New to forum and Puffers

[Pufferfreak42]

OK, I did it. Today I changed 50% of the water in my 25 gallon tank. I replenished it with three 5 gallon buckets of water. In each bucket I added 2 level tablespoons of salt. The crappy hydrometer I bought didn't work and to be honest I have no idea what I should be reading anyway. I'm bringing it back and getting a better quality or should I get something else?

Is that too much? Too little? If this is correct, do I do the same thing next week or add 3 tablespoons per bucket? At what point do I stop increasing the amount of salt? I also read GSP's can go full marine. If that's the case do I have to get that marine rock and coral and sand? If full marine, can I add..say...a clown fish?

Sorry for all the questions but I do want to do this right.

[Myaj]

A lumpy belly after eating is pretty normal, especially when they are skinny.

To be honest, I don't bother with vitamins.. I've found the fish seem to think they taste bad and won't eat the food treated with them. They don't hurt, but don't feel you need to spend $$ on that as a priority if there are other things to buy. You can get them when you have the spare $$.

Lets see.. can you get tankmates when he's full marine.. yes, in a larger tank. GSP's need 30 gallons just for themselves, as they get pretty big.

What didn't work about the hydrometer? Did the needle move? Sometimes you have to tap them to get air bubbles out. What kind of salt are you using?

I don't let my water sit for 24 hours when doing water changes with salt.. I just mix them up, let them sit until the water is clear (it starts off cloudy) and then give them another stir before adding to the tank.

So you added 6 tablespoons of salt to 25 gallons of water, I'm trying to do the rough math and figure out what you probably brought it up to...

rough guideline for instant ocean is 1/2 cup per gallon to make full saltwater. There's 16 tablespoons per cup. So 8 TBSP's in a half cup.. Okay, I can do this... bring out the algebra....Ah you don't even want to know the math, but you basically added 1 gallon of 1.017ish water to 20 or so gallons of freshwater (25 gallon tank minus room for substrate and decor). So, really, dilute that 1.017 by 21 gallons and you are at 1.0008.. yeah, that would explain why it didn't register as anything on your hydrometer! LOL

Now, I'm sure my math isn't perfect and that's just estimating a few things, like the actual volume of your tank, but you see what I mean when I say it takes a pretty fair amount of salt to raise your salinity? You are getting the salt into the system, which is the important thing, and when it gets a bit higher, you'll be able to get it to read. In fact, mix up your replacement water and salt next time, and measure it after you mix it (before you put it in the tank). You'll probably get a reading in the bucket, before its diluted by the tank water.. figure a 5 gallon bucket holds 4 gallons of water, and a half cup brings a gallon to full marine (1.024 or so), so a half cup in a bucket of 4 gallons will give you a salinity around 1.006. Mix that bucket of 4 gallons into the 18 or so gallons in your tank, and its going to be diluted big time.

So long story short, sure, next time do 3 tablespoons per bucket (you could do a bit more, obviously you have plenty of wiggle room, but if the math still confuses you just take it slow). You still probably won't get much of a reading on your hydrometer, but you know its going in there. If it makes you feel better, mix up a gallon of water with a half cup of salt and test your hydrometer, it should read close to 1.024, doesn't need to be exact but in that area. Then you know your hydrometer is working and you just don't have much salt in your system yet. After a few weeks, you will start to get readings on your hydrometer and hopefully by that point, you'll be more comfortable with the whole salt mixing business

[Pufferfreak42]

Myaj, thank you so much for your thorough reply. You answered my questions perfectly, thank you.

I don't think I'll be adding any tankmates as I don't want to have to get a larger tank as I have enough fish already. I enjoy Puff all on his own.

That's correct, the hydrometer didn't move at all. I never even considered it not registering due to the fact I didn't add enough salt. I used marine salt, called instant ocean. Plus, I didn't tap it to get any bubbles out but I didn't see any either. It's one of those cheap clear ones. I'll test it tonight with more salt water to see if it works, if not, back to the store it goes. What is the other thing called that's better but more expensive. I may just get one of those.

