New GSP, poor planing, please help...

[Liquidblue]

Hello everyone,

Today my husband returned from a trip to wal-mart with a GSP...I *knew* as soon as he showed me the fish exactly what it was and that putting it in our 20 gallon community tank as a recipie for disaster. We've had fish for years and I breed show bettas and I have wanted to get into salt water tanks for a while, I know we can give the fish the kind of life it deserves though there is going to be a little turmoil in the beginning...so, while I KNOW this is not the right way to go about things, we decided not to return the poor guy to wal-mart.

While acclimating him, I did some quick research on line and then went to the petstore. He is currently in the 20 gallon, freshwater community tank, scaring the poo out of my danios.

I have set up a 10 gallon (one of my breeding tanks that is not being used) with Seachem Meridian Gray Coast Substrate, an Aqueon power filter for 20 gallons, 125 gph, and a heater. I have added a pot with gravel from one of my established tanks and a java fern, 1/2 a tuperwear container full of gravel from the established tank, two pieces of drift wood from an established tank, and added filter media from one of the established tanks to the filter.

My water out of the tap is hard w/8.2 PH...(makes breeding bettas a real pain)

My thought was to keep the 10 gallon FW until I move him, then slowly up the salt (I purchased some Instant Ocean and a hydrometer). Next month we are setting up a pond and moving our goldfish from their 30 gallon into the pond. The 30 gallon will then become the tank for the GSP...only the GSP.

Soo...my questions are:
1.) Which is worse, keeping him in the 20 gallon community until the 10 is cycled or cycling the tank with him in there? (shouldn't be too much of a process since I added all that stuff from my other tanks).
2.)Should I up the salinity in the tank before or after I move the GSP?
3.) I know that driftwood brings PH down, but my PH is already high and I am afraid the aragonite substrate will raise it higher. Is it safe to keep the driftwood in and keep an eye on my PH?

Thank you so much for reading!

[FishFan]

we decided not to return the poor guy to wal-mart.

Yay! At least 2 of our local wal-marts flush live returned fish, and refuse to alter this policy despite our talking to store management. We were led to believe that this is a company-wide policy, but I really hope not.

I'm no expert, and what you're doing sounds good to me. Good luck with your new little guy.

[Liquidblue]

OMG, I had no idea they were that horrible...this might not be the most comfortable way to live ATM, but its not a death sentence...I'm really glad we didn't bring him back, how aweful

[SpockthePuffer]

Have you tested the water in the 10 gallon yet? If you added filter media, decorations and some of the gravel from the cycled tank it should be pretty much cycled. You might have a mini cycle and need to do a water change though.

After you test the water and make sure that the tank is cycled you can start adding salt, raise the sg .002 a week.

The driftwood won't last in the saltwater so you might want to take it out so it doesn't get ruined... How high is your Ph?

[pufferfreak]

I owuld do the 10 gallon so your other fish wont be terrified.

[Liquidblue]

I put some fish food in the 10 gallon a few hours ago to start the fishless cycle.

Here are my readings:
PH: 8
NitrIte: 0
NitrAte: 0
Ammonia: between 0 and .25 (its the liquid, match the color kind...its mostly yellow, so closer to 0)

I'll removed the drift wood when I start adding salt and know the tank is cycled, he can clean the snails off of it in the mean time Thanks for replying guys...I'll go fish him out of the twenty and acclimate him to the 10...I'll try and post a pic when he is in his new home.

[Jase]

did you read the fishless cycling article? I'm not a fan of rotting food for cycling...

[Liquidblue]

I have read several articles on fishless cycling, though I have not looked it up on this forum. I am not a huge fan of adding chemicals to my tank for any reason other than medication, though my bettas do get Indian Almond Leaf added to their water...which changes PH...I did not think the tank would need too much of a start up with all the bacteria I brought over from one of my cycled tanks. The tank I pulled the gravel and media from has been set up for over 3 years, so it is well established. I do not mean to snub your advice, just explaining my thought process...there are so many different ways people do things in the fish world...

[Jase]

it's all good. just thought I'd mention it.

[crazedpuffer]

1.) Just put him in the 10 with the gravel and the filter media and he'll be fine.
2.)Keep him in FW untill he has a 30 gallon to himself
3.) It should be safe, but just test your PH frequently. Fish don't do good when there is a huge change in PH but if the PH is always the same they adjust fine.

[FishFan]

Keep him in FW untill he has a 30 gallon to himself

We couldn't agree more! We found out the hard way that the oft-recommended .002 sg salt changes wreak havoc on filtration unless done in small steps. Ammonia and nitrite can be far more harmful to the fish than the problem the adding salt is intended to resolve. Ammonia wars are no fun, especially for these puffer sweeties.

[Jay.B.]

... At least 2 of our local wal-marts flush live returned fish, and refuse to alter this policy despite our talking to store management. We were led to believe that this is a company-wide policy, but I really hope not...

I can't believe they would actually do that!

[Liquidblue]

I will skip the salt until its time for the 30 gallon...that sounds like a really good idea, its alot easier to keep a 30 gallon stable than a 10. We lost a 5.5" cichlid to an ammonia spike about a year ago, it was no fun at all...

Here are some pictures of Miles (as in Miles Teg from Dune...thats right, big dork right over here!)

Tank:

Long view:

Miles:


FishFan: LoL to the "Borg" comment in your signature

[SpockthePuffer]

He looks good. Keep on testing the water. If gravel and filter media are moved from the 20gallon you should be alright with the cycle.

[crazedpuffer]

Cute puffer, he already seems to recognize you!