Creating the right salinity for a valentini...

[PuffDaddyCurl]

Ok, been awhile since I have been here. Since my GSP (Hamlet) passed away about three months ago, I have had time to learn much more about puffer keeping and correct feeding routines. I have also been looking into getting a Marine puffer and have decided on getting a valentini. Now my tank is currently freshwater with no fish in it but fully cycled. I want to up the salinity to marine standards but have a few issues:

How do I figure out my salinity on the first go around?
- Do I slowly just fill up 5 gallon buckets and add a little bit of salt to get to the correct amount?
1. What is the best salinity for a valentini puffer?
- He/She will be the only inhabitant besides snails or ghost shrimp.
2. Do I need to start at the salinity level of my local fish store and slowly add more salt each water change or can I make it the right salinity off the bat?
3. How long does it take for salinity to fluctuate?
- Do I need to do water changes daily to keep the salinity up to par or can I do them every other day?
4. For every 5 gallon bucket of water how much marine salt do I add to hit whatever the preferred salinity I need to be at?
- Since I am only using a 20g tank I use 5g buckets to do a 25% water change.
5. How big do the water changes need to be?
6. Is there anything I am forgetting?

Thanks guys,
Spencer

[Pufferpunk]

Dump the substrate & get sand. Buy about 20 lbs of live rock & add it to your tank with the SG of around 1.020 (it should say on the bag/bucket, how much salt to use). Wait until the ammonia/nitrite is 0 & the nitrate has spiked. Do an 80% water change & add your fish. You may have to drip-acclimate the fish, as many LFS keep their SW fish at a low SG, like 1.016-18. If you want to less WC, find a small hOB skimmer, like the Backpac.

Ghost shrimp probably won't last long in SW.

[PuffDaddyCurl]

Ok, sounds like a good list of things to get started on...Hopefully my LFS has a good price of live rock cause 20 lbs seems like it sounds expensive. As for the ghost shrimp I only ment to use them as food. Will they last long enough for the puffer to notice them?

[Pufferpunk]

Check at Reef Central for a local reef club near you for better prices on rock & used equipment.

[MatthewLaw]

I would also recommend getting a hydrometer (or if you have more $$ a refractometer). You put water in the the tube and the needle tells you the SG (specific gravity = salt content) so you can check daily.

The salinity for the Valentini should be the same for most other SW fish.

[PuffDaddyCurl]

Yeah, got the hydrometer and starting the salinity change tomorrow on my off day so I can fiddle with it all day!!!

Thanks for the help guys

[Pufferpunk]

What do you mean by "starting" salinity change? Are you changing over the substrate?

[PuffDaddyCurl]

Yep, the tank is going through an entire change with look, type, everything...I guess its not really called a salinity Change . I do not need live sand do I? I wanted to just get some black play sand...is that fine?

[Pufferpunk]

Yeah, that's fine--the live rock will seed the sand, also making it live.