guess was
Columnaris, so i treated the tank for it. It didn't help a bit. But
after I moved her to the new tank and brought up the salt (marine salt)
level I noticed a distinct change and a definite improvement, so
whatever it is, its getting better around the anal fin and as to her
belly? Well, maybe she's half Dalmatian. I really don��t
know but her baby is definitely a Dalmatian. I'd send a picture but
there must be some magic to getting a good shot, I just can't get a
decent photo. I need to say one more thing for those reading your site,
use a maintenance log program, and log every single thing that you do,
measurements, fish deaths, stuff added from chemicals, to salt to
plants, lights changed, water changes and how much (I use a bucket with
5 and 10 liter marks on the outside as it seems like almost everything
in the fish industry that matters is metric), log it all, it's
worth its weight in gold when you can look back and see what is really
going on i your tank, not just what you think you remember. I have a
log for my 10 gallon and a separate log for my 44 gallon tank. I use
Aqua Log, its free and if you set up the columns before adding any data
it will be nice and orderly and its simple to use.
Thanks
Eric
<Hello Eric. The short answer is that any hydrometer that
runs from 1.000 to 1.030 is going to be useful for
fishkeeping. However, a couple of issues. First, it needs to
be calibrated (i.e., accurate) at a useful temperature, e.g., 20 or 25
degrees C. If the calibrated temperature is far above or below these,
it's less useful. Second, any hydrometer (or refractometer) is only
as accurate as its design allows, and consumer grade ones costing a few
pounds or dollars will be less reliably accurate that scientific ones
costing tens if not hundreds of times more. The best way to be sure is
to make up a known concentration (e.g., 35.5 grammes marine aquarium
salt in 1 litre of pure/RO water) at the calibrated temperature (e.g.,
25 C) and then test the hydrometer. If thoroughly dissolved, which may
take 20 minutes or longer, 35.5 g/l should be 1.025 at 25 C. If your
hydrometer is far above or below that, then make a note of how far, and
adjust accordingly when using the hydrometer. To be honest, brackish
water fish largely don't care, so if you're dosing at 5
grammes/litre, an ideal amount for Mollies, you should register SG
1.002-1.003 on your hydrometer, but if its a bit above or below, no
worries! Go with salinity (grams/litre) over hydrometer reading any day
of the week. Fish experience the salinity; specific gravity is
immaterial. Cheers, Neale.>
crab water quality, salt type/s
11/4/11
I recently set up what I thought was a brackish tank for one
red clawed crab and a few guppies. I got all animals from a
LFS that was going out of business. They said they used aquarium salt
and iodine supplement.
<Yes.>
After doing some more research I see you site says aquarium salt will
not do long term.
<Ideally not. Mixed with Epsom salt and baking soda it would be
okay, but the ideal would be to use marine aquarium salt by
itself.>
I have a partial package of instant ocean marine mix but do not know
what the measurements for adding it to the tank are. It only says to
use full package in 5 gallons water.
<For a low-end brackish aquarium, something around 9 grammes/litre
should be ample. There's about 6 grammes per teaspoon, so you
shouldn't have much difficulty estimating this amount: 1.5
teaspoons per litre!>
What would the correct measurement for adding that? Also, is that what
I should order since I have to order salt for correct brackish
water?
<You can use your tonic salt until it's used up, but after that,
buy the marine stuff.>
It will be a few weeks before anything gets here. I saw on another
question you told the person they could "add 1 teaspoon baking
soda (sodium bicarbonate) and 1 tablespoon Epsom salt (magnesium
sulfate) per 10 liters alongside the aquarium salt.
<Yes, adding those amounts to baking soda and Epsom salt should be
helpful.
Ignore the salt amount quoted there, because that recipe is for
freshwater, not brackish water, conditions. In other words, per 10
litres, something like 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 tablespoon of Epsom
salt, and 15 teaspoons of tonic salt should provide a specific gravity
around 1.005 while also producing hard, alkaline chemistry.>
These will provide some of the minerals crustaceans need for their
shells.
<Correct; do see above.>
Also, add the iodine, either in the water, or through foods rich in
iodine". Should I do that until I get the correct stuff in?
<Alongside the others, at 50% the dosage on the marine aquarium
iodine bottle.>
How long can I use that for?
<Indefinitely.>
Will all of that be safe for the guppies?
<Yes, but it's questionable whether crabs and guppies will get
along...>
Do I simply add that when I do water changes and let it dissolve before
putting into tank?
<Simply add.>
Also, the iodine supplement I have is very concentrated and I am not
sure what the correct dosage is. The directions are one teaspoon (one
capful) per 50 gallons each day. My tank is only a 20gallon.
