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by dante21 on October 18th, 2006

dante21

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Is it possible to turn fresh water fish into salt water fish, if you gradually acclimatised them?

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  • by bbumgarner on October 18th, 2006

    bbumgarner

    Assumption: The question does not mention a specific species, therefore the question is asking about freshwater fish, in general.

    No.

    You cannot turn any random fresh water fish into a salt water fish. You cannot turn a salt water fish into a fresh water fish. Each species of fish has a specific range of environmental variables that it can survive within. While a fish may be used to one set of extremes of those variables and you can accustom said fish to the other end of the extremes of said variables by adjusting its environment over time, you cannot acclimatize a fish to living in an environment whose level of saltiness -- and other chemicals, temperature, variables, etc... -- is outside of the range for which that particular species can survive.

    Fresh water fish and salt water fish have evolved to survive in the salinity -- the level of saltiness -- of their native environments. Salt quantity isn't the only difference between salt and fresh water. There are many other variables, ranging from other chemicals to various organisms. These would have to be adjusted, too.

    There are a handful of species that can go between fresh and salt water, but most of those require being in one or the other (or both) for some period of time throughout their life cycles.

    Some references (from scubabob, whom I owe a "thanks" for making me look into this some more):

    http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6016770.html

    This patent covers a process for acclimating saltwater fish to fresh or brackish water. It explicitly calls out that not all species are compatible with such a change in their environment. The subject of fresh to saltwater conversion or acclimatization is completely avoided. (Coincidentally, the patent has expired due to non-payment).

    http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/jan99/916188046.Gb.r.html

    This article posits that it should be possible to acclimatize a saltwater fish to freshwater, but concludes that "... but it might be difficult to acclimate fresh water fish to salt water. The fresh water fish may just not have the biological equipment to excrete the excess salt it would ingest and might therefore dehydrate."

    These articles and further research shows no evidence that anything but very specific species are capable of moving from freshwater to saltwater. Of those species, I could find none that move from freshwater to saltwater permanently and, certainly, no evidence of a acclimatization regimen that might enable a random freshwater fish to live permanently in a saltwater environment.

    Comments

    • This isn't an answer. It contradicts itself.

      scubabob

      by scubabob on October 18th, 2006

    • Scubabob was right. I added an opening paragraph that answers the actual question. I believe the answer now addresses the question.

      bbumgarner

      by bbumgarner on October 18th, 2006

    • And upon some research, your answer is wrong. It actually is possible to have them switch.

      scubabob

      by scubabob on October 18th, 2006

    • The question doesn't even mention specific species. Face it, you're not answering the question as it's stated.

      scubabob

      by scubabob on October 19th, 2006

    • I note that you're answer keeps changing. Why is that? Flaws? It appears so.

      scubabob

      by scubabob on October 19th, 2006

    • No -- It changes because it needed clarification and I want the answer to be complete. And it changes in response to questions you [scubabob] have raised. And it changes because I don't pretend to be perfect -- I edit my answers as I learn more inf

      bbumgarner

      by bbumgarner on October 19th, 2006

    • This answer is what I would say if i had more information.

      Cantras

      by Cantras on April 6th, 2008

    • Among the "freshwater" fish that can be acclimated to salt water:

      Mollies
      Platies
      guppies
      Silver tipped shark catfish
      the various brackish-water puffers sold as freshwater

      I have both a swordtail platy and a marble molly in my marine tank, at 1.027 ppm salinity, which is high even for captive saltwater fish.

      kazvorpal

      by kazvorpal on December 6th, 2009

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