how do make brackish water with a gravity of 0.010

[PowerRanger]

how do i make brackish water with a gravity of 0.010

plz help!!

 

[PowerRanger]

I am very new to aquariums and im hoing to get red clawed crabs. I read that they need brackish water with a gravity of 0.010 and i have no clue how to do that. I have aquarium salt and a 10 gallon aquarium, however i will not be filling it up all of the way so that there is still dry land 4 the crabs. PLZPLZPZL help me!

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I am very new to aquariums and im hoing to get red clawed crabs. I read that they need brackish water with a gravity of 0.010 and i have no clue how to do that. I have aquarium salt and a 10 gallon aquarium, however i will not be filling it up all of the way so that there is still dry land 4 the crabs. PLZPLZPZL help me!

Use SW salt and get a hydrometer to measure SG so it's close, if you need it exact a refratometer works better. I'm cycling a a tank for brackish right now so I'm just learning too, but will following .

 

[PowerRanger]

i dont have a hydrometer and i don't have enough money for one is there like a specific salt to water ratio for a gravity of 0.010?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

i dont have a hydrometer and i don't have enough money for one is there like a specific salt to water ratio for a gravity of 0.010?

That I don't know. But from what I've learned, a hyrdometer is a must when mixing up SW or BW, so I don't think you can eyeball it if you want it right.

 

[PowerRanger]

how much would a hydrometer cost?

 

[Tim Wheatley]

You do need to get one, it's that simple, for keeping things which need a specific environment it's just as essential as the salt itself. If you can't afford one then you should probably wait or you'll just eventually have the wrong amount of salt in there and not know it.

Two FLAT TEAspoons of Instant Ocean salt per gallon of RO/DI water will give you a salinity of about 1.010. But the salt varies through caking on the lid of the tank, evaporation of the water, etc, which means that if you consistently just replace salt at that initial rate I mentioned you WILL end up with more or less salt in the tank than is needed after just a matter of days usually. Which is why you need the things mentioned above.

I also say you need RO/DI water because without it you'll spend most of your time scraping algae off everything in the tank, including probably the shells of the crabs.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

how much would a hydrometer cost?

Like 10 or 12 bucks at Petco.

Two FLAT TEAspoons of Instant Ocean salt per gallon of RO/DI water will give you a salinity of about 1.010.

I also say you need RO/DI water because without it you'll spend most of your time scraping algae off everything in the tank, including probably the shells of the crabs.

Is the 2 tsps/1g water a genearl rule, or should it be tested at each mix?

So even on brackish tanks RO|DI water is a must? Because I have live plants (brackish adapted) in my GSP tank and they'll need the nutrients from my tap water.

Also do you know if I need a SW test kit, or is my FW going to be OK?

 

[uh.oh...]

If you mixed up a large ammount...say 5 gallons at a time, then left it with an airstone and a powerhead it there to circulate, you might get more accurate salinity. Mixing just a gallon or two you have to be more precise on the measurements. And of course, if you make it too salty and have to add more water its a bit hard. Then again, can you leave a brackish mix for a week or more without it turning into marine via evaporation?

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Like 10 or 12 bucks at Petco.



Is the 2 tsps/1g water a genearl rule, or should it be tested at each mix?

So even on brackish tanks RO|DI water is a must? Because I have live plants (brackish adapted) in my GSP tank and they'll need the nutrients from my tap water.

Also do you know if I need a SW test kit, or is my FW going to be OK?

I got remarkably accurate with the 2 tsps/1g, but my tank was with a fish where a little fluctuation didn't matter. I'd have concerns with any type of crab doing it that way and relying on it. And anyway, like I said, salt is going to build due to evap.

I would use RO/DI and then add ferts of just what the plants need for best results, but if your plants are good (which I actually doubt they will be at 1.010, most plants can adapt to half that?) then they should take the nutrients from the water before algae anyway.

 

[Homer8]

you can buy the glass hydrometers for like $3. You want to use marine salt not aquarium salt because there are different minerals in there that the fish need.

 

[Tim Wheatley]

you can buy the glass hydrometers for like $3. You want to use marine salt not aquarium salt because there are different minerals in there that the fish need.

