porcupine puffers and a marine tank - can it be done slowly?

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indie
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porcupine puffers and a marine tank - can it be done slowly?

Post by indie »

well ive got my 143 gallon tank full of water and currently cycling as freshwater.

i had originally planned a fahaka puffer, but i think i may have swayed myself to go marine.
the only downfall is initial cost.
is it possible to be gone slowly?
the guy at the lfs was under the impression that puffers and corals dont mix... so does that take out live rock anyway?

other than a protein skimmer, do i need to have a sump? can it be done without a sump?

if i do need all of this stuff, can it be done gradually? ie, can i have it running at full marine adding live rock slowly?
and can i run it with a protein skimmer for a while? or does a sump need to be used from the beginning?

oh, and will i need to recycle at marine... its only just started its cycle, maybe a week in, so not an issue if i have to start again.

any help will be much appreciated
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indie
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Post by indie »

edited to add:
ive also just realised, would that mean not using the external filter i currently have attached? as im under the impression that the live rock works as the filter, or am i completely wrong?
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Post by Pufferpunk »

Yes, LR & skimmer are the filtration tools of SW tanks.
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Post by JustinPSmith »

To go marine, there would be a bit of an initial cost. You would need to start with some Live Rock, 75-100 lbs. at least and can eventually add more and more as you can. The LR, along with the skimmer is the main filtration. You will be able to use your external filter but just in a different way than you would for fresh or brackish water. You will need to remove the sponges and bio balls or ceramic rings, anything like that and replace them with maybe stuff like a phosphate and nitrate remover. You can run the carbon in the external filter also.

You then need to find a decent skimmer, especially for a puffer tank, as they are messy little guys. Probably a skimmer rated for 150-200 gallons. Make sure you do some product research before you buy one because they can be expensive and you need to make sure you are getting a good one!

You will also need to think about what kind of salt you will use, refractometer to measure the salt.

As for corals, most puffers will eat them, especially a porcupine, so start with just the LR. Another thing about corals, is the intense light they need. Im not sure what kind of lighting you have but you would need quite a bit on a 143G.

If you choose to go marine, you will need to start cycling again. You would need to change the external filter and then make the water a SG. of around 1.025 or maybe even a bit less for a fish only tank, like 1.024. You will need to add your substrate, which most likely will be sand. I would not do too deep of a sandbed with a puffer tank personally but you can read up and do your research about marine sandbeds and the different types. Once you get your LR and add it to the tank, there will be some die off from it, which should start your cycle. Make sure salinity, temperature and PH are all good before adding LR or you will kill a lot of the good bacteria and life off the rocks. You will also have to decide if you are getting cured LR or uncured. Uncured can take up to 6 weeks to cure and finish cycling, where as cured, can take as little as 2 weeks to cycle a tank but usually more like 3. There is a lot to learn about setting up a marine tank!

I would say the most important part of a marine tank, is putting the money in up front and doing it right or you will have nothing but dead fish and problems down the road!
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Post by Pufferpunk »

You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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Post by Myaj »

You can also buy a bunch of "base rock" and just a few pieces of live rock, which is a lot cheaper. The live rock will seed the base rock. It will take longer, but if the puffer is small and you do a good job cycling the tank in the first place, it shouldn't be a problem.

A good skimmer is a must, IMO. Especially with puffers.

A sump isn't necessary, but its a great thing for any tank. More water volume means cleaner water. So plan your stand appropriately, maybe in the future you can add a sump on. They are definately worth it and you don't need a drilled tank in order to have one.

IMO, the live rock will be the most expensive part. Corals and the lighting to keep them alive is a huge expense, but one that you won't have to worry about. So if you can get past the initial cost of the live rock and skimmer, you should be home free. After that you need the salt for water changes and food for the fish. Keep in mind big puffers like that eat a lot!
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Post by indie »

well i have a refractometer, and i have some marine salt also.

how much do u estimate the live rock will cost on the initial outlet as a rough guide for that size tank?
is it different cost cured and uncured? easier/harder to get hold of?

what brands are good for skimmers?
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Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
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lorteti
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suvattii
burrfish
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Post by Pufferpunk »

As far as a skimmer fo a tank that large, I'd go with an ASM G-3 or G-4. You'll need about 1 1/2 -2lbs of LR/gallon. I would go to Reef Central & see if there are any local reef clubs near you.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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Post by Nusquam »

Uncured live rock is going to be a LOT cheaper.

As an example (not sure what the prices by you are like), but at one of the LFS here, uncured goes for about $8/lb, while cured goes for about $13/lb
Not really *that* big of a deal until you realize you're getting around 100lbs of it. It just depends on if you have the money to do it.

The way we're setting up our first marine tank is lots of base rock, we've got some live rock already for cheap, and we're probably going to get a mix of cured and uncured, depending on budget constraints.

But this is our first marine tank, so not sure if that's the best way to go about it or not. It is, however, the cheapest way we've found to go about it.
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