Would the cycle for a brackish tank go faster if I used an existing FW tank and all that filter media. For example freshwater tank is set up with occupants, take the occupants out and add salt. Would the cycle go quicker/ be safer? If so how long would the cycle take in a 20g tank? I just want to make sure I dont rush it. Thanks in advance.
Brackish Newbie Questions
- Thread starter mark23adams
- Start date
no need to cycle as long as you bring the salinity up very slowly - .002 or less a week is about the standard i think. The bacteria remains the same just has to adapt to higher salt content. Most brackish fish I have purchased were bought in freshwater and I acclimated them accordingly. Might find out what fish you are getting and what they are kept at before you adjust your salinity level.
Yes! Marine tank salt is best! (I recomend "Instant Ocean")
So called "medicinal aquarium salt" is mostly used for treating worms and fungal infections in fish, and is probably not healthy in large doses.
Likewise, table salt contains iodine, which is very harmful in anything larger than a trace amount. Never put table salt in your tank!
So called "medicinal aquarium salt" is mostly used for treating worms and fungal infections in fish, and is probably not healthy in large doses.
Likewise, table salt contains iodine, which is very harmful in anything larger than a trace amount. Never put table salt in your tank!
I have come across various sources that state the amount of iodine in TS is negligible. Personally I would not hesitate to use it a medicinal levels in FW tanks, but certainly wouldn't use TS to bring my salinity up to full marine ....
i recently changed my 45 gal fw to a bw of 0.004. i did it over 2 weeks. do what fishtex said and find out if the tank they are coming from is a brackish water or fw, i would leave the tank fw with the fish in it for a week and then start raising it slowly 0.002 a week and you should have no problems and a very happy fish. and dont forget to keep an eye on the sg and evaporation of the water, the sg will rise the more water that evaporates.
YVRdarb;4244383; said:
I don't know. I just buy table salt without iodide for my freshwater tank.
question: can you use kitchen sea salt for marine tanks? its just evaporated ocean water.
Salt info:
http://www.**************.com/forum/library/misc/thesaltoftheearth/
What are you planning on keeping in that 20g? Most BW fish are sold in FW at the LFS. Cycle it as FW & then slowly raise the SG .002/week.
http://www.**************.com/forum/library/misc/thesaltoftheearth/
What are you planning on keeping in that 20g? Most BW fish are sold in FW at the LFS. Cycle it as FW & then slowly raise the SG .002/week.