<Sounds like a couple drops should be ample.>
Thank you for your replies.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Brackish water 3/13/10
Hi Peeps,
I just found out about Neale Monks book, "Brackish-Water Fishes:
An Aquarist's Guide to Identification, Care & Husbandry".
I've heard great things and plan to get a copy soon.
<Well, I'm pleased to hear that!>
Question: I have a 10 gallon (~ 8 gallon water column) brackish water,
planted tank. It's been up and running for almost a year, housing
some Bumblebee gobies (possibly, Brachygobius nunus), fancy Guppies and
a growing population of RCS, (N. denticulata sinensis.) I would like to
add water with a SG ~ 1.007 and keep the tank water the same,
1.007.
<Absolutely no need to keep the tank this saline. For BBGs and
Guppies, something around 10-15% seawater salinity, 3-5 grammes of
marine salt mix per litre, will be ample (one level measuring teaspoon
of salt mix is about 6 grammes, so basically half to just under a level
teaspoon per litre should be fine). That's a specific gravity of
about 1.001-1.002. Since you want plants, I'd recommend a lower
salinity, but at the same time, you seem to have a very low pH for
brackish water, so I'm worried that you're not adding nearly as
much salt as you think you are.>
If I believe my reading of the refractometer, I am doing just that.
<I'm not sure that you are.>
Some other water parameters are; Ph of 6.4,
<Far too low for Guppies, in the long term.>
4dKH, 25dGH, and a water temp around 76F. What worries me (if I
haven't already said something worrisome), is the amount of sea
salt that I add. 3 tablespoons of Tropic Marine Sea Salt for roughly
every 5 gallons.
<One tablespoon is three teaspoons, so you're adding 3 x 6 = 18
grammes per 5 gallons, about 19 litres. That's just over a gramme
per litre, far less salinity than you're reading from your
refractor. Remember, salinity is easy to measure: it's the mass of
salt you're adding to the water. The specific gravity on the other
hand is easy to get wrong: it depends on you using and calibrating a
refractometer or hydrometer correctly. I'm sure you're not
using your refractometer correctly if you're adding 1 gramme per
litre, barely over SG 1.000, and yet you're *reading* SG 1.007. Had
you said 1.0007 -- note the extra decimal place -- then I'd believe
you.>
I change 50-60% of the water every 8 to 14 days. Every one seems
happy.
Should I keep with the program? Some of the plants are; Limnophila
aromatica, Vallisneria, Echinodorus and Java ferns. They also look fine
and dandy, as long as I keep adding CO2. Anything you can say will be
appreciated.
<Dump the refractometer, and simply weight out the salt from a dry,
airtight container within which you store the salt. Stir into each
bucket of water as required. If you're adding 5 grammes per litre,
and you're making a 15 litre bucket, then 5 x 15 = 75 grammes per
15 litre bucket.
Easy as pie. Have a look at my Brack Calc application if you're
still confused; it runs on Macs and Windows.
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Programs/brackcalc.html
>
Sincerely Yours,
Kay
<Hope this helps. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Brackish water 3/15/10
Thanks for the quick response.
<Happy to help.>
I decided to take another look at what I was doing and to re-calibrate
the refractometer (off by about 1.0063 as you thought). I remember
using the half a teaspoon per litre rule at first.
<It's not a "rule" but a guideline. Use the teaspoon =
6 grammes guideline to make up the bucket of water, and then use your
hydrometer or refractometer to check the specific gravity. Add more
salt or water to get the precise specific gravity you want.>
I was acclimating plants and fish before raising the salinity to
1.007.
Just, I never raised the salinity after my refractometer arrived. lol
God looks after fools and babies.
<Or else sometimes lets the baby crawl right off the
cliff...>
So, to recap, I am replacing 17 litres, I add around 50 grammes of salt
and I am trying for a SG of about 1.001.
<Aim for SG 1.002 to 1.003 for best results; SG 1.001 is too low to
make much difference.>
You mention raising the pH. What about adding Potassium Carbonate?
<Why? If you use marine salt mix to raise the salinity to SG 1.003,
the pH and carbonate hardness will be taken care of all by
themselves.>
Lastly, what about adding a small amount of sea salt to a 20 gallon
tank, housing Angelfish a few days before a water change?
<What possible reason might there be for this?>
Thank you so much!
Kay
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Brackish water
3/17/10
I know this email seems a little scrambled but I hope you will make
some sense out of it. The SG is now slightly lower then 1.003 and the
pH is around 7.2-7.4, but the pH test is for fresh water and my yeast
has stopped
pooping out CO2. I know CO2 can lower the pH but have been told not to
worry about that.
<Sort of. In brackish water, pH generally stabilises around 7.5
because of the calcium carbonate in the marine salt mix. But if you do
choose to use CO2, you will need to test the pH and adjust your CO2
source accordingly.
