FW to SW

[Stryker]

If a tank is changed from fresh water to brackish/saltwater will there be a period while its in cycle? I'd heard the nitrifying bacteria is different in salt tanks?

If so, would a gradual change in salinity help lessen the cycle?

I ask as a shop sold me juvenile green spotted puffers as opposed to what I'd asked for which was dwarf puffers. At this time I'm just looking to keep them alive while I work out what to do. The GSPs are between 1 to 1.5 inch in size so they are at the stage where they need brackish water.

They were suffering till the point where on advice from a keeper I used what I had in the house (seasalt) to add just a little salinity to the water. I'm not being lazy, I'm reading all I can (good job its a slow day at work) but I do need to tap the experience of some seasoned SW fish keepers in order to make speedy decisions

 

[B-good]

Stryker, I saw that you posted this May 4th so you probably have already come to some conclusion. Anyway this is the way I see it. Any sudden changes are going to throw off your bacteria levels. Slow, gradual changes would be less stressful. Adding salt will probably kill some of your bacteria, but some will probably be able to tolerate the change. The less fish you have in the tank the better. Remember that brackish is a flexible term. There is not 100% definite salinity for brackish fish. If you plan on keeping the puffers just add a little salt every week till the desired level is reached

 

[B-good]

Just a little side note. I am in the process of converting 20 silver monos (Monodactylus argenteus), 12 assorted mollies, and 15 colombian sharks (Arius seemani) from freshwater to full strength saltwater. I plan on acclimating for 3-4 weeks in a quarantine system before putting them in my saltwater display tanks..