Brand New Tank

[Flumpus]

What about the filter media? Safe to add from a freshwater tank?

 

[nmonks]

Hi Pufferpunk,

Not arguing with anything you say. If I was to change half the water in my halfbeak tank with water that was chemically and thermally identical (except for the nitrates and other wastes) then I dare say they'd be fine.

The problem is that making sure of that goes beyond what I'm able (or prepared) to do. Halfbeaks really don't have much tolerance for water chemistry changes, even good ones. Of course I remove the chlorine, such as it is... my water is rainwater with a bit of water out of the tap (faucet) added to get the pH and hardness right. Warming the water to whatever it is in the tank is impractical for me... I have two heaters, and they're both in use. As for technique, I have no idea what the best is. I just pour the stuff in.

For me, the proof is in the pudding. I have three species of halfbeaks, and two of them are breeding. The one that isn't is a group of 3 juvenile females. These are supposedly difficult fish, but I'm doing well with them (so far). Having started off doing big water changes, and lost fish, I've now learned that for me 5% water changes once or twice a week is absolutely fine. Moreover, my nitrates stay low, algae isn't a problem, and the water isn't cloudy or silty. Enough said.

I've looked over your tanks on your web page, and the look great, as do the fish, so obviously your approach also works. Perhaps even works better with fish like puffers, with which I have only limited experience.

Cheers,

Neale

As posted in this thread:
IME, if the fish are upset by water changes, the cause is one or more of:
1. Too great a difference in tank and make-up water parameters.
2. Chlorine/chloramine/ammonia in the change water.
3. Technique.

Water changes should energize the fish, not depress them.

 

[nmonks]

Oh, and one other time 50% or larger water changes would be a bad idea is in planted tanks. If you take care to stock up the tank with carefully arranged plants, and then use a CO2 fertilisation system, the last thing you'd want to do is take all the water out. I've a tonne of giant vallis, spiral vallis, and floating hornwort in my tanks, which all provide cover for halfbeak fry as well as looking nice. Even taking out a bit of water creates terrible tangles, and once the vallis leaves get twisted, they die. It's horrible!

So, like I said in my earlier post, while 50% may be fine in some situations, I absolutely do not believe it is right for all of them.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Pufferpunk]

What's the SG of the BW tank? (sorry if it's somewhere in this thread already)

 

[Flumpus]

The LFS keeps them at 1.008, so I'm matching that.

 

[Pufferpunk]

At that high of a SG, it's iffy that FW bacteria will help.

 

[Flumpus]

Can it hurt? I certainly won't add any fish until it's cycled, but I'm not opposed to trying it if it could speed things up.

 

[Pufferpunk]

The FW bacteria dying, could hider the fishless cycle. You will need to add some source of seeding bacteria for that tank. I suggest a handful of gravel from the tank you are getting the puffers from. There is no way to speed up fishless cycling. It only should take a 7-10 days, be patient.

 

[Flumpus]

So adding ammonia won't be enough by itself?

 

[Pufferpunk]

Nope, ammonia is to feed the bacteria.

Read: FISHLESS CYCLING

 

[Flumpus]

Right, I know that, I guess I figured that what I added from my already established tank would work, but it makes sense that it wouldn't if the salt will kill the bacteria.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Neale, Somehow missed your posts, while skimming thru the BW Qs here. This is in no way an argument, just discussing...

If I was to change half the water in my halfbeak tank with water that was chemically and thermally identical (except for the nitrates and other wastes) then I dare say they'd be fine.

Halfbeaks really don't have much tolerance for water chemistry changes, even good ones.

If you are dilligently doing weekly 50% water changes, where is the chemistry change? Your tank will always be the same to your tap water. Unless you are actually altering the chemistry of your tap water for the fish.

50% or larger water changes would be a bad idea is in planted tanks.

I know nothing about CO2 systems, but do 50% weeklys on my 90g planted tank:

 

[Pufferpunk]

Neale, I thought you might be interested in this: Water Changes

 

[nmonks]

Pufferpunk,

I did read up on some of the links you posted, and appreciate their point of view. Ricketts is undoubtedly one of the more knowledgable keepers of pufferfish, though, given hardly any pufferfish breed in captivity, I don't think anyone is really an "expert" on them. I'm old school about looking after animals -- they're only being looked after right if they are at least trying to breed! Raising fry is another matter, of course.

Anyway, my experience is that relatively small, regular water changes do perfectly well and are a lot less bother. In my tank, big water changes cause problems both physically (tangling up the plants) and through shocks to the halfbeaks. Since the plants are thriving and the halfbeaks are breeding, I've no plans to change my maintenance schedule.

Where do the water chemistry changes come from? Presumably because I don't bother to do water chemistry tests first! Except when I started off in the hobby 20 years ago, I hardly ever do tests, and prefer to watch the fish. I can normally tell when something is wrong by their behaviour. I do make mistakes of course, and lose fish from time to time, so I still have lots to learn! Perhaps I'll try bigger water changes when I set up another tank.

I'm also worried that recommended daily, huge water changes is off-putting, and that inevitably newcomers to the hobby will reduce this schedule after the novelty wears off, or perhaps not measure the water chemistry or cause massive temperature or pH changes by doing them. If you're an aquarist with a job and kids, devoting half an hour a day to water changes may simply not be realistic.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Pufferpunk]

Yes, RTR is my puffermentor! He has written much more than articles on puffers. I in no way suggested daily water changes, although do set aside a 1/2 day/wee for the 50% weekly water changes on all my 6 FW/BW tanks (totalling: 320g). I also have 2 55g river tanks & a 55g reef tank. They don't require nearly as much maintance. The only tank i regularly test is my reef tank. Rarely do I do any sort of testing on any of my FW/BW tanks. Like you, I can tell when something is off sith my fish & can fairly assume that with all the fresh water going into my tanks weekly, the chemistry will be good.

The largest problem w/breeding puffers is not in the spawning itself, but the sucessful rearing of the fry to adulthood. Even I have had many spawnings occur in my tanks. The fry were just specks--w/little to no chance of survival. I couldn't even tell if there really were fry, or if they were just particles floating in the water column. I fed anyway, but to no avail.