There's a complex relationship between pH, carbonate hardness (KH)
and the amount of CO2 needed for optimal plant growth.>
Once it's running however, I do expect another drop in my pH.
<Below pH 7.4, brackish water fish aren't going to be
happy.>
I have 4dKH in the tank. If Tropic Marine Sea Salt will increase the KH
I have never seen it IME and nothing says it will raise the carbonate
hardness on the box.
<It's a given. Marine salt mix -- as opposed to
"tonic" aquarium salt -- replicates natural seawater in
containing many minerals other than sodium chloride. Almost certainly
the package the package will state this. I have a box of Tropic Marin
salt mix right here, and one of the side panels is covered with a list
of the 70 trace elements in the box! Anyway, marine aquarists call
carbonate hardness "alkalinity", and that may well be
described on the box.>
One thing I have been trying is some sort of Calcareous rock (bubbles
when I drop it in vinegar) inside the CO2 reactor. I just thought
adding Potassium Carbonate would add some K+ for the plants and raise
the KH a little. : )
<Wouldn't bother.>
Gesundheit!
<Most of the plants that do well in brackish water can (or must)
perform biogenic decalcification, which means they use carbonate
hardness as a source of carbon for photosynthesis. Vallisneria and
Elodea are two examples, and the harder the water, the faster they
grow. Other plants grow so slowly that it doesn't matter either
way. Java fern and Cryptocoryne wendtii are two brackish-tolerant
plants that too grow slowly to be bothered by the lack of CO2
fertilisation. In other words, I'd run your tank as a brackish
system, skip the CO2, see which plants do well, and throw out any that
don't. Much easier! Cheers, Neale.>
Instant ocean, Synthetic salt mix/es for
making brackish water -- 1/27/10
hi! I was wondering I got instant ocean and will it work for making a
brackish tank? also would it be any trouble if you could tell me
instructions on how much I put in? thank you see you later!
<Will... read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/brh20h2o.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Use of Marine Buffer in Tropical Brackish
Tank for Green Spotted Puffer 7/26/09
Hi Guys,
<Hello,>
I am setting up a 46 Bow Front aquarium for a pufferfish (green
spotted). I live in an area (St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada)
where the water supply comes from fresh water rivers that drain into a
peat bog/pond, so is soft (about 6.5-6.9 pH). I intend to use synthetic
marine salt mix and measure it with a hydrometer to get it too 1.005
specific gravity. Here is my issue:
even with marine salt mix added to make the water brackish the pH and
hardness seem too low to me. When I measure the pH with my test kit
(Hagen Master Test Kit, or the Hagen mini masters test kit) I cannot
get it to go over 7 to 7.3. I want it to be at 8.
<For juvenile Puffers at SG 1.005, this pH isn't all that bad,
and if you add some carbonate hardness to the system, e.g., crushed
coral in one of the canister filters, you should find the pH rises a
bit anyway.>
If I add some SeaChem Marine Buffer will this work?
<Yes, though a half-dose might be all you need. Personally, I'd
simply use
an Rift Cichlid salt mix, as here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2oquality.htm
A half or full dose should be ample.>
The label advises that it will raise the pH to 8.3 and buffer it too.
The water has low carbonate hardness as well. Also, when I set this
aquarium up should I just add the salt, the marine buffer (if okay to
use), set temperature and equipment, and then wait? I tried to set up a
brackish water aquarium prior but couldn't get the Ammonia to go
down to zero after about 2 months and just gave up knowing if I could
raise the pH with the ammonia present everything would likely just
die.
<Ammonia won't ever reach zero if you do any of the following:
[a] Overstock the tank. [b] Provide inadequate filtration, or use
inappropriate media for biological filtration. [c] Overfeed the fish
dramatically.
Pufferfish need generous tanks, and while your tank should be adequate
for an adult specimen, possibly two, this does depend upon well
filtered the system is. At minimum, you want a filter rated at 6 times
the volume of the tank, in this case 276 gallons per hour (i.e., 4 x
46). Personally, I'd up that a bit, and keep my puffers in systems
8-10 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. Filters should
be predominantly biological in nature, with good quality sponges and
ceramic media. These media should be cleaned every 4-6 weeks by rinsing
them in a bucket of aquarium water.
Crushed coral in a media bag could be added to one compartment in a
canister filter. There's little/no use for other media: carbon,
nitrate remover, Zeolite, etc., and in fact using these
"wastes" useful capacity of a filter, potentially allowing
ammonia levels to stay high even when turnover levels are adequate.
