1 Juvenile Green Spotted Puffer and one 10 Gallon Tank

[ShinyPower/s_l_m_77]

I want to know if I'm doing anything wrong so far.
And how long I can keep Goober in this kind of setup

Goober the GSP Bio:
-------------------

- I got him 1 Week Ago
- 2 Inches
- LFS had him in Salinity level of 1.008 Brackish Water
(Same as my tank setup)
- Eats Daily 10 Blood Worm & 1or2 Tank Snails (Some time I
Have to crack the snail a bit before he'll eat it)
- Hi Poop is nice hard and round (Not Stringy)
- He's a bit shy, but looks happy
- He Tail is most fanned out (Not Squished in fear like the day we got him)
- He Greet my GF but not me, I guess he's a bit shy towards me because
I'm the one that does any inside tank stuff, and I don't usually feed him)

Tank Setup:
-------------------

- 10 Gal
- 1 Air Pump with a 32 Inch bubble wall back of tank
- 1 Aqua Clear Mini With Carbon, Foam Block And Ammonia remover
- 1 Aqua Clear 150 With Carbon, Foam Block And Ammonia remover
- 1 Piece of Drift Wood
(I know it soften the water, but my PH seem at correct level and stable)
- 1 Large piece or Coral
- White sand + Crush Coral for tank bed
- 1 100 Water Heater Set at 79


Water Stats:
-------------------
- Temp 78/79
- PH 7.7
- Ammonia = 0
- NitrAtes = 0
- Nitrites =??? Not tested
(But LFS said they were very low at the end of my
Cycle last week and I added plants since then)
- So far 1 water change of 40%
- Salinity levels 1.008 (Checking level once or twice a day)
- I prepare my water in a 5 Gal bucket with water heater 24 to 48
Hours before had and I mix the salt to the correct Salinity levels
I Put 10 ML Of Big All Bio Cycle in Bucket and 10 Ml of Tap Water Conditioner
- I will do a 40% water Change Weekly
- I try to siphon as much debris as I can while I do the water change

Tank Life:
-------------------
- 2 Medium sized Zebra Snail (I hear of success in Brackish water for these guys)
(They stay on the glass and the driftwood) (So far so good for them)
- 2 Bacopa monnieri plant (Supposedly they do good in brackish
http://www.tropica.com/default.asp (25 Brackish plants listed)
Java Fern and Moss are listed that the do well in brackish also
- I might add a few live ghost shrimp to see if he will hunt them



How long can he stay this way???

I don't have a lot of space to change this tank (Maybe a 20 or 25)
(May be in a Few Months???)

I already have a small 5.5 for breeding snails and a 30 Gal for my FW fish

[Pamela]

He's gonna be best off in a 30 gallon. Are you UK or US? (I seem to be asking that a lot at the mo...).
I'd think about upgrading to the new tank within the month, and it'll be best if it's the 30 gallon that he'll stay in for life.
My two F8s are waiting for a 35UK gallon tank at the mo, we need to get some new furniture for it first, and then get creative with space efficiency!
You seem to have done your homework, but a couple of Qs.
You are using marine salt, aren't you? Don't curse...but it's a common confusion, and I don't know how experienced you are...although you seem ok.
Are you planning to vary his diet a bit more? As he gets bigger, bloodworms will become a bit passe. Cockles, mussels, shrimp, all shell-on, as well as his snails. Keep bloodworms as an occasinal treat when he's bigger.
Why've you got the ammonia remover? The ammonia is essential for your nitrifying bacteria...without it they'll starve. Your tank is effectively uncycled, so if you can, grab some Bio-Spira and instant cycle it.
If it's ten gallons, how does a 32" bubble wall fit?!
What's Bio Cycle...does it claim to add good bacteria to the tank?
How big's the driftwood..most people don't keep driftwood in brackish, and your pH is a little low, and after a week, you can't say it's stable.
I'm not happy with your readings...ammonia and nitrItes should be zilch, but nitrAtes should be registering in a cycled tank, as they're the end product of the nitrogen cycle.
Phew....this is a long'un.
Pami.

