Salinity vs Cycling

**rustyfan21** · 10-10-2008, 1:01 PM

Hey folks, working on plans for a 120gl brackish tank. Starting from scratch, I have the tank and a 20gl sump, the next process will be making the stand and hood, which will be started soon. My question that I propose is, after reading through the forums and gaining some understanding on tank cycling and salinity levels in a brackish environment, what should i do first? Cycle the tank first then bring the salinity up or salinity levels then cycle? I plan on doing the fish less cycle method I found in these forums and running at the lower end of the brackish levels of salinity. Thanks and I'm glad I found this forum.

**Reefscape** · 10-10-2008, 2:16 PM

Start as you mean to go on...Set the SG / salinity right from the start....see no reason to set it up at any other level, only to change it after the cycle...

**Amphiprion** · 10-10-2008, 2:43 PM

I agree. While most of the bacteria present are very tolerant of salinity shifts, why not start at the particular concentration you intend to keep the inhabitants in? It makes little sense to keep it lower unless you are doing so to acclimate certain animals, in which case slowly raising it will work, also.

**rustyfan21** · 10-10-2008, 4:04 PM

cool, thanks. That was what I would have started, but wanted to see if Im thinking in the same direction.

**zoowks** · 10-10-2008, 4:16 PM

Just start at the salinity preferred then cycle. You don't have to worry so much about getting fish at a different salinity. Less work to just do salinity preferred then trying to raise it. Also, the fish you can just do a drip to slowly acclimate them to the new salinity, which to me is less work then changing salinity of tank with fish in it. Most brackish fish are so hardy you could switch them from fresh to low-end brackish instantly with no problems(though not advised of course :P).

Btw
Welcome to AC

Also a cool thing to do that we all enjoy here at AC is to create an online journal of how your setup and experience of creating the tank is going.

Any idea what brackish creature's you'll be keeping? Lots of options with your 120, i'm jealous

**Amphiprion** · 10-10-2008, 4:23 PM

I suppose it depends on whether or not the fish is truly "brackish." Most of the ones commonly called brackish are either marine or limnic and can venture in a bit to either area. In any case, dropping salinity seems to work much more easily than raising it in most fish, IME. This also makes good sense physiologically.

**BumbleinGrey** · 10-10-2008, 5:51 PM

when we cycled our figure 8’s tank we got the selenaty down first before we did anything more , so we got used to what we needed in our prepared water before our little guys were even added to the tank

just as a prep for the water conditions they needed ... i know i am new and frankly a newbie to fishkeeping , but i think trying to give the best conditions for any animal is the best thing we humans can do.

**Pufferpunk** · 10-11-2008, 11:52 AM

IMO, you will rarely find a BW fish in BW at a store. Even if they claim to be keeping their tanks brackish, it's only by adding a tbsp aquarium salt/10g or something like that. You should find out what SG the fish you want are being kept at in the store you will purchasing them from & cycle at that SG, to reduce stress on the fish. Any fish you add after the tank has been established at your desired SG, will have to be slowly drip-acclimated to your SG.

What fish are you planning on keeping?

**rustyfan21** · 10-11-2008, 5:21 PM

We have a LFS here in San Diego that has what they claim to be a brackish section, and they are what I would consider a pretty knowledgeable and reliable store. Before I was thinking about a brackish tank I remember they mentioning that these fish were set in brackish water and would probably do okay in FW but are in and meant for BW. But I always do a slow drip to acculmate anything I bring home.