Dkh Buffer

[Matty P]

I use Kent Marine Supperbuffer dKH for my marine tank. It raises the KH, raises the pH to between 8.0-8.3 and prevents fluctations and drops in the pH. Is this too strong to use in a brackish tank and can you get buffers specially for brackish aquariums?

Cheers

Matty

 

[nmonks]

It depends what you're keeping. If high-end brackish, like monos, where the SG is 50% seawater, then using the buffer at 50% to 100% dosage will be fine. If low-end brackish, like BBGs or figure-8s, it's largely unnecessary, but you could use a 10-25% dosage if you happened to live in a soft water area.

To be fair though, you shouldn't need to use the stuff. Since you have a marine tank, just use "old" water from the marine tank in your brackish tank, diluted accordingly. "Old" water in a reef tank at, say, 10-20 mg/l nitrate will be perfectly acceptable for brackish water fish.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Matty P]

It depends what you're keeping. If high-end brackish, like monos, where the SG is 50% seawater, then using the buffer at 50% to 100% dosage will be fine. If low-end brackish, like BBGs or figure-8s, it's largely unnecessary, but you could use a 10-25% dosage if you happened to live in a soft water area.

To be fair though, you shouldn't need to use the stuff. Since you have a marine tank, just use "old" water from the marine tank in your brackish tank, diluted accordingly. "Old" water in a reef tank at, say, 10-20 mg/l nitrate will be perfectly acceptable for brackish water fish.

Cheers, Neale

I will be for a low-end brackish tank for Figures-8s and possibly some BBGs. TBH I haven't actually ever tested my tap water or my R/O water. The marine salt I am planning on using is specially made for use with R/O water and raises the pH to 8.2 - 8.4 (which is to high for F8s).

A few questions...

1) Should I use R/O water for my brackish tank?

2) How do I get the water to the right saltinity without raising the pH and KH to much??

3) I will be drip acclimatising my F8s so will I higher pH and KH be ok if they are slowly introduced and if I keep all the levels constant?

 

[nmonks]

1) Should I use R/O water for my brackish tank?

It's always good to use water with the lowest possible levels of nitrate. But is there a burning need to use RO water in a brackish tank as there is with a reef tank? No, none at all.

2) How do I get the water to the right saltinity without raising the pH and KH to much??

Don't worry about it. By and large, brackish water fish will adapt. Make up the RO water with a 25% dose of marine salt mix, and then test the salinity, German hardness (dH) and Carbonate hardness (KH). If you need to raise the KH, add crushed coral or similar to the filter.

3) I will be drip acclimatising my F8s so will I higher pH and KH be ok if they are slowly introduced and if I keep all the levels constant?

Total waste of time. Figure 8s, like any other brackish water fish, laugh in the face of salinity change and drop ice cubes down the back of water chemistry changes. This is what they're born for... they love it. If we kept them perfectly, we'd fluctuate the salinity twice daily. At most, taking a figure-8 from freshwater to SG 1.005 should take 15-30 minutes, and only because you're feeling nice.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Matty P]

Thanks a bunch, really helpful info mate

 

[DarkEntity]

You should have a read of Neale's book (and no im not getting paid for this pimping) its very good and covers a lot about Brackish fish including Fig8's. Also its no where near as expensive as the Aqualogs or Baensh books

 

[Matty P]

I was seriously considering getting his book (at least I can ask him questions on this forum ), but my parents said they will only let me set up another aquarium if I fund it all myself. All I have at the minute is the 20 gallon glass tank. I still need to buy a Fliter (probably a Fluval 3+), a hood for the aquarium (30" x 12"(does this have to be the same make as the aquarium or can it be any make)), lighting, heater, test kits, gravel, live plants, F8 Puffer. I already have marine salt and a refractometer for the marine tank. So I have quite a tight budget, sorry Neale.