I've been wondering about that one lately. Aquarium salt says on the box that it is evaporated sea water, which means the salts and minerals should be the same, no?

 

[Mr. Limpet]

I got remarkably accurate with the 2 tsps/1g, but my tank was with a fish where a little fluctuation didn't matter. I'd have concerns with any type of crab doing it that way and relying on it. And anyway, like I said, salt is going to build due to evap.

I would use RO/DI and then add ferts of just what the plants need for best results, but if your plants are good (which I actually doubt they will be at 1.010, most plants can adapt to half that?) then they should take the nutrients from the water before algae anyway.

Sounds like I'll be doing a lot of trial & error testing with the SG lol. It'll be a couple years before it's up to .010 (adult GSP are .010-.020) and there are a couple plants that can take it at that level. I live about 7 miles from the pacific ocean so I may just go see what plants I might find in an estuary/brackish setting.

I've been wondering about that one lately. Aquarium salt says on the box that it is evaporated sea water, which means the salts and minerals should be the same, no?

Everything I've read says that aqua salt does not contain the elements needed to properly support brackish fish. A couple LFS sellers say it's fine, but you know how that goes .

 

[siva]

You MUST have a hydrometer.

I thought red claws did best at 1.004 - 1.008 SG...but I could be wrong on that.

 

[0o.Kelsey.o0]

Get a refractometer to test the salinity of the water, add water/salt as needed. Might get more responses in freshwater/brackish section lol. I don't have much knowledge in brackish at all sorry.

 

[mfdrookie516]

Merged two of the same threads together.

 

[Tim Wheatley]

Everything I've read says that aqua salt does not contain the elements needed to properly support brackish fish. A couple LFS sellers say it's fine, but you know how that goes .

heheh! It's weird though, huh? I'd be really interested to hear if they are actually the same salts as what are actually sold as marine salts. It wouldn't be surprising to me as all my tanks run on pond detoxifiers now as it's about 5 times cheaper and is exactly the same...

The way the aquarium industry is I really can imagine the same product having two different labels, uses and prices.

It also probably explains why I've been able to treat all my freshwater fish for Ich with marine salt without any negative effects whatsoever.

 

[Mr. Limpet]

heheh! It's weird though, huh? I'd be really interested to hear if they are actually the same salts as what are actually sold as marine salts. It wouldn't be surprising to me as all my tanks run on pond detoxifiers now as it's about 5 times cheaper and is exactly the same...

The way the aquarium industry is I really can imagine the same product having two different labels, uses and prices.

It also probably explains why I've been able to treat all my freshwater fish for Ich with marine salt without any negative effects whatsoever.

I'd think if they were the same thing, wouldn't people that use aqua salt regularly be turning their FW tank into a SW tank over time? I guess you could use a refactometer and test your FW tank.

Speaking of refracto's what do you think of this one?

http://www.ecrater.com/p/7236100/sea-water-salinity-refractometer-4-aquarium

It's half the price of some I've seen, but I don't want one that won't work right just because it's a good price. TIA

 

[Tim Wheatley]

I'd think if they were the same thing, wouldn't people that use aqua salt regularly be turning their FW tank into a SW tank over time? I guess you could use a refactometer and test your FW tank.

Speaking of refracto's what do you think of this one?

Sea Water Salinity Refractometer 4 Aquarium Hydrometer

It's half the price of some I've seen, but I don't want one that won't work right just because it's a good price. TIA

Naa, not if they do water changes. The amount of salt usually recommended (I recommend none unless you're treating something) in a freshwater tank wouldn't even record a change in salinity. Then when they change the water they are removing the trace down to minuscule amounts. But when I treated for Ich recently every fish I have was in a 1.005 brackish water, including Clown "sensitive" Loaches, a Clown Pleco and five Cory cats, who are all supposed to be sensitive to ANY salt.

That one looks OK to me.

 

[Homer8]

Be careful that when you have your box of marine salt and your scooping it out not to get ANY water inthe box. I dont know if anyone else had this problem but i got the scoop i used wet the dipped it in the box and the little water that was on the scoop turned the entire box of salt into a salt brick. Now i have to break the salt apart when i make new brackish water. It was not a lot maybe a half of a tablespoon of water