The Puffer Forum

Hi everyone,

I am new to the boards and have a question. I currently have a 20 gallon freshwater tank that I am thinking of switching over to brackish so I can put a figure 8 into it (all inhabitants recently died due to our recent Northeast ice storm and several-day power outage, so this would be a good time). The tank has large, "buffed" gravel in it now. Is it necessary to switch over to sand? If I don't absolutely have to, I would love to save myself that huge job!

Thanks for any advice!

I would change to a Arganite or crushed coral substrate. PufferPunk wrote a fantastic article on F8's that's in the Pufferpedia, here's the link: library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/. Make sure that you cycle your tank if it's been fishless since the power outages before you put in any fish, check out the article in the Pufferpedia on Fishless cycling. If the tank has been empty that long the nitrifying bacteria in your filter has died and you will have big ammonia spikes if you don't cycle first.

Thanks for the info. I do have a bristlenose pleco in the tank to help keep it cycled (which I will give away if I go brackish). There are a lot of different types of aragonite sand. Is any kind okay to use, or do I need a specific type?

If you wanna save some work, you could add a bag made of mesh with aragonite into the filter if you have room for this. Just to make sure how effective is your bacterial filtration, give the pleco away and start to use some source of ammonia as described in our Fishless Cycling in the library (thanks Dado for mention it). If your bacterial filtration is still working, you'll read no ammonia within a few days.

I'd do those changes to house a wonderful fish like a F8. No regrets!

How is your setup? Could you show us a picture of it?

Actualy, F8s are great fishes! You'll love them. Go for it!

Well, I did it. I spent the day switching out my gravel for aragonite sand. Right now, it looks like a white, cloudy mess (even though I rinsed the sand, first). I did some water tests on the old water and it read no ammonia or nitrite and my nitrate level was 10. I'm hoping that by running the old filter, putting back in the driftwood and larger rocks and putting gravel in a stocking and laying it on the sand it will remain cycled. I also used 5 gallons of the old water (20 gallon tank). I hope I did everything right! I guess time will tell. Thanks for the advice and ecncouragement to go for it!

Sounds good!

Putting some filter floss (or pillow stuffing, just make sure its not the flame retardant treated stuff) in your filter will help clear out the stuff that is suspended in your water right now. Otherwise just give it a little time and it will settle.