(Though admittedly, after a couple of weeks, carbon becomes a good
medium for biological filtration bacteria, though at the same time
stops doing any of the things carbon is assumed to perform.>
I am sure that I read that adding the synthetic marine salt mix would
take care of the pH and the KH.
<It will at adequate levels; at SG 1.010 at 25 C, you should find pH
and KH very stable and at ideal values. You certainly can keep juvenile
GSPs at that level, though it's more normal to keep adults, upwards
of 8 cm/3 inches, at such levels.>
Is this true, or do I have to do something else as well to
"fix" the water so it is right for a green spotted
pufferfish. I will do anything I can do or buy anything I can purchase
to make the tank correct.
Thanks
<Cheers, Neale.>
High nitrate levels in tap water - Brackish
aquarium, should I use RO water? 7/12/09
Hello, I am Penny.
I have a 21 US Gallon cycled tank containing one 2 inch green spotted
puffer Tetraodon nigroviridis (brackish). Temp 26 C, pH 8.0, aragonite
sand substrate, TetraTec ex 600 canister filter. SG 1.005. I have
artificial plants.
<Sounds good for now; but do understand Tetraodon nigroviridis gets
fairly big, 2-3 times the size it is now, and you'll want a tank
some 2-3 times bigger than your 21 gallon system.>
The problem is my tap water has nitrate levels of 40mg/l (ppm). I put a
JBL Clearmec nitrate/nitrate/phosphate reducing pouch containing clay
beads/resins in the canister filter a few days ago but it isn't
doing much for the nitrate levels. Am I just being impatient?
<No; these pouches have little/no impact on high nitrate levels;
they're really for marine tanks where nitrate levels are lower.
Total waste of money in your aquarium. Regular water changes would be
far better.>
Puffina seems to be thriving so far but I believe that she would be
happier with lower nitrate levels.
<This is true, but it isn't a "killer" provided other
factors are good.>
Is it worth me using RO water in future?
<Depends on the cost; a 50/50 mix of tap water and RO water (or
rainwater) would certainly provide the 20 mg/l level that is considered
ideal for these fish. That said, if cost becomes a factor, it'd be
much better to
save your money for a bigger aquarium, bigger filter, and just do more
water changes.>
My concern with using RO water is that the amount of marine salt I add
to it will not be sufficient to replace all the necessary minerals
required.
<Won't make any difference; you'd add the same 9 grammes of
marine salt mix per litre of water at 25 degrees C to make the SG 1.005
water required for juvenile Tetraodon nigroviridis.>
I have looked at denitrators but opinions on them seem to be very
mixed.
<Waste of money.>
Thank you in advance for your help.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: High nitrate levels in tap water -
Brackish aquarium, should I use RO water? 7/12/09
Thanks for the speedy reply. I am aware that puffy will need a larger
tank. I am currently plotting and campaigning, soon my husband will
think it was all his brilliant idea :)
<Indeed!>
I shall get some RO water and do half RO/half tap water, the local shop
sells it at about £2 for 25 litres. Well worth it I
think.
<Certainly won't do any harm. But in practise, regular water
changes, avoidance of underfeeding, removal of uneaten food, the use of
a protein skimmer (at SG 1.010 upwards), and an aquarium of adequate
size should all provide good conditions for brackish water puffers
without the need for the expense of RO water. It's worth noting the
toxicity of nitrate decreases as salinity increases, and much
discussion of the affect nitrate has on puffers refers largely to
freshwater, not brackish water, species. Cheers, Neale.>
|
Measuring salinity for mollies 7/29/08 Dear
WetWebMedia crew, I'm preparing to set up an aquaria hub in
my living room for breeding mollies. I want to try and keep the
salinity around 20-25%, but I want to know how I can be sure of
this during a water change. <25% seawater corresponds to about
SG 1.005, or 7.5 grammes of salt per litre of water. If you
download my Brack Calc program (Mac/Win) you can see how these
three measurements are related to one another and to temperature.
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Programs/brackcalc.html Estimating
the salinity this way is not very accurate though, because an
opened box of salt absorbs moisture, and that in turn makes each
gramme of salt mix actually rather less in terms of salt because
some of that weight is water. So in practise you need a
hydrometer or refractometer. A basic floating glass hydrometer
costs about $5 and is accurate enough for this type of work *if
used correctly*.> If I measure the water I am removing, and
replace it with the same amount pre-treated with the appropriate
amount of salt; the salinity will be roughly the same, right?
