The Puffer Forum

I've been searching and searching and searching on here and elsewhere online but I cannot get a direct answer or keep it all straight in my brain (which is mush