Acclimatising Aquatic Plants To Brackish Water

[Livewire88]

Hi,

Shortly I will be attempting to "Scape" my puffer tank and I have a few different plants to use, I have lots and lots of Giant Vallis, Java Fern, Java Fern Var. Trident Narrow, and some Anubias Barteri. From the reasearch I have done all these plants should be fine in Brackish water at around 1.003-1.005.

Will I have to gradually acclimatise the plants to this level of salinity, or would it be ok just to put the plants straight into the brackish water?

 

[nmonks]

Plant them at SG 1.000, i.e., plain freshwater. Let them get established for a couple of weeks. Most low-end brackish fish will be fine with this.

Then, when you're happy they're settled in, do regular 20% water changes, adding SG 1.003 at 25 C/77 F water at each water change. Over the weeks this will slowly adjust the salinity upwards. There is no reason at all to take this tank to SG 1.005 and I recommend against it. Your plants will do much better at SG 1.003 and your low-end brackish fish will be fine.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Livewire88]

Plant them at SG 1.000, i.e., plain freshwater. Let them get established for a couple of weeks. Most low-end brackish fish will be fine with this.

Then, when you're happy they're settled in, do regular 20% water changes, adding SG 1.003 at 25 C/77 F water at each water change. Over the weeks this will slowly adjust the salinity upwards. There is no reason at all to take this tank to SG 1.005 and I recommend against it. Your plants will do much better at SG 1.003 and your low-end brackish fish will be fine.

Cheers, Neale

Thank you, I was hoping you would read this thread

At the moment the tank is around 1.004, so how should I go about lowering the salinity so not to stress the F8 puffer? I assume it will be ok to do rather quickly as F8's are quite good with fast changes in salinity, please correct me if I am wrong?

 

[nmonks]

At the moment the tank is around 1.004, so how should I go about lowering the salinity so not to stress the F8 puffer?

The same thing in reverse, though sped up. You could do 2-4 water changes, 25% each time, across a few days. Replace brackish water with freshwater. You don't have to completely flush the salt out; replacing most of the water will do the trick.

I assume it will be ok to do rather quickly as F8's are quite good with fast changes in salinity, please correct me if I am wrong?

You are right. But be a little gentler for the sake of the filter bacteria.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Livewire88]

Managed to lower the Salinity over the last couple of days, it is just above 1.000 (according to my Hydrometer) Whilst the salinity is low I decided to go and buy a second F8 puffer as my LFS keeps them in fresh water, both F8 seem to be getting along fine together

I will be slowly raising the salinity over the next couple of weeks to 1.003, I have set the tank up now and here are some pictures. (water a bit merky but should clear in a day or two)

 

[iliveinazoo]

Managed to lower the Salinity over the last couple of days, it is just above 1.000 (according to my Hydrometer) Whilst the salinity is low I decided to go and buy a second F8 puffer as my LFS keeps them in fresh water, both F8 seem to be getting along fine together

I will be slowly raising the salinity over the next couple of weeks to 1.003, I have set the tank up now and here are some pictures. (water a bit merky but should clear in a day or two)

Is that Java Fern and Anubias planted into the substrate? They will die off if planted so remove and tie them to the hardscape

 

[Livewire88]

Hi, the anbuis is tied to small pieces of slate, and the java ferns are held down by small weights so they will all be fine.

Neither are planted into the substrate, I just made it look like they are.

 

[iliveinazoo]

cool