[ShinyPower/s_l_m_77]

Thanks For The prompt reply.

I can only get a 20 or 25 Gal Tank.... I might get a 30, but a 20/25 should be fine for a single fish???

- I'm in Canada so I use US Gal or litres

- Yes marine Salt

- I know about the Driftwood but, I will be adding someone coral rock soon
And I will replace the Driftwood with a smaller piece if any

- Should I remove both ammonia removers from both filters?
- If Yes I'll do it tonight

- For the Bubble wall, you are right it's 30 cm (LOL)

- For the Bio Cycle stuff, I just bough this Bio Cycle Agent from
Big Al's Fish Store for $55 CAD, and Of course the LFS guy told me
That is has live beneficial bacteria good for FW and BW

- Here is my problem:

- I have a PH tester
- Have a Hydrometer
- I have an ammonia tester
- No Nitrate Nitrite test
- I usually brig sample water with me to the
LFS to have it tested about twice a week
- I'll try to get one before the end of the week

- My Last readings
- PH 7.7
- Ammonia 0
- 1.008 On the dot for salt levels
- I have no clue for nitrates or nitrites as of right now
- But I will keep doing 40% weekly water changes

Questions:

If I get a 25 Gal tank should/could I get a few bumblebee goby

I will try to get some frozen shelled shrimp from the grocery store and cut them to a right size (I just think that people seem to have a problem keeping the shell on once the shrimp has been cut to bite size. What would you recommend so I can feed him various food without causing too much debris (leaving the food a long time in the tank because it hard to eat) and a food that helps his with his teeth

I guess in the long run I will move my breeding snails in the 10 gal with plants, and Move Goober in a 20 to 30 gal tank with

- No drift wood, coral, lots of hiding place, breaks in the relief of the tank, and a few fast moving tank make that I don't care too much about (If they get eaten)


Brian

[Pamela]

Move both ammonia removers.
I reckon you'll be pushing your luck with a 25 gallon, but we'll wait for wiser heads than mine to confirm this.
No little friends for him in a 30, let alone a 25.
A big priority is to get a testing kit.
I'm sure there's a thread here somewhere titled What do you feed your fish?
Do a search on it and get some good ideas.
I'm sure you'll turn out to be a great pufferdad.
Pami.

[Liz]

I have my GSP in a 25 gallon....

[ShinyPower/s_l_m_77]

thanks for the help

[RTR]

But with a smaller tank you do stand a chance of stunting the puffer, and you will need to monitor nitrate closely - more than a weekly change my need to be done. First you need to get a nitrate test kit, having nitrite as well would be a big help if the cycle of the tank is uncertain.

What plants do you have in sp. gr. 1.008?

[ShinyPower/s_l_m_77]

HI

The plants we have are 2 Bacopa monnieri plant they are the plant with small green and marron colored leaves about the size of a canadian 5 cent nickel or a dime, don't know if that helps..

My boyfriend and I just went out and bought the tester kits, yeah he is is panic mode, our Nitrite is .50 ppm and out Nitrate is way high.. He is in the ather room preparing a water change..

anyways if anyone has any suggestion let me or us know..

oh we just bought a piece of tufa rock supposibly it is good and places good minerals in the water and we also bought more coral gravel that we will place in a pouch in the tank.

Goober seems to be fine he comes out when I go to the tank but runs away when my BF is around..hard to say if thats a good sign or not

[midgetwaiter]

Why've you got the ammonia remover? The ammonia is essential for your nitrifying bacteria...without it they'll starve.

The poster is talking about Hagen Zeolite resin, it doesn't work so well that it removes all the ammonia in the tank. It doesn't really work well period but it is a commonly used product. It is also is only for freshwater tanks, it won't do practially anything in brackish or saltwater.

Your tank is effectively uncycled, so if you can, grab some Bio-Spira and instant cycle it.

Try and make sure you know what you are talking about before you give advice like that.... The zeolite has nothing to do with this.

