The Puffer Forum

Ok, been awhile since I have been here. Since my GSP (Hamlet) passed away about three months ago, I have had time to learn much more about puffer keeping and correct feeding routines. I have also been looking into getting a Marine puffer and have decided on getting a valentini. Now my tank is currently freshwater with no fish in it but fully cycled. I want to up the salinity to marine standards but have a few issues:

How do I figure out my salinity on the first go around?
- Do I slowly just fill up 5 gallon buckets and add a little bit of salt to get to the correct amount?
1. What is the best salinity for a valentini puffer?
- He/She will be the only inhabitant besides snails or ghost shrimp.
2. Do I need to start at the salinity level of my local fish store and slowly add more salt each water change or can I make it the right salinity off the bat?
3. How long does it take for salinity to fluctuate?
- Do I need to do water changes daily to keep the salinity up to par or can I do them every other day?
4. For every 5 gallon bucket of water how much marine salt do I add to hit whatever the preferred salinity I need to be at?
- Since I am only using a 20g tank I use 5g buckets to do a 25% water change.
5. How big do the water changes need to be?
6. Is there anything I am forgetting?

Thanks guys,
Spencer

Dump the substrate & get sand. Buy about 20 lbs of live rock & add it to your tank with the SG of around 1.020 (it should say on the bag/bucket, how much salt to use). Wait until the ammonia/nitrite is 0 & the nitrate has spiked. Do an 80% water change & add your fish. You may have to drip-acclimate the fish, as many LFS keep their SW fish at a low SG, like 1.016-18. If you want to less WC, find a small hOB skimmer, like the Backpac.

Ghost shrimp probably won't last long in SW.

Ok, sounds like a good list of things to get started on...Hopefully my LFS has a good price of live rock cause 20 lbs seems like it sounds expensive. As for the ghost shrimp I only ment to use them as food. Will they last long enough for the puffer to notice them?

Check at Reef Central for a local reef club near you for better prices on rock & used equipment.

I would also recommend getting a hydrometer (or if you have more $$ a refractometer). You put water in the the tube and the needle tells you the SG (specific gravity = salt content) so you can check daily.

The salinity for the Valentini should be the same for most other SW fish.

Yeah, got the hydrometer and starting the salinity change tomorrow on my off day so I can fiddle with it all day!!!

Thanks for the help guys

What do you mean by "starting" salinity change? Are you changing over the substrate?

Yep, the tank is going through an entire change with look, type, everything...I guess its not really called a salinity Change . I do not need live sand do I? I wanted to just get some black play sand...is that fine?

Yeah, that's fine--the live rock will seed the sand, also making it live.