Best Way To Prep Brackish Water For A Big Tank?

[mattlee]

im getting a 6.5x2x2 already brackish tank in a couple of weeks with fish included and was wondering how people went about preping their water for a large water change that will be needed for a tank of this size.

thanks, Matt

 

[seffieuk]

Well as you know Matt I'm a salty (although I was a 'Brackish' at one point) but similar prep is needed.

Us salties would have a large container, bring water up to temp, add salt and then put a power head in for 24 hours (remember sg readings fluctuate with temp, so needs to be at teh right temp before taking your reading)

Seffie x

 

[mattlee]

Well as you know Matt I'm a salty (although I was a 'Brackish' at one point) but similar prep is needed.

Us salties would have a large container, bring water up to temp, add salt and then put a power head in for 24 hours (remember sg readings flucuate with temp, so needs to be at teh right temp before taking your reading)

Seffie x

thanks seffie.

would something like a water but for collecting rain water be ok?

 

[seffieuk]

Needs to be food safe - there is seller on ebay who sells old olive vats cheap, its a good idea to get one with a tap and put it on a stand, that way you can fill a bucket easily

Seffie x

these are good if you are willing to pay the dosh

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/190-Litre-Water-Storage-Butt-inc-Stand-inc-Rain-Div-Kit-/400142913981?pt=UK_Home_Garden_GardenEquipment_HandTools_SM

 

[mattlee]

Needs to be food safe - there is seller on ebay who sells old olive vats cheap, its a good idea to get one with a tap and put it on a stand, that way you can fill a bucket easily

Seffie x

ill check ebay out for 1, thanks again

 

[mattlee]

cant find the olive vats on ebay.... the rain butt was what i was thinking about first, are they food safe though like you said?

 

[seffieuk]

I'm not sure if those water butts are food safe, but i seem to remember bigc using one, might be worth pming him

The olive ones: These are they:

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/220ltr-FOOD-GRADE-WATER-BUTT-TAP-/120599846208?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish

Seffie x

ps but dont forget, if you go for this one to make yourself a base to lift it off the floor so you can put a bucket underneath

 

[mattlee]

I'm not sure if those water butts are food safe, but i seem to remember bigc using one, might be worth pming him

The olive ones: These are they:

http/cgi.ebay.co.uk/220ltr-FOOD-GRADE-WATER-BUTT-TAP-/120599846208?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Fish

Seffie x

ps but dont forget, if you go for this one to make yourself a base to lift it off the floor so you can put a bucket underneath

cheers seffie, they look ideal.

 

[mattlee]

do these come with the taps fitted or is it just a supply and you fit it yourself?

 

[Ceramicbull]

Worth adding that (unless you have some fish with very specific SG requirements) brackish tanks don't really need to wait 24 hours and get the temp perfect. As long as you aren't wildly off, most brackish fish enjoy variety in their salinity, temp, pH, etc. Typically you have a fairly wide range you can shoot for. I'd be more worried about killing the bacteria than the fish, the rule of thumb for that I understand is within .002 of the previous SG. I've never had to wait longer than 10 minutes to go from sink to tank, but then again I'm using 5g buckets and not drums.

Hope this helps,

C-Bull

 

[mattlee]

after going to look at the fish that are in the tank and testing the water i found out that they are in a salinity of 16 so quite high, almost marine...... my aim is to slowly reduce that to about 10 over the next few months.
ive been made aware about slight fluctuations in the water by neale monks and have also read about the bacteria. if i understand it right does the bacteria die off if the salinity is changed too rapidly in a quick space of time.... ill make the salinity exact to that of the tank as it is then reduce it slowly giving the bacteria time to adjust. is that right? the tank contains 2 large archer fish and 4 very large colombian cat sharks so i dont want to reduce it any lower than 10.

 

[Ceramicbull]

Yeah, if you want to change the salinity, it's best to do that during weekly changes rather than anything massive. I don't remember where I read it but I heard that as long as you don't change the tank as a whole more than .002 SG at a time the good bacteria will adapt. I'm not sure you want to lower it that much though, according to Neale's book adult shark cats like things at about "half- to full-strength seawater" (I hope quoting your book is alright nmonks, if you are reading) while the archers like things around 1.010 SG. It looks that as long as you are somewhere between 1.010 and 1.015 everything should be good.

 

[mattlee]

i want a copy of that book but its quite expensive......

 

[seffieuk]

i want a copy of that book but its quite expensive......

Its a good book, try the library, they should order it for you. I have got a copy somewhere

Seffie x