Cycling New Brackish Tank

[Curalingua]

Hi


I have a 1.5 inch GSP and bought him as freshwater. He is in a 30l tank and doing very well. I have a 130l to move him to and need some advice please.

I intend to change him very gradually in the 30l to SG 1.005 ( I have read on here how to do it and will eventually up it in the larger tank over months to SG1.010).

I have got the following;

Eheim 2217 filter (2nd hand but all new media- unfortunately)
200w heater
Sand substrate

I want to do a fishless cycle. So do I get the SG to the appropriate level of 1.005 and cycle it at this. Do I then use the same method as for a freshwater fishless cycle by adding ammonia (did this with my freshwater 180l using your advice on here and have found it excellent)?

Thanks

Fiona

 

[AdAndrews]

you will need to add 9 grams of marine salt mix per litre of water to reach 1.005, cycle as you did your freshwater tank after that, and then obviously, if you need to water change, do it with the same 9g/l of water.

Adam.

 

[nmonks]

The easiest approach would be to add the old mature filter to the 180 l tank. Use it alongside the new filter. Might look funky having two filters, but it's only temporary. Next, let the tank run like that for a few days to check everything is fine. Now, do a 20% water change, replacing the old freshwater with brackish water at SG 1.002 or 1.003 (up to 5 g/l). Repeat this every weekend, as per normal. You'll find the filter bacteria adapt without any fuss, and the GSP will be fine at this low (~10%) salinity for weeks, months even. After a couple of months, you can remove the old, small filter and leave the big filter on its own. It should be perfectly cycled. Now you can up the salinity through incremental water changes. Maybe 20% at 1.004 or 1.005 every weekend. After a few months, you'll have a perfect low-end brackish system without any awkward cycling.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Curalingua]

Thank you both.

Neale

I will do it this way as the sooner I can get him into a bigger tank the better. It will give the live plants (have researched what will be okay) a chance to get used to the salinity gradually to.

Thanks again

Fiona

 

[Curalingua]

I have been using the API Master Test Kit to check water parameters for my freshwater tanks. Do I need to get the Marine test for my brackish tank? If so, at what SG do i need to change over to the Marine test.

Thanks

Fiona