I agree on the vitamins, I don't give any to my other fish as they get a varied diet but if I see vitamins at the store, I may get some.

I was trying to get a reading with the replacement water in the bucket but it was then it didn't register as well as the tank.

When I do the water change this weekend, I'll add 5 tablespoons per 5Gallon bucket, too much? What is the ideal salinity for a GSP? Other than full marine. I want to know where to stop increasing the salt to each bucket.

Thanks again.

[Flutter]

I started adding vitamins and the colours on my puffers started to come out. They look much healthier now.

My horse gets good quality hay but I feed him a concentrated vit/min supplement to ensure he's getting everything that he needs. IMO that's my responsibility as an animal caretaker.

[kilofey]

I started adding vitamins and the colours on my puffers started to come out. They look much healthier now.

My horse gets good quality hay but I feed him a concentrated vit/min supplement to ensure he's getting everything that he needs. IMO that's my responsibility as an animal caretaker.

hey thanks flutter i had no idea vitamins could inhance a puffers colors.... now that i think about it, it does make sense tho. where can they be bought? and what kind of vitamins are good for puffers? readily available at chain petstores? or more at small LFS? better luck finding online? i love my puffers colors when the lights are off... hopefully they will brighten up like that if i give him vitamins thanks again! you gave me advice and didnt even know it lol

[Pufferfreak42]

Ditto on what kilofey wrote.

[Pufferpunk]

Myaj, What vitamins do you use? I've used Zoa for many years & just upgraded to Vita-Chem. Puffers & other fish never refused a meal with either.


For a rough estimate of salt measuring--1 cup of salt in 5g of water, should raise the SG around .005. Use a powerhead to premix the salt thoroughly in the bucket overnight, to be sure of the SG.

[Myaj]

Zoa is what I used that all my fish refused to eat, even rainbowfish who will generally eat anything. I just haven't done any mail orders lately to try anything else, and its kind of hard to soak snails and nightcrawlers in vitamins anyways

[Pufferpunk]

But you can gut-load them with good foods!

[Pufferfreak42]

Thanks for the tip Pufferpunk.

No one seems to answer my question regarding the ideal salinity, maybe you can.

What is the ideal level of salinity I need for my GSP, without going full marine? I know it will take time to get to such a level but I would like to know what that level is.

Thanks.

I have a bid in on a refractrometer, hope I win. I find ebay a lot cheaper than anywhere else.

[Dadof4]

If you're looking for an ideal SG for a GSP and can't get the an answer that's because there isn't a precise spot that is perfect, only a range. Brackish biotopes have salinity changes an a pretty constant basis. As the term brackish implies the environ is in areas where marine water and fresh waster mix. Depending on where they are located, tides, heavy rains, etc, have effects on what salinity they are in. I personally keep mine in a high brackish SG, around 1.014-1.018, depending on time of year and (honestly) how close I get to their current SG when I mix my water change I like to let it fluctuate a little.

[Pufferfreak42]

Thanks for the response Dadof4. All I wanted was a number so I don't go overboard. With GSP's being able to go completely marine, it takes the worry away from going too far.

Are there any symptoms of too much salt at one time? What would a puffer do if the salt content is too high after a water change? Not death I hope.

Sorry for all the questions, some being pretty dumn I'm sure.

[Pufferpunk]

The problem of changing your SG too quickly is not to the puffer but to your biological system in your tank. You can easily kill off the good bacteria that keeps your tank cycled & cause a crash to the system. Have you read the article on GSPs in our Library?

[Pufferfreak42]

Yes, I've read 2 articles one being written by yourself. Very interesting and funny reads. I printed the one you've written as it gave so much information on starting off. In all honesty, I completely forgot about the addition of salt crashing my bio system. I'm actually glad that's all it will do and not harm Puff. I have a backup established filter system if something goes wrong during the salt increase. Thanks again.