Conflicted! 30g needs stocking

[billysgirl4e]

Hey, all! So, I have acquired a 30gallon that needs stocking. It's been cycling for 4 weeks now, and is holding levels well. Currently the salinity is at 1.004 (this is the natural salinity of my water), PH is around 8-8.2, Nitrates around .5, Nitrites at 0, Ammonia at 0, KH and GH both around 300. I told my husband, we will forever have at least one puffer in the house for the rest of our functioning life...I love them! So far, I've only had GSPs and F8s (w/ a personal preference to my GSPs)... I'm conflicted as to how to stock my new tank. First question is can "Freshwater Flounders" and F8s live together peacefully? Second is, what could I throw in w/ a GSP for a little bit of variety? Can BBGs be with them? Can they handle the salinity required for adult GSPs? If not, how about marine variety gobies? Any other fish ideas? Obviously would have to be small and low waste so as not to overstock. Are there any other fabulous puffers I should try my hand in? I don't feel quite ready to go marine...and really can't in a 30g - esp. not w/ puffers anyway? Also, have been reading that many people place GSPs (when they're at adult salinity) w/ many kinds of marine fish. And many people have had success bringing marine fish down to a sg of 1.018. I'm going CRAZY now that my tank is stable. (Not to mention seeing the rediculous overabundance of poor little puffers in my undereducated county... Went to the new superwalmart in gainesville, and they had probably 20 2-3in puffers (various varieties gsps, f8s, and possibly larger varieties w/ far more spots than gsps?!) in one of those little 10g tanks. It breaks my heart. The LFS in my town is EVEN WORSE ... they kill their puffers before they get them sold:-( . I think these are some of the reasons I have had trouble keeping them as these are my sources. There's one decent lfs around an hour 15 min away, I go there often (got my bbgs there), but still horrible conditions. Sad.
Anyway, sorry for the rant. Help me figure out who I can save Also, I'm becoming used to playing doctor w/ my fish. Couple of questions on best medicines to use:
1) Some medicines like copper-safe, maracyn II, and maracide are labeled for freshwater or saltwater exclusive use. Some are crossovers. Where do condition-exclusive labels fall for brackish tanks? Will freshwater medicines still work? Should you use marine medicines? At what salinity do you cross over w/ the medicines? What are some good (non-harmful) choices for treating IPs? I've read about soaking food in a garlic solution? The only other medicine I see occasionally is Tank Buddies Parasite Clear (but I've never had good luck w/ my fish responding to their medicines, and I can't imagine there is really a miracle medicine that treats both internal and external parasites as it claims to...any reviews?) So that's it for now. I know there are a lot of questions. Thanks for helping me learn.

JB
-----
1 cute little chiweenie
30g empty
5g bbgs

[t1gerbee]

lots of questions there.. and 'll not try and answer all of them because i've forgotten most of then now anyway... oops...

with brackish you sort of are stuck between GSP and Fig 8.. then BBG's, knight gobies etc..

and with your tank being 0.004 SG? (how can that be possible... i guess you don't drink your tap water right? ICK!) you may struggle to keep fresh water fish... (or do you keep them just fine?)

I think you need to be a little braver and start a small marine tank... it really isn't as scary as you think, and you could have a specimen toby tank... like the most beautiful, packed full of personality valentini... he'll do great in a 30G and you may be able to find a smal goby type to go in there as well.. once the tank has matured out a bit..

and if you keep it fish only with live rock then i doubt you would have any problems, you are already competant with your parameters, and with fish only tanks it takes most of the stress of marine keeping away, it's the corals that tend to be fussy, valentini's are no more fussy than brackish puffers.. just like it a little saltier.. top up with fresh when the tank over evaporates and your fish will stay happy...

and i think you said you had GSP's? well they will appreciate full marine at some point, so now might be a good place to start learning...

I started a 30G marine tank after i got a GSP, knowing i'd have to take him to full marine, started slow and small, and after getting more confidence i expanded, now i have a 60G marine tank (with a few starter corals and my juv. puffers) and am upgrading to a 100G tank soon...

eventually i want to combine my marine tank and my brackish tank into one huge marine..


if you go this road you'll have to be a little more patient, and up your salt by 0.002 a week until it reaches 0.023/ 0.025...(or re-cycle it marine) but it would be so worth it when you got that valentini/ other toby in there....

you don't get over the beauty of a marine tank fast...