Brackish ?
- Thread starter aquaman
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steamboat1569
Member
Here is an article I found.
I have never done brackish water, but this may help.
Understanding Brackish Water
by David A. Youngker
Brackish water occurs when fresh water streams empty into salt water bodies, and denotes water that is neither straight "fresh" nor "salt", but a mixture of the two. The amount of salt present in the water, and thus the specific gravity, varies greatly, and is a combination of factors, including:
The strength of the current flow escaping from the fresh water source. A larger volume of effluent reduces the amount of salt present, so the size of the stream and influencing factors such as recent rainfall (or the lack of it) plays a role in how quickly the salt is flushed from the system.
Tidal cycles - during high tides, salt reaches upstream much farther than during low tides. Thus, salt content at any one point fluctuates at least twice daily.
Standing water "pools". The constant raising and lowering of the water level around the mouth and delta areas can create standing waters that are slightly independent of the river flow. Low areas will fill with a combination of the two waters, and their specific salt content will depend on whether they are fed by incoming waters at high tide levels (like tidal pools, of a sort) or seepage through the surrounding substrate and from the local aquifer.
Because these conditions vary so greatly in most areas, it helps in understanding why people have such "success rates" at so many different concentrations of salt within their tanks and provides some fuel for "The Great Salt Debate". In essence, any specific gravity greater than 1.000 and less than 1.022 is "correct", but most people tend to add lighter amounts.
Pick up a box of something like Hartz Aquarium Salt, read the label to get general guidelines, and find a cheaper source (something like kosher, pickling or ice cream salt) and add the appropriate amount.
I have never done brackish water, but this may help.
Understanding Brackish Water
by David A. Youngker
Brackish water occurs when fresh water streams empty into salt water bodies, and denotes water that is neither straight "fresh" nor "salt", but a mixture of the two. The amount of salt present in the water, and thus the specific gravity, varies greatly, and is a combination of factors, including:
The strength of the current flow escaping from the fresh water source. A larger volume of effluent reduces the amount of salt present, so the size of the stream and influencing factors such as recent rainfall (or the lack of it) plays a role in how quickly the salt is flushed from the system.
Tidal cycles - during high tides, salt reaches upstream much farther than during low tides. Thus, salt content at any one point fluctuates at least twice daily.
Standing water "pools". The constant raising and lowering of the water level around the mouth and delta areas can create standing waters that are slightly independent of the river flow. Low areas will fill with a combination of the two waters, and their specific salt content will depend on whether they are fed by incoming waters at high tide levels (like tidal pools, of a sort) or seepage through the surrounding substrate and from the local aquifer.
Because these conditions vary so greatly in most areas, it helps in understanding why people have such "success rates" at so many different concentrations of salt within their tanks and provides some fuel for "The Great Salt Debate". In essence, any specific gravity greater than 1.000 and less than 1.022 is "correct", but most people tend to add lighter amounts.
Pick up a box of something like Hartz Aquarium Salt, read the label to get general guidelines, and find a cheaper source (something like kosher, pickling or ice cream salt) and add the appropriate amount.
steamboat1569
Member
I don't think I could bring myself to use rock salt or pickling salt. I used to make Ice Cream and the rock salt seemed very dirty. Just my own oppinion.
steamboat1569
Member
Good choice in salt. Hope you can convert him. (don't tell him how expensive it is, though, it will scare him off.) lol 