New to BW need advice

[Lady G]

Ok I think I understand what to do, I'll have to get a couple more buckets or something if I need to let it sit for a couple day's first. I only have one bucket and usually when I do water changes I use 2 1/2-3 buckets full but I am overstocked right now and am doing water changes every 2 day's and bigger ones just to maintain the nitRites and niTrates and ammonia levels, once they are moved to the bigger tank, I (hopefully) will only be doing 1/week, but with the BW tank until I get it to the salinity level I need I'll need something else for it (I think) do you think 2 buckets a week would be good, that would only be about a 10% change each week though. If I'm going slow with the salinity would that work or should I do more like a 20%?

 

[Lady G]

Should I maybe start a thread asking if anyone has a violet goby maybe they can give me some advice on them? Since I am having a hard time finding info?

 

[Lady G]

mollies

I have looked at the mollies and I do like them, I was thinking of a different fish when they were suggested, so my question is how many could I keep in the 30g?

Then I was wondering about the bumble bee fiah, I'm getting mixed info on these guy's should I only have one or a group? I've read they are aggressive toward each other and in a smaller tank only 1 then I read that you should have a group or they will be aggressive toward other tank mates? Which is true?

So far I think I am leaning toward a few mollies, swordtails, bumble bee and celebes rainbows, I think I'm ruling out the orange chromide, since I will have the dragon and bumble bee which are both bottom dwellers and from what I've read the orange chromide are bottom dwellers too? Can you tell me if tis is true or are they mid dwellers? I would love to have them because they are beautiful fish but I don't want to crowd up the bottom.

Any suggestions on the choices I have made? Are all the fish I've chosen to look into (beside the bumblebee) top dwellers or are some mid level, I haven't found that info. for some reason but it seems I alway's see them at the top of the tank in the fish stores.

Yet another ? I will not be adding all fish at once, so I was wondering about starting to raise the salinity should I wait till I have all fish in or since I will be adjusting slowly should I start it before?

 

[reiverix]

A rubbermaid container makes a good mixing bucket just make sure it is food grade. If I was doing this I would do daily 10% water changes starting with a 1/2 tsp of salt going on to a tsp of salt. The reason for this is that each WC will be removing an increasing amount of salt content.

I can't give you any advice on tankmates as I've no experience with the violet goby. Another problem arises when you add tankmates because if they have come from a FW tank then they too would need to be adjusted to BW.

 

[TKOS]

I think Mollies would be a good choice. If you start with 1 male and three females then you should be able to populate the tank easily. Make sure to acclimate them slowly to the brackish water though as they are most likely kept in freshwater at the fish store.

 

[Lady G]

I think Mollies would be a good choice. If you start with 1 male and three females then you should be able to populate the tank easily. Make sure to acclimate them slowly to the brackish water though as they are most likely kept in freshwater at the fish store.

I think I'm going to wait to start the salinity process until I get the tank mates, but I was told that if I start before hand that when I bring them home and they are "floating" in the bag, I could add a little water from the tank every 15min for about an hour and they would be fine...do you know if this is true?

Really I'm in between trying to figure out if I want the mollies or the swordtails, but the mollies have so many more colors and variations I'm thinking I am most likely going to go with them. If I got them do you think 2 orange chromides would be ok too? I really like them but am wary about getting them.

 

[TKOS]

Fish should be subjected to more than a 0.002 change in SG per week, so the bag float meathod doesn't work. You would need to place the mollies in a separate tank and go through the acclimation process that way.

 

[Lady G]

Fish should be subjected to more than a 0.002 change in SG per week, so the bag float meathod doesn't work. You would need to place the mollies in a separate tank and go through the acclimation process that way.

Ok thanks, I thought that sounded "fishy" to me : . Since I wont be getting fish I have to order, I will just get a few at a time and then start the salinity after I have everyone.

 

[Jayhawk]

The fish in the bag thing isn't fishie at all. The .002 SG increase per week is for the good bacteria in your filter not the fish. BW fish routinely swim between varying salinity areas in their environment.

Drip acclimation, adding small amounts of tank water to the water in the bag from the LFS or simply adding all fish to FW then increasing the SG - any of these methods will work.

Eric

 

[Lady G]

BW fish routinely swim between varying salinity areas in their environment.

Guess that makes sence.

Does antone know if Orange Chromides are bottom or mid dwellers?

Gin