Converting From Fresh To Brackish

[scooterchick]

Currently I have 6 mollies and 2 guppies in a freaswhater tank. I have removed all other fish into a bigger tank I have as I've been planning a molly only tank for a while. Had to leave the guppies as they'd never survive in the big tank, so they can spend the rest of their days with the mollies.

Now, I have my marine salt at the ready, how do I do the conversion? Slowly add a little salt every day? Over days or weeks? Do the brackish conditions make any difference if I have to treat for anything? When doing water changes do I add chlorine remover as normal? There's a higher than usual amount of tonic salt in the tank, will that make a differnece when adding the marine salt?

Thanks!

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

The first thing youll need is a hydrometer(device that mesures salinity). You should probably fill your tank with brand new water. When i use chemicals such as water condition i always look for stuff that can be used in both freshwater and saltwater. Tap water conditioner should be fine, mix the water conditioner first then add salt. Ick meds and other things should be fine, just check directions. But copper treatments are not that great. Copper treatments kill invertabrates. Copper will stay in the tank permanitally. You may want invertabrates like hermit crabs. Hermits keep the tank really clean. I am curiuos what size tank you have in mind for a brackish setup. When stocking you might consider some native fish. Ive had some expierience with a few temperate marine/brackish fishes. Clingfishes, gobies, stiklebacks and blennies are neat. You have to check fishbase.org for info on the salinity tolerance for some species. Or you could breed the mollies. Mollies breed more in brackish and are healthier.

 

[DarkEntity]

Currently I have 6 mollies and 2 guppies in a freaswhater tank. I have removed all other fish into a bigger tank I have as I've been planning a molly only tank for a while. Had to leave the guppies as they'd never survive in the big tank, so they can spend the rest of their days with the mollies.

Now, I have my marine salt at the ready, how do I do the conversion? Slowly add a little salt every day? Over days or weeks? Do the brackish conditions make any difference if I have to treat for anything? When doing water changes do I add chlorine remover as normal? There's a higher than usual amount of tonic salt in the tank, will that make a differnece when adding the marine salt?

Thanks!

You can move from 1.000(fresh) to 1.005 in a day without harming your bacteria, or just do daily water changes with an SG of your choice, itll soon be brackish

 

[scooterchick]

Thanks for the replies. I never intended to have a brackish tank, only decided to do cos I love my mollies and know they'll be happier in brackish conditions, however I don't want to shock them by adding the salt too soon or too quickly!

So if I did it in a day, the mollies wouldn't keel over and die would they? (Or the guppies?)

I'll not be adding anything else to the tank, at 17 gallons it's pretty full with teh 6 mols and 2 guppies, just want to make them more comfortable.