Debating going Salt with a GSP

[Liz]

I have a 40 gallon brackish tank with a 4" or so GSP. He hasn't seemed too happy (always either anxious or lethargic) lately, so I've thought about going saltwater to maybe make him feel better. He doesn't have any visible signs of illness, and I have treated him for internal parasites just in case, but he still doesn't seem like the happiest fish. I don't know anything about saltwater though. Is it very expensive to maintain, other than the salt? What kind of setup would he like? Any possible tankmates?

Thanks, I know there is a plethora of information out there on the web but I can't find much specifically on GSP's in saltwater (since they are kept in a wide range of salinity).

[LittlePuff]

The salinity needs to be between 1.018 and 1.022.
You don't have to change the setup unless you want to. A skimmer would be good, but not necessary.

Kim

[Liz]

What kind of decorations and stuff?

Oh, and he's got crushed coral substrate and an aquaclear filter.
I'd like to go as cheap as I can right now, and upgrade when I can in the future. What kind of lighting? Is fluorescent neccessary? Can you have an at all attractive aquarium with basic incandescent lighting?

Thanks

[RTR]

Lighting is BW puffer tanks is marginally for the puffer to be able to see and explore, but is mostly for the keeper to be able to see and watch. The disadvantage to incandescent is that it it produces and wastes a lot of heat. If your fixture is presently incandescent, you migh be pleased with one of the compact fluorescents available at home stores (Lowe's, Home Depot, etc.) which are intended to replace standard incandescents. Do look for good spectrum though - if they give the "color temperature" or degrees Kelvin of the unit, you want something 5000- 6800K, or if they give the Color Rendering Index (CRI), you want high 80s to anywhere above 90. That info should be on the package.

It would still be best to have the fixture on a timer, with regular light hours, but you do not want long light cycles when live plants cannot be used. That would be an invitation to algae. IME it is better to light such tanks only during you usual viewing times, say evenings while you are at home. If there is natural light in the area, the puffer will not suffer from the shorter light cycle and this will help control algae.

Is your GSP presently in FW? If so, it would be better to adapt the fish and tank slowly to BW, no more tha a 0.002 change per week in the specific gravity, and slower is still fine. For a GSP I would go to mid to high BW at least for best health and color for the GSP.

[Liz]

Well he was previously kept around 1.008, but since I got the 40 gallon I am still working on getting used to the amount of salt I have to add, so the salinity has been more like 1.004-1.006. It's also been lower because I recently added some plants which came from a FW tank.

What kind of decoration can I use in a low light/incandescent light tank? I've always liked natural looks and live plants in place of the false counterparts, atleast in the context of FW.

[ChesapeakeSwellfish]

Java ferns are not as demanding as higher plants for light and are more likely to survive brackish water. I think they are attractive additions.

Some have luck with java moss as well.

[Phaedrus]

IME java ferns always disintegrate in the 1.008 range and are only suitable for very light brackish, and certainly would not survive in the salinity that Mr Lumps would be needing at his size, 1.010 - 1.015.

The picture in my sig is my 30 gallon brackish tank with one ~4" GSP. I worked hard to get a lot of visual complexity and broken paths all while maintaining a more natural look. You can click on the picture for a larger view.

[Pufferpunk]

Are you using marine salt? Is there plenty of decor in there for him to explore?

[Liz]

Yep I am using marine salt. And his tank is quite planted.

[RTR]

I think that you will have to chose between the plants and the fish. The puffer would be better with higher specific gravity, the FW plants definitely will not. You can't start using SW macroalgae until the specifc gravity is quite high, so in between you are stuck with artificial.