LFS told me they test salinity daily and their water was 35 ppm. My new tank is at ideal parameters and sitting at 35ppm. I got one Blue Damsel to help jump start the nitrogen cycle (with the addition of API quick start, double dosed- I have a 29g and dosed for a 60g tank as I've read numerous times that being the suggested technique).
PROBLEM is: salinity of LFS water with damsel tests 30.8ppm! I lowered my tank a bit to 34.8ppm and have acclimated the fish to 31.8 ppm over the course of 4 hours and than stopped adding water for the night. Process so far: Fish was floated first for 30 mins, I opened the bag and tested parameters of LFS water and compared salinity to my tank. I then used a baster to add 3 squirts of my water to the bag to increase salinity slowly. I did this several more times waiting 20 mins or so in between additions. As the bag got too full I dumped out about half the water to make room for additional water from my tank. I added additional water gradually till I reached 31.8ppm. I then looked up how tolerant fish are to increases in salinity (eye roll at myself) because I knew it had to be slow and the difference in salinity is so great. I stopped adding water and wanted to wait for the fish to acclimate as it was a fast increase in salinity already. So the fish was left overnight to acclimate to that increase in salinity. Problem two is the poor damsel is still in the open floating bag because I dare not throw him/her in my tank or it'll die. I just don't want the fish to die in the dang bag either. I will be setting up a 10g QT tank with lower salinity, that's all I can think to do at this point to keep the damsel alive while slowly increasing salinity to my tanks specific gravity. Suggestions please?
PROBLEM is: salinity of LFS water with damsel tests 30.8ppm! I lowered my tank a bit to 34.8ppm and have acclimated the fish to 31.8 ppm over the course of 4 hours and than stopped adding water for the night. Process so far: Fish was floated first for 30 mins, I opened the bag and tested parameters of LFS water and compared salinity to my tank. I then used a baster to add 3 squirts of my water to the bag to increase salinity slowly. I did this several more times waiting 20 mins or so in between additions. As the bag got too full I dumped out about half the water to make room for additional water from my tank. I added additional water gradually till I reached 31.8ppm. I then looked up how tolerant fish are to increases in salinity (eye roll at myself) because I knew it had to be slow and the difference in salinity is so great. I stopped adding water and wanted to wait for the fish to acclimate as it was a fast increase in salinity already. So the fish was left overnight to acclimate to that increase in salinity. Problem two is the poor damsel is still in the open floating bag because I dare not throw him/her in my tank or it'll die. I just don't want the fish to die in the dang bag either. I will be setting up a 10g QT tank with lower salinity, that's all I can think to do at this point to keep the damsel alive while slowly increasing salinity to my tanks specific gravity. Suggestions please?