Cycling brackish tank

euRasian32 · 08-03-2005, 09:14 AM

What would be the ideal way to start a BW tank?

Cycling brackish water?
Or cycling a FW tank and then adding salt?

I have the same question for salt... I'll post over there if it can't be answered here.

I got a 55 just sitting around begging to be filled. My girl wants a puffer and I really like gobies.

**Fishfirst** · 08-03-2005, 10:46 AM

depends on if the fish you buy are going to be in brackish conditions when you buy them or freshwater conditions when you buy them.

euRasian32 · 08-03-2005, 11:15 AM

The fish will be brackish, but I would get the fish depending on the answers to my question. If it was possible to cycle a FW and then add salt, I would get the fish once it was done, but if that's not a possibility then I would have to cycle the BW with fish which is what I'm trying to avoid.

I was hoping to use the mother ship (my 125) to jump start the bio cycle, and then add salt.

**Fishfirst** · 08-03-2005, 11:42 AM

well bacteria will only die if you flux the salt content in the water quickly (correct me if I'm wrong). So you could just add salt for two weeks while the cycle goes on in your tank. That way you get to jump start the cycle too.

euRasian32 · 08-04-2005, 08:41 AM

1st: thanks mang

FishieNewbie · 06-29-2007, 11:06 PM

Thats what I'm doing at the moment in my brackish tank , took crabs out of FW conditions and slowly adding salt over the next few weeks to bring it up. From what I'm told it should work nice.

fishbone · 07-06-2007, 09:16 AM

FishieNewbie, crabs shouldn't need that long to get acclimated. I acclimate mine over the course of 2 hours using the drip method and then dump them right in. They do just fine. In their natural environment they're fairly adapted to salinity swings and oftentimes go from brackish to fresh even marine conditions.

FishieNewbie · 07-06-2007, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishbone

FishieNewbie, crabs shouldn't need that long to get acclimated. I acclimate mine over the course of 2 hours using the drip method and then dump them right in. They do just fine. In their natural environment they're fairly adapted to salinity swings and oftentimes go from brackish to fresh even marine conditions.

Yea I soon come to learn that because of tide changes the salinity changes ALOT and there just fine with it , it goes anywhere from .000 to .018 at times i was told.

fishbone · 07-06-2007, 04:38 PM

Yep.
However, acclimating is still a good thing to do due to pH differences and others.

Moltenice · 02-10-2008, 12:57 AM

I added my substrate and got my tank settled, conditioned the water, added the Salt to the correct levels (5.5G per 10 gal for Malawi) and then added Biospira.. 8 days later I added one fish, my Red Zebra...... She sat in there for a couple days then all the others were added.

Worked perfectly, Water was perfect and fish were healthy (this was over a year ago).......

adpierin11 · 04-05-2008, 03:39 PM

didn't mean to post it twice....

adpierin11 · 04-05-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moltenice

I added my substrate and got my tank settled, conditioned the water, added the Salt to the correct levels (5.5G per 10 gal for Malawi) and then added Biospira.. 8 days later I added one fish, my Red Zebra...... She sat in there for a couple days then all the others were added.

I didn't know that Malawi's needed "brackish conditions". I thought they were fine in fresh water.

**JustOneMore20** · 04-05-2008, 04:47 PM

Malawians live fine in fw, but the rift lakes are a little salty (I wouldn't call them brackish though....). Most Malawians you buy these days are tank raised, so pure fw is just fine.

08-03-2005, 09:14 AM	#1
euRasian32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 33 Posts: 751 User Feedback: (2)	Cycling brackish tank What would be the ideal way to start a BW tank? Cycling brackish water? Or cycling a FW tank and then adding salt? I have the same question for salt... I'll post over there if it can't be answered here. I got a 55 just sitting around begging to be filled. My girl wants a puffer and I really like gobies. __________________ “Corporations pay people just enough money so they won’t quit. People work just enough so they don’t get fired. What's that about?” – Christopher Walken, Pool Hall Junkies

08-03-2005, 10:46 AM	#2
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,487 User Feedback: (1)	depends on if the fish you buy are going to be in brackish conditions when you buy them or freshwater conditions when you buy them. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

