Spotted Puffer Fish

[djballistc]

While back I got 2 spotted puffers from my LFS and they were in brackish water. They told me that they would easily acclimate to complete saltwater without any trouble and for the passed year that has been true. Now I would like to acclimate them to complete freshwater. My LFS told me you can acclimate them to totally freshwater as well but they didn't tell me how. I wanted to post the question on here. I know over time tank water evaporates, I am wondering if I just slowly top that off with freshwater and not a saltwater mixture would that be acclimating them enough. It is only a 10 gallon tank and I have been having trouble with keeping the water clear, in other words Algae Blooms constant...nothing gets rid of it and it is only a 10 gallon tank so I am not spending a ton on it. So - what say you? Will my thinking work in adding freshwater to fill the evaporated portion?

 

[soma]

Although your water may evaporate from your tank, the salt certainly does not. Topping off evaporated water from your saltwater tank with freshwater is what you should regularly be doing, if you aren't, then you need to check your salinity more often. Topping off with saltwater will only raise your salinity.
I would say the best way to acclimate him is to move him to his own tank with the saltwater he is in currently, and do water changes with fresh water. Note: Water changes are different than topping off.

 

[djballistc]

Well that doesn't make sense to me....
When water evaporates I would think it would reduce the salinity because the water just isn't there. I would think adding freshwater to the saltwater would be dilluting it to reduce the amount of salt in the tank. I was always told to premix salt in buckets to match the same salinity of my existing water, once it is dissolved then pour it in. So your saying this isn't the case?? I should only be using freshwater to top off my saltwater tank? I had never heard that before. Again I must have been misinformed.
On another note - the puffer is in the 10 gallon tank by himself. I cannot put him in my 75gallon salt because he eats all of the other fish...that is why he is by himself currently. I just cannot get the algae bloom in the tank to stop. Plus I have been doning the same with him as well as water evaporates I have been adding salt water to his tank too. I am doing my water changes of course but even the water changes haven't helped the algae bloom in this little 10 gallon tank. A friend of mine has a 10 gallon saltwater and has no problems with it. What am I doing wrong - what can I do to finally correct it. It is a sight to look at, and the fish seems to be doing fine but the sight nonetheless.

 

[soma]

Trust me. If you take a cup of water, add salt to it, and let the water evaporate, the salt will be left behind.
Let a saltwater tank sit for months without topping it off, and you will notice that the salinity will creep higher and higher. If the water evaporates, and the salt is left behind, then that means you have the same amount of salt in the tank with, obviously, a lesser amount of water (because it has evaporated.) thus increasing the salinity.
Always top off with freshwater ONLY. However, when you do water changes, you must replace the water with saltwater.
As far as the algae bloom, try using r/o water instead of tap water. You can get it from your local fish store. Sometimes grocery stores sell it as drinking water as well (Bigg's here sells it for around 50 cents a gallon). Make sure you only leave your light on for 10-12 hours a day, and be sure that the tank isn't near any windows. Algae blooms are typical with brand new tanks (under 2-3 months old) so don't worry too much about it if you have just set it up. As long as your water parameters are fine, then the algae should subside. Hope that helps.

 

[djballistc]

OK if I decide to use the jug water from the store (drinking water) I can't empty the tank with the puffer in it and he has to stay in the tank no matter what so what do you or how do you recommend I do it?

 

[djballistc]

Ok I got home from work today and I tested my salinity...it is off the charts....I suppose what you are saying is correct...the good thing is all of my fish seems to be ok.
But everything I have been reading about lowering salinity says top off with freshwater. Well that contradicts what you have been saying...you said topping off with freshwater doesn't lower the salt....the same with evaporation....the same amount of salt content is still in the water...so if what I have been reading is wrong, how do you lower salinity content?

 

[soma]

Where were you reading this at? Are you sure you didn't misread it? It's possible that your source was telling you to do water changes with freshwater, not topping off. If the puffer is the only fish in the 10 gallon, then you shouldn't need to move him. Keep him in that tank, and I would say the best way to lower the salinity is VERY slowly, take out 5-10 percent of the water once a week and replace with FRESH r/o or distilled water. This should lower the salinity slowly but surely. You don't want to do it too fast, especially since your salt levels are off the charts already. =)
BTW make sure the bottled water you are buying is either distilled or r/o (reverse osmosis) water. The best kind to buy is usually in a large water container with faucets, and you actually have to fill the jugs up yourself. I bought a couple 5-gallon water containers. (It's a lot easier than buying seperate jugs.

 

[djballistc]

Great idea....so doing that very slowly I should be able to eventually get him to be a freshwater fish then? Great!!! Should this stop my algae bloom problem as well? I have not been able to get rid of that. I am moving the tank this weekend once I do a water change to make it light enough to be able to move it. It is in front of a window or off to the side of one rather. I want to get rid of this algae bloom problem before making him a freshwater fish and I will try 2 5-gallon jugs as well. I have a Wal-Mart in my area is that where you mean?