<Correct. The important thing is to remember to REPLACE water
taken out with brackish water, but TOP UP EVAPORATION with
freshwater, because the water that evaporates doesn't take
salt with it.> Thanks, Nick <Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Measuring salinity for mollies 7/29/08 Thanks
for the tip! But one last thing- >>Correct. The important
thing is to remember >>to REPLACE water taken out with
brackish water, >>but TOP UP EVAPORATION with freshwater,
because >>the water that evaporates doesn't take salt
with >>it. Right so if I understand right, when I'm
doing a water change, I want to replace with prepared brackish
water, but if I'm just replacing evaporated water, I should
use dechlorinated tap water. <Correct. This is exactly the
same for marine fishkeeping, by the way.> Also, what's the
safest way to take fish from the home to the LFS for trading
purposes? <I use 3 to 5 gallon buckets with lids. But you can
also re-use any plastic bags left over from when you bought some
fish. Big (multi-litre) food containers can be used too. It
doesn't really matter what you use, so long as the fish has
enough oxygen and isn't exposed to huge temperature
changes.> Cheers, Nick <Cheers, Neale>
Re: Measuring salinity for mollies 7/29/08 I
noticed you all get this Q allot, but I noticed some
inconsistency. For mollies, if I want to keep them in brackish
water, will using API Aquarium salt raise the salinity or should
I be using a marine salt mix, like Instant Ocean (the only one
that I've seen at various LFS) instead? Cheers, Nick <For
brackish water fish generally, you want to use standard marine
salt mix (Instant Ocean, Reef Crystals, etc.) rather than tonic
salt in the aquarium. Why? Marine salt mix contains not just
sodium chloride but also a lot of carbonate/bicarbonate salts
that raise the alkalinity and stabilise the pH, two things that
Mollies and other brackish water fish really appreciate. Tonic
salt (e.g., API Aquarium salt) is almost entirely sodium
chloride, and while useful as a therapy (e.g., for treating
Whitespot or doing "saltwater dips") it isn't a
worthwhile long-term additive to the aquarium. To be fair, if you
already have hard to very hard water with a high alkalinity (or
carbonate hardness), then livebearers including Mollies won't
be all that fussed, and you can probably get away with tonic
salt. But I wouldn't recommended it, and I doubt it would be
cost effective in the long term either. Marine salt mix, when
bought in bulk, is inexpensive. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Measuring salinity for mollies 7/29/08 Thanks for
the advice (yet again), I'm glad to finally get a concise
answer on the problem! :D <We aim to please! Cheers,
Neale.>
|
Re: Specific Gravity
1.010 01/08/2008 Well I'll be going to someone else
and getting some iodine sometime very soon then. <Very good.> I
had indeed read about snails and shrimp being brackish, though I had
not read much of anything on the Beadlet anemone. I'll for sure
check out more info on that. <Actinia equina is a temperate zone,
intertidal anemone the size and colour of a strawberry that seems to
have an astonishing ability to adapt successfully to extremes. I've
kept in in a tropical system with mantis shrimps, and these anemones
bred very rapidly, producing beautiful bright red babies all over the
place. Not sure what the minimum SG is; I'd expect something in the
range 1.015 to 1.018. So well under normal marine salinities, but still
much higher than most people keep their brackish systems. Still,
I've seen these anemones sold as "brackish water
anemones" by online dealers and auctioneers.> What I had been
wondering was if there was anything that would be suitable for life
that would hang around the middle to upper regions of the tank.
<Lots! But relatively little that's actually traded. Your best
bet would be to look at biological supply houses for brackish water
gobies, livebearers, and killifish. Many are traded in North America
for use as lab animals, in part because they can be kept in freshwater,
brackish water, or marine aquaria as required by the experiment. The
killifish are especially fun to keep.> A fish that would be suitable
to live in high-end brackish in the five gallon, or possibly even the
fifteen gallon that I have which I'd be willing to set up for that
if it meant being able to fit a fish or two happily in there with the
other stuff. <A five-gallon tank is very small, and basically only
suitable for gobies. I'd be considering things like Desert Gobies
(Chlamydogobius eremius), Bumblebee Gobies (Brachygobius spp.) if
carefully adapted, and Rhinohorn Gobies (Redigobius balteatus). These
latter are very pretty, quite hardy, and will accept anything between
fresh and fully marine conditions. A single species of the Vietnamese
Zebra Blenny (Omobranchus zebra) might be another option. A beautiful
fish, but exceedingly aggressive, so only combine with things like
Nerites. It will eat live shrimps, so don't bother mixing them.
