The Puffer Forum

I have a juvenile GSP in a 12-gallon tank. I've only recently been enlightened to testing the water, and I discovered that the pH was only 7.0! I've been using SeaBuffer and have the pH up to 8.2 now. The puffer is certainly happier, but the algae in the tank has really exploded. Is there any kind of large brackish water snail (that the puffer won't be able to kill) I can get to help with cleaning and/or can I use any kind of algecide without harming the puffer?

Or, am I just condemned to endless maid service? ^_^;; How does everyone else deal with algae growth in the tanks?

You'd be best off using a crushed coral or aragonite substrate to keep the pH up. It's possible that the algae's exploded cos there's a lot of organic compounds in the tank - 12G is too small for a GSP, so the compounds'll reach high concentrations fast.
As for algae...I have two F8s in a 20UKG long, and I have some algae, but I just clean the front wall each water change. I occasionally clean one of the other three sides if it's looking very messy or I'm moving the filter and heater so's I can suction-cup them back.
The algae use up some of the organic compounds in the water, and don't do any harm...they just look messy. I'd opt for regular front wall cleaning with the occasional blitz.
There's not many critters that'll take care of algae without being - ahem - taken care of themselves.
Pami.

Yea, rather than adding a temp chemical that will yoyo the pH, it is best to keep it steady with a substrate that slowly breaks down into the water. A juvie GSP (<2"), is fine in a 12g tank but plan to upgrade to at least a 30g tank, as it grows to 6".