Lfs Gave Me Aquarium Salt Not Ocean...

[pavetheforest]

Hi, I just realized that the LFS gave me aquarium salt...not ocean salt for my 3 puffers...is this a really big deal? They've been in the tank for about 5 days, will they be alright one more day until I can get ocean salt tomorrow after work? Or is there no problem and this salt will do fine...? They're all green-spotted puffers. Thanks!

 

[nmonks]

Your GSPs will be fine in hard/alkaline freshwater for weeks at a time, so you can certainly afford to wait a day or two before worrying about their health. If you can, exchange the aquarium (tonic) salt for marine salt mix. In the short term, tonic salt is better than nothing, but if the box is unopened you may as well take it back and change it.

Make sure when you get the marine salt, you also get a hydrometer. Assuming these are baby puffers (5 cm or so in length) you want to keep them at a specific gravity of 1.005 to 1.010. Once they get a bit bigger (8-12 cm) then they need to be kept at no less than SG 1.010, and ideally perhaps around the 1.012-1.015 mark. They will also do well at SG 1.018, which means mixing them with robust marines, like damselfish, triggers, or moray eels, becomes an option.

Cheers,

Neale