Should be fine with small anemones though. I've kept Beadlet
anemones and blennies together many times. Of course, your own mileage
may vary!> And even, if the things that make live rock alive would
survive with their salinity brought down that low? <At least some of
the beasties in live rock should be fine to SG 1.018, and perhaps a
trifle lower. But do remember that while shallow water crustaceans and
molluscs are often able to adapt to variations in salinity, things like
echinoderms and cnidarians typically can't. So try a small piece
first and see how you go.> Thanks man, Collin <Cheers,
Neale.>
Can I use non iodized sea salt for a
brackish tank? 11/6/07 <In a word, no. To make a brackish
water aquarium you need to use marine salt mix. Only marine salt mix
has the combination of salt plus carbonate hardness that creates an
environment brackish water fish need. Sea salt is fine in the short
term, and is certainly better than nothing, but long term you'll
only get good results using proper marine salt mix. Cheers,
Neale>
Brackish Water, Hardness, and Salinity - 10/07/2007 Hello
Neale, <Aileen,> I have been reading many of your articles that
focus on the species suitable for hard water environments and oddballs.
Thank-you very much. Clearly you have put a lot of time and effort into
these. You have been very prolific and perhaps you should compile,
expand your articles and write a comprehensive guide in the form of a
book! You cover species often not discussed elsewhere in any detail. Do
you already have a book? <Yes. It's called 'Brackish Water
Fishes' and published by TFH.> I also get the idea that you are
very experimental in your approach to fish keeping, that is trying new
things with various species (halfbeak fry raising for instance) I have
noted that many of the fish generally considered to thrive in a tank
with added salt are listed without the mention of salt. <Indeed.
Glassfish, spiny eels, halfbeaks, and bumblebee gobies are all
freshwater fish that may tolerate salt but don't need it.> I do
not know if this is deliberate or not addressed, as this is not the aim
of the article. This is particularly in reference to In praise of hard
water How hard, alkaline water can be a blessing in disguise <Yes.
Water chemistry stability, which comes with high mineral content, can
be very useful.> So, here is the question.....Does the high mineral
and naturally occurring salts of hard water negate the need for added
salt? <No. Brackish water fish need both high hardness and high
salinity. Hardness and salinity are not interchangeable.> Is this a
matter for experimentation when trying different species with a your
particular water parameters? <It has been played with quite a bit,
but the bottom line is brackish water fish need brackish water. When
kept otherwise, the range of problems varies, but in most cases the
fish are nervous, more prone to diseases like fungus, and tend to have
shorter lifespans.> Cheers Aileen <Cheers, Neale>
Salt for Brackish 8/16/07 <Hi, Pufferpunk
here> I have two F8 puffers in a ten gallon tank and I'm getting
a 30 gal really soon. I have my puffers in fresh water now but I'm
gonna set up the new tank as BW. I went to the pet store and
couldn't figure out what kind of salt to get. They had something
for freshwater and then they had marine salt. I asked the fish guru at
the store and he said that marine salt might kill my puffers.
<Hmmm... not much of a "guru" then!> Is this true or do
I have to use marine salt? If so, how much do I add and how often? I
would really appreciate any help you could give me. <You have to use
marine salt to make brackish water. You'll need to measure it with
a hydrometer. The salt should be premixed overnight with a airstone (or
better yet, a small powerhead). Do not raise the specific gravity
(measurement of salt density) more than .002/week. Your goal will be
1.005 for their lifetime. Once you reach your goal SG (1.005), you will
have to replace it with water of the same density, when you do your
weekly water changes on the tank. Be sure to find a hydrometer that
starts at 1.000. Instant Ocean & SeaTest make them. ~PP>
Re: Converting water, BR, Figure 8
Puffers... 8/16/07 Thank you so much for your prompt
response, I'm impressed. I have another question, when I bought the
puffer fish the tank they were in was a freshwater tank. I think I
should convert the water to Brackish. I don't know how I can do
that without stressing my puffers. Should I just start adding salt
little by little and monitoring the specific gravity or something?
Thank you very much! K.B.D. <For figure-8 puffers there's no
rush to change the salinity, so think more about the filter bacteria
rather than the fish. Start by doing water changes that raise the
salinity to SG 1.002, and let the thing settle at that level for a few
weeks. Check the ammonia/nitrate level(s) are safe. If they are, then
raise the salinity to SG 1.004. Figure-8 puffers aren't really
fussy about the salinity, any anything between 1.003 to 1.010 is
tolerable, though 1.004-1.006 is probably the ideal. What matters more
is that pH and hardness are nice and high, and that the nitrate levels
are very low. So choose a salinity level that isn't a financial
burden. There's no point choosing a high salinity if that only
means you "economise" on water changes. Your puffers would
sooner have clean water at SG 1.003 than dirty water at SG 1.008.