To address the original poster's problem. You said the LFS had tested your water to make sure that your cycle was done, how did you cycle? Often when people cycle a tank with a low bio load and then add puffers they find that they still get a big nitrite spike. This is because you do have a small bacterial colony but it has to scale up to meet the load given off by the puffer.

Because you are in Ottawa you will probably not be able to find Bio Spira. Your best bet is the following.

Stop using the Big Al's Bio whatever, it's junk. There is no way to package live bacteria in a bottle with no air or food and have it sit out on a shelf.

Try and find some Seachem Prime water conditioner. Follow the directions on the bottle to detoxify nitrite, this will help the tank inhabitants without removing so much of the nitrite that the bacteria can't establish itself.

Stop feeding until you get the tank stabilized.

Do water changes every couple days, not more that 25% or so.

One thing tio try if you get in a bind is to get a piece of filter media from another brackish tank and put it in yours. There is always a risk of transfering parasites and such this way but if you can't get the nitrite under control in a week or so by doing what I outlined above it might be a good idea.

Hope that helps.

[ShinyPower/s_l_m_77]

HI,

who are you talking to when you say "Quote:

Why've you got the ammonia remover? The ammonia is essential for your nitrifying bacteria...without it they'll starve.



The poster is talking about Hagen Zeolite resin, it doesn't work so well that it removes all the ammonia in the tank. It doesn't really work well period but it is a commonly used product. It is also is only for freshwater tanks, it won't do practially anything in brackish or saltwater.

Quote:

Your tank is effectively uncycled, so if you can, grab some Bio-Spira and instant cycle it.

Try and make sure you know what you are talking about before you give advice like that.... The zeolite has nothing to do with this."


If you keep reading all of the imputs it is from various ppl, the amonia was taken out and the other quote about our tank not being cycled was a feed back from someone..anyways we are new at this didn't realize owning a puffer was this much work, went on the site to obviously find out more imput and was out of the goodness of the puffer, and because we obviously need to find out more info...so thanks for the positive feedback on what to do..if we new everything about a puffer we wouldn't have to come on here and type out stuff that make ppl angry about what we are doing..

[Pamela]

Midget Waiter.
I said the tank was uncycled not just because of the ammonia remover, but because of his readings...nitrAtes at zero.
Your tone was unecessarily aggressive and hardly helpful to anyone.
Pami.

[midgetwaiter]

Pmai,

I reread your post right now and it still looks to me like you were suggesting that the zeolite was interfering with the nitrifing bacteria. I guess I just didn't understand what you were saying.

I apologize if my comment seemed "agressive" is was not intended to offend in any way. Or for that matter discourage ShinyPower at all, I was trying to point out what was IMO a serious error.

I'll make better use of the preview button in the future.

[Pufferpunk]

Alright kids, let's all get along. It sounds like you are trying really hard to make this fish hapy--maybe a little too hard.

For the Bio Cycle stuff, I just bough this Bio Cycle Agent from
Big Al's Fish Store for $55 CAD, and Of course the LFS guy told me
That is has live beneficial bacteria good for FW and BW

You got ripped off for $55. You just didn't know any better. LFS will try to sell us their kitchen sink if they could. Saw an enthusiastic 1st time pufferkeeper coming... Just keep up w/water changes.

[Pamela]

Apology accepted. I'm actually very new to this fishkeeping lark - only 13 months so far, and people can correct me till the cows come home, but diplomatically.
It could, of course, be a cultural difference...try to know what you're talking about...is kind of a red rag to a bull UK side, and if I've misinterpreted it due to the old Transatlantic barrier, then I offer my apologies.
Anyway...what's the latest on this fish, guys? How's he doing?
Pami.

[midgetwaiter]

It could, of course, be a cultural difference...try to know what you're talking about...is kind of a red rag to a bull UK side, and if I've misinterpreted it due to the old Transatlantic barrier, then I offer my apologies.

The thing is that I forget when writing a post that all the non verbal parts of comunication get left out like, tone and body language. I'm sure I could have said that in person the way I intended it and not offended you like that.