Need advice: upgrading GSP tank's size.

[By_a_coo]

Hi all,

The pufferpedia says 30G per GSP, but I've read PufferPunk recommending 55G for one GSP and RTR saying to keep one GSP in a tank between 40-55G.

I'm upgrading my GSP's tank, he's still a baby < 2" and he has been in a 22G for 7 months.
I'll order the tank within a few days, it will be longer and wider than tall. I was thinking about ~39G, it will be enough room for one GSP and nothing else? (The old 22G will be the sump.)

Thanks in advance.

[SammyDee]

well its definitely better to go more than 30g. Id imagine theyd grow to full size and faster. If you plan on taking him to full marine levels Id definetly go bigger than a 39g so I could add a few tankmates. Me personally I just need some action going on and one gsp wouldnt be enough for me....

[Pufferpunk]

What are the dimensions of this tank? Never hears of a 30g.

[Nick]

I love 45's. Same footprint as a 30 but much higher.

[By_a_coo]

@ Sammydee - I don't think about adding tankmates because my GSP has shown to be very aggressive, he eats EVERY thing that moves. That's why I wanna know if 50-55G would be a understocked tank with just one GSP inside. He's not feeling comfortable in his 22G anymore and I'm trying to realize if 39-40G would be comfortable enough for him.

@ PP - Well, you know I live in Brazil and we use centimeters, meter, liters... one more thing is that we are used to another type of tanks dimensions.

That's what I was thinking:

100 cm X 50 cm (width) X 30cm (height) = 150 L

(converting to inches and gallons)

39" X 20" (width) X 12" (height) = 39G

Hope I was clear in converting the tank size.

@Nick - What's the 30 footprint? I guess puffers prefer longer and wider tanks than higher ones, am I right?

[Pufferpunk]

That tank sounds good to me. 30g has a 36" x12" footprint, I believe.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

I would be quite pleased with the 39 gallon tank, the length offers me more territory and swimming space for exercise, not to mention more space for complexities. I do so enjoy complexities.

The old tank as a sump would add precious water volume, keeping me more comfortable. I would say, though, if it's not much more money, a taller tank would give me even more clean, refreshing water, without taking up any more space in your home. Certainly worth consideration, if the price is similar.

Thank you for upgrading, there's no such thing as too much room, I do say.

[purplecandle]

I would be quite pleased with the 39 gallon tank, the length offers me more territory and swimming space for exercise, not to mention more space for complexities. I do so enjoy complexities.

The old tank as a sump would add precious water volume, keeping me more comfortable. I would say, though, if it's not much more money, a taller tank would give me even more clean, refreshing water, without taking up any more space in your home. Certainly worth consideration, if the price is similar.

Thank you for upgrading, there's no such thing as too much room, I do say.

GSP's prefer longer not tall tanks because of their activity levels and need to swim..they like back and forth not up and down pacing

[By_a_coo]

GSP's prefer longer not tall tanks because of their activity levels and need to swim..they like back and forth not up and down pacing

I realize the same, that's why I was thinking of a longer and wider tank instead a taller one, I love to aquascape a complex environment with rock and plastic plants.

I hope my dad finishes the stand next sunday so I can order the tank and start to mod the 22G in a sump. Since my SG is at 1.015 I also test the skimmer and see if it starts to work in that SG, if not I will increse the salinity till the skimmer begin to remove wastes.

I'm so excited! I gotta stop biting my nails.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Yes of course that is true; we are in agreement. I feel I may have been obfuscous - certainly length and breadth are superior to depth if one is for some reason limited by the overall volumetric capacity of the container, but if those measures are as they are, additional height dilutes our wastes still further, and grants some additional space to indulge in creative aquascaping.

[jus85411]

I hope my dad finishes the stand next sunday so I can order the tank and start to mod the 22G in a sump. Since my SG is at 1.015 I also test the skimmer and see if it starts to work in that SG, if not I will increse the salinity till the skimmer begin to remove wastes.

i wouldnt just increase til the skimmer works because it might be a greater jump than the recommended .002/week. if you raise it faster than that recommended amount you run the risk of killing off some, most, or all of your established biological bacteria that converts ammonia and nitrites and a cycle will start in the tank leaving the puffer at a very vulnerable state since they dont have scales to protect them like other fish

[By_a_coo]

Since my SG is at 1.015 I also test the skimmer and see if it starts to work in that SG, if not I will increse the salinity till the skimmer begin to remove wastes.

OMG! That really sounded as I was going to raise the salinity of the tank until the skimmer starts working. Sorry, I didn't mean that. I meant I would test the skimmer at 1.015 IN A BUCKET and I would raise the salinity IN THAT BUCKET till the skimmer works.

About raising salinity, in my GSP's tank it was at 1.015 a week ago and I didn't top off the tank during the week. So, before last WC, SG read 1.017. I don't raise nothing more than 2g/L of salt (much less than .002).

After WC the SG was 1.018. I've been doing so since I got my puffer, never raised more than 2g/L of salt. And I never read ammonia/nitrites during the process. Now, I'm almost got marine.

BTW, next sunday the tank arrives.