Incidentally, there's no harm to varying the salinity every couple
of months; in fact, it's probably quite a good idea. No brackish
water fish naturally experiences a constant salinity, and the species
that breed in captivity (not puffers, sadly) mostly seem to do so when
there are salinity changes. Plants generally don't like brackish
water conditions, though a few do, so if you're using live plants,
research this issue first. Java ferns and Java moss are two of the most
reliable species in this regard. Finally, do not use "tonic
salt" or "aquarium salt" -- what you want is marine salt
mix of the kind used in reef tanks. If you happen to have a marine
aquarium, "old" water from a reef tank can be diluted with
freshwater and used in a brackish water tank perfectly safely, provided
the nitrate levels are nice and low. Cheers, Neale>
Green Spotted Puffers, how to set up water? --
07/18/07 Hello, <Hi Nicole , Pufferpunk here> About a week
ago I bought four green spotted puffers from Wal-Mart. Unaware that
they are brackish fish I put them in a FW tank, which is what they had
been living in at Wal-Mart. <With 4 of those puffers, you're
going to need quite a large tank. Did you cycle the tank?> I
purchased the salt to put in their water but I am not sure how much to
put in and how to go about doing so. Do I just start putting the salt
in or do I gradually add it to the water? <You need marine salt
& a hydrometer to measure the salinity. Find one that starts at
1.000. You can raise the specific gravity as much as .002/week or less.
For a rough estimate, it will take about a cup of salt/5gallons of
water to raise the SG by .005. You'll have to do some math
here.> Also, while my puffers are eating well and appear to be
healthy, they are developing a case of ick. <Are you sure it's
ich? Are there spots on their fins or just their body. Many folks think
their tiny spines look like ich.> I know that they are scaleless and
the normal medication I would use to treat ick says do not use on
scaleless species, so would it be okay for me to use Metranidazole?
<See: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/hospital/fwich/
> The tank that they are kept in is 10 gallons and they range from
about 1 inch or less. <I would only put 1 of those puffers into a
10g tank, so you'll need a 40g tank for them now. Eventually, when
they grow over 2" & into quite large-bodied 6" fish, they
will require 30g each. You might want to rethink this...> I put some
Melafix in the water and I am hoping that this will help, but I
don't think that Melafix is a cure for ick. <No, it's not
but it will sooth their skin, where the parasites are attacking
them.> If you could give me some advise on what to do with them, it
would be greatly appreciated. <Start by reading:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm More info
can be found at www.thepufferforum.com . Please, please, please do your
research before your purchase! These are wild-caught fish & their
species is being depleted in the wild. ~PP> Thanks, Nicole
Storing Water for BW use -- 5/13/07 Hi there,
<Greetings.> I was hoping you would be able to help me! I love
the site and find it incredibly useful, although have never asked any
questions as I was not sure whether I would receive an answer, but have
decided to take the plunge (no pun intended). <Very good.> I have
a brackish system with 2 baby green spotted puffers, in a 10 gallon
tank. I know its small and I hope to upgrade within 6 months
(student), but they both seem incredibly happy! <Yes, a bit small.
Possibly viable while very young, but once at 4-5 cm in length, totally
inappropriate. Ultimately, these fish will need around 50 gallons for
the two of them, because some specimens are somewhat aggressive towards
one another. Not always, but often enough for you to take the some sort
of precautions.> I was just wondering you talk about storing water
for changes. I was curious, what sought of container do you
store it in (stupid question) and how long can it be stored for?
<Ideally, a plastic container with a lid (partly to stop
evaporation, but also to stop dust and gunk falling in). I use 5 gallon
buckets with lids purchased from a paint supply store. Cost very
little, a few UK pounds each. Some aquarists maintain you want *food
grade* plastics to avoid possible contamination of the water with the
solvents used to form the plastic.> Also please tell me i don't
need a protein? <Protein skimmers are very useful in brackish water
aquaria. They aren't essential in the same way they are in marine
reef tanks, but certainly jolly helpful.> Ooooo also...where exactly
is this good bacteria that break down the bad stuff living, in the
tank? the filter tubes? the filter itself? the pump? <Mostly in the
filter medium, which is the sponge, ceramic hoops or whatever that goes
inside the filter. Sounds like you would benefit from having a read
through this: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwfiltration.htm
. When you're done there, skip over to the Brackish section, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/BrackishSubWebIndex.htm
> Fanx for any info you can give, love ya site! <Please
understand that pufferfish are relatively intolerant of poor water
conditions, and can only be maintained in *mature* aquaria. The
lifespan of two green spotted puffers in an immature 10 gallon tank can
probably be measured in weeks, even days.> Over and out! Jack
