Brackish Water question...wha????

[dsmccain]

Hi there, I am planning on starting a brackish water aquarium. The main fish will be green spotted puffer. I am aware that over time they require saltwater. Well, I am starting the tank with just fresh water(RO/DI ofcourse). With my periodic water changes, I will add salt to it little by little. (20 gallon tank, 5 gallon water change, maybe about 1/4 cup of salt per gallon).
But the real question is this, is about the bacteria colony, how well are they able to adapt to the change in salinity?

 

[ophiura]

They will adapt fine if you are going slow. I don't think you have to worry, but as always keep an eye on water quality just in case.

 

[markw]

Puffers produce an enormous amount of waste, so make sure you keep up on the water changes regularly. Weekly or better would be ideal if you dont have a great filter. In a 20g, the water will get foul quickly so make sure youre also up on your testing. I used to have a figure 8 puffer and a GSP (both of which I kept brackish) and they are great little critters with fantastic personalities. They dont really need full salt until they are elder juveniles, almost adults I believe, so there is no need to make the change too soon. Go slow with it to minimize stress.
Good luck with your little friend.
Mark

 

[joe____17]

Originally Posted by Markw
http:///forum/post/3134010
Puffers produce an enormous amount of waste, so make sure you keep up on the water changes regularly. Weekly or better would be ideal if you dont have a great filter. In a 20g, the water will get foul quickly so make sure youre also up on your testing. I used to have a figure 8 puffer and a GSP (both of which I kept brackish) and they are great little critters with fantastic personalities. They dont really need full salt until they are elder juveniles, almost adults I believe, so there is no need to make the change too soon. Go slow with it to minimize stress.
Good luck with your little friend.
Mark

Yep, i had green spotted puffers, fascinating little guys . They don't require full salt till they reach adulthood though. Also yes they do produce a lot of waste!