Salinity Shock??

[RAV-65]

Hi all,

this discussion came up today between me and my other reefer friend. I was tinking about buying a fish at an LFS that keeps it's water at SG 1.019. My tank at home has a SG of 1.024 at least. My question is, would even 3 hours of acclimatisation be sufficient??

Can the fish tolerate the significant change in SG over a 3 hour period?

Can someone enlighten me on this??

[iori_del]

hmm for me i have try a few time which i just throw in my power black which is 1.024 at the shop to my tank 1.008 which is during hypo..

[RAV-65]

hmm for me i have try a few time which i just throw in my power black which is 1.024 at the shop to my tank 1.008 which is during hypo..

den wat happened?

[FuEl]

Fish can withstand salinity fluctuations better than crustaceans...from 1.019 to 1.024 should'nt be a problem..although a slow acclimatization should make it less stressful on the fish

[RAV-65]

thanxs bro... from 1.019 to 1.024 sure seems a huge jump to me!

[FuEl]

thanxs bro... from 1.019 to 1.024 sure seems a huge jump to me!

Depends on the hardiness of the fish too. For puffers and damselfish I don't see much problems. If its more sensitive fishes like clownfish or gobies I would most probably give it about an acclimatization period of maybe 10-20 minutes.

[RAV-65]

Depends on the hardiness of the fish too. For puffers and damselfish I don't see much problems. If its more sensitive fishes like clownfish or gobies I would most probably give it about an acclimatization period of maybe 10-20 minutes.

10-20 mins enough meh?? I thought would be better if at least over an hour period?? I'm pretty cncerned as the fish is going to cost me $50!

[blackpuma]

I use the drip method for any creatures I introduce in my tank. First a 30 minutes float in the tank water to equalize temperature. Then fish and water is poured into a pail.

A lenght of airline with a few knots to control the flow of the siphon from the display tank to the pail. the flow of the siphon is adjusted to a trickle, drop by drop the pail is filled with tank water, how long it takes normally depends on the flow of the drops and the volume of water you have from the LFS, I estimate the flow such that it takes about and hour to fill up the pail with 200% of the original water from the LFS

I am sure a lot of fishes can tahan a drastic change in salinity, but I try to provide the least changes in terms of temp, salinity and PH amongst others when I try to acclaimatise the fish to prevent stress. Stressed fish = sick fish.

Of course there are LFS that just simply throws newly arrived fish into thier tanks without acclamatising and the fishes are still ok but I am not willing to take any chances.

In keeping marine fishes Kiasuism pays.

[iori_del]

fish tend to breathe easier in low SG than in high SG and they dun need to get rid of so much salt thru their grill.

So i think from 1.024 to 1.008 they fish will be able to cope, but if from 1.008 to 1.,024, it will be more danger as the fishes need to breathe hard.

my 1 cent comment

[Synanceia]

They can tolerate moving to a hyposaline environment better than a hypersaline one (i.e. it is easier for them to move to a lower salinity environment than a higher salinity environment). This is because a lower salinity environment (up to a limit) is closer to their blood concentration and hence they expend less energy to osmoregulate - they are less physiologically stressed. However, if moving them to a higher salinity environment, the opposite happens - they now need to devote more energy to osmoregulate and will be more stressed. I would advise that acclimatisation be slow (at least over a few hours) if you shift them from 1.019 to 1.024.

[RAV-65]

Okie... Thanxs all for the valuable advice... Tink will spend more time doing my acclimatisation!

[PBT]

how long can i keep fishes at salinity level for?forever?

[bloodlamb]

hi,

I never acclimatise my fishes except to float the bag to equalise the temperature. I follow the advice a book (see www.wetwebmedia.com) and gives all my fishes a fresh water (pH corrected to the same as tank water) dip with methyl-blue for 5-8 mins and after that the fishes go straight into the tank. Have done this to clown fish, yellow tang, purple tang, royal gramma, box fish.

[RAV-65]

hi,

I never acclimatise my fishes except to float the bag to equalise the temperature. I follow the advice a book (see www.wetwebmedia.com) and gives all my fishes a fresh water (pH corrected to the same as tank water) dip with methyl-blue for 5-8 mins and after that the fishes go straight into the tank. Have done this to clown fish, yellow tang, purple tang, royal gramma, box fish.

Bro, can share the purpose of doing dat?? And wat results have you gotten?

[bloodlamb]

hi,

Its suppose to help the fish shed parasites on the skin and gills (esp if you use more powerful chemcials for the dip) see Dip and Bath. How ever I do not dare to do this for invertabrates. For fishes so far ok. Any I dip before fish going into QT and after QT before going into display tank.

I never let LFS water get into my system.

[PBT]

can anyone answer my question?can i so put a fish inside a tank with low salinity level?forever?

[Synanceia]

That is a question I will like to ask experts in the field, or primarily those dealing with aquaculture (which can extend to enthusiasts like us who keep fish in tanks), since theoretically a lower salinity than that in a natural sea environment will likely benefit the fish by reducing their physiological stress via lowering the energy needs of osmoregulation. So, in theory, you can keep marine fish at a reduced salinity of say 24 to 28 o/oo (compared to the normal of 30 to 33 o/oo). However, I don't know if anybody has tried this before, or if there are other side effects, e.g. the lifespan of the fish may be shortened, since they evolved to the current form in the current natural salinity. Having said that, global warming may lower the salinity of the ocean when the ice bergs melt.

Personally, I am keeping my fish at a salinity of 27 to 30 o/oo, so far with no observable ill effects. That said, this range of salinity may have little impact on reducing physiological stress since it is only a fraction lower than their natural environmental salinity.