<Good luck, Neale>
Specific Gravity and Mono question 3/29/07 Hello
everyone, <Hi Andy, Pufferpunk here> First of all, thank you for
the help you have previously provided to me (and everyone else
requiring assistance) on this site. You guys are a
tremendous asset!! <Thank you & you're
welcome!> Ok, I tried to find the answer to this on your site but
couldn't seem to find it. I have a couple of
questions. First, the background: 55gal BW tank, 2 emperor
400 filters. Occupants: 2 Columbian sharks
(about 4 inches long each), 2 GSP's (about 2 inches long) and 1
Monodactylus argenteus (sp), that is 6 inches long and
tall. I have been told that the SG should be around 1.014
but have noticed people on your site saying that BW is around
1.010. What is the best SG for these fish? <BW is
actually any SG between FW & SW. High-end BW, 1.014 is
fine. Eventually those fish will be best kept in
SW. Then you can add live rock & a skimmer, for better
filtration.> My other question is do I need to have more than one
Mono? I know they are a schooling fish but will this guy be
alright by himself? <Yes, schooling fish are definitely happier
& live longer (less stress=stronger immune
system=longevity). A school of 5-6 foot-long fish though,
will require a 300+g tank, just for them.> And yes, I am aware that
I will need to upgrade to a larger tank in the future as all of these
fish get quite large! <Glad to hear you are aware of the adult sizes
of these fish. ~PP> Thanks Everyone! Andy
| Brackish Means Using Marine Salt 1/12/06
Pufferpunk, Thanks for the response. I am constantly learning in
this hobby. I am not sure about the specific gravity. I added 15
teaspoons of aquarium (not marine) salt to the system before adding
any fish. <It takes roughly a cup of MARINE salt/5g to make a
brackish specific gravity of around 1.005 (suitable for F8 puffers
& bumblebee gobies). Aquarium salt in no way, may
your water brackish. Read: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/water/salt.html>
My goal was to create a salt content between fresh and brackish. I
planned on adding a tablespoon of aquarium salt every third (25%)
water change to maintain current conditions. <That's not
enough salt & the totally wrong salt.> I also
realize that Siamese Algae Eaters are not made for brackish water.
However, I was told by the manager of Aquarium Adventures, Columbus
Ohio, that if I wanted an algae eater that would do an awesome job
with algae and was from the river systems I was attempting to
reproduce that the SAE was my fish. <There are no algae eaters
that are comfortable in BW. Rivers are not
BW. The estuaries between FW rivers & the ocean are
BW. The ocean is made from marine salt, not just plain
NaCl.> He explained that the SAE would not do well in brackish
conditions but would be fine in a slightly saltier than normal
fresh water. <But that's not salty enough for the fish you
have.> I also understand that BBG and F8 puffers will be fine in
slightly saltier than normal freshwater. <By slightly saltier,
yes they are kept in low-end BW (1.005-1.008), as compared to mid
range (1.009-1.014) or high-end BW (1.015-1.019).> Therefore, I
assumed I could create a SG that would work decently for both.
<Can't be done. You can't mix BW & FW
fish in the same tank.> Doesn't the aquarium salt help
prevent diseases anyway? <That's bunk--read the article I
linked you to above, on salt.> As far as the overstocking, I am
guilty as charged. I will be sure not to add anything else to the
tank. Why do people suggest BBG's as tankmates for
F8 puffers if they will get eaten? I have never understood why
people say (in the same articles) that BBG are great tankmates but
also warn they could get eaten by puffers. <Sometimes they do
& sometimes they don't get eaten. Depends on the
puffer & good hiding places for all the gobies.> I had quite
a hard time finding my BBGs (contacted 30+ pet stores). Only one
place had them and out of sure excitement I headed there right away
(over an hour drive) and bought all they had. The gobies were
pretty small and I feared that the F8 puffer would eat many of them
and so though I planned to buy 6 or 7 I bought them all. So far
they have gotten bigger (about 1 inch) and seem to be doing fine. I
usually count like 14 or 15 and assume 2 could be hiding. They move
so fast anyway. I attached a picture of my tank that is supposed to
represent where Southeast Asian rivers meet a mangrove habitat. The
roots, rocks and live java fern seem to give the gobies hiding
places. The puffer has his own huge cave and seems to enjoy it.
There are also little cracks and crevices around the cave where the
gobies hide. The SAEs seem content to swim around and eat algae and
leftovers. <I would suggest a thicket of plants for more
hiding. ~PP> Thanks again. Matt
Pace |
|
 
|
Making Brackish Water 1/26/06 Good Evening!!
<<Good Evening to you too.>> Is it alright to use the same
salt used in saltwater tanks, for brackish water tanks?
<<Not only is it alright, but it's the only way to make
brackish water. Lisa.>>
Specific gravity for a
Brackish Tank 4/06/05 <Pufferpunk again> That is an approx
for a 20 Gallon tank - correct?? lol just making sure <I use a rough
estimate of a cup of marine salt/5gallons, to raise the SG .005.
You'll have to do some math & be sure to check with a
hydrometer a couple of hours after mixing into tank. Premix into a
bucket 1st, to dissolve. ~PP>