08-03-2005, 11:15 AM	#3
euRasian32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 33 Posts: 751 User Feedback: (2)	The fish will be brackish, but I would get the fish depending on the answers to my question. If it was possible to cycle a FW and then add salt, I would get the fish once it was done, but if that's not a possibility then I would have to cycle the BW with fish which is what I'm trying to avoid. I was hoping to use the mother ship (my 125) to jump start the bio cycle, and then add salt. __________________ “Corporations pay people just enough money so they won’t quit. People work just enough so they don’t get fired. What's that about?” – Christopher Walken, Pool Hall Junkies

08-03-2005, 11:42 AM	#4
Fishfirst Fish Guru Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Soon to be Northern Wisconsin Age: 24 Posts: 3,487 User Feedback: (1)	well bacteria will only die if you flux the salt content in the water quickly (correct me if I'm wrong). So you could just add salt for two weeks while the cycle goes on in your tank. That way you get to jump start the cycle too. __________________ 210 Gal Reef w/ 55 Gallon Sump/Fuge, 125 Gal Fish Only, 65 Gal Seahorse-29 Gallon Sump, 55 Gal FOWLR, 54 Gal Corner FW Community, 20 Gal Nano FOWLR, 55 Gal Piranha, 29 gallon QT "All the yellow tangs and clownfish in the world can't save you now! hahahah" Peter from Family Guy

08-04-2005, 08:41 AM	#5
euRasian32 Senior Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia Age: 33 Posts: 751 User Feedback: (2)	1st: thanks mang __________________ “Corporations pay people just enough money so they won’t quit. People work just enough so they don’t get fired. What's that about?” – Christopher Walken, Pool Hall Junkies

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06-29-2007, 11:06 PM	#6
FishieNewbie Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 32 User Feedback: (0)	Thats what I'm doing at the moment in my brackish tank , took crabs out of FW conditions and slowly adding salt over the next few weeks to bring it up. From what I'm told it should work nice.

07-06-2007, 09:16 AM	#7
fishbone Newbie Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Nebraska Posts: 400 User Feedback: (0)	FishieNewbie, crabs shouldn't need that long to get acclimated. I acclimate mine over the course of 2 hours using the drip method and then dump them right in. They do just fine. In their natural environment they're fairly adapted to salinity swings and oftentimes go from brackish to fresh even marine conditions. __________________ My YouTube aquaria videos

07-06-2007, 04:38 PM	#9
fishbone Newbie Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Nebraska Posts: 400 User Feedback: (0)	Yep. However, acclimating is still a good thing to do due to pH differences and others. __________________ My YouTube aquaria videos

02-10-2008, 12:57 AM	#10
Moltenice Bike/Car guy... Join Date: Mar 2007 Age: 26 Posts: 37 User Feedback: (0)	I added my substrate and got my tank settled, conditioned the water, added the Salt to the correct levels (5.5G per 10 gal for Malawi) and then added Biospira.. 8 days later I added one fish, my Red Zebra...... She sat in there for a couple days then all the others were added. Worked perfectly, Water was perfect and fish were healthy (this was over a year ago)....... __________________ 10gal community tank.... 4 Neon tetras, 1 rainbow molly adult and her baby (rice grain size currently) 55gal Malawi tank..... Caribbean white sand, artificial Rock structure with lots of tunnels, and some hearty plants. Powered by a Filstar XP4.

04-05-2008, 03:39 PM	#11
adpierin11 Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Over the Rainbow, Florida Age: 24 Posts: 86 User Feedback: (0)	didn't mean to post it twice.... Last edited by adpierin11; 04-05-2008 at 03:42 PM.

04-05-2008, 04:47 PM	#13
JustOneMore20 Moderator Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Alabama, US Age: 22 Posts: 3,372 User Feedback: (2)	Malawians live fine in fw, but the rift lakes are a little salty (I wouldn't call them brackish though....). Most Malawians you buy these days are tank raised, so pure fw is just fine. __________________ *Kristin* 5 Planted tanks: 55g, 40g, 29g, 10g, 5.5g 10g N. multifasciatus tank, 5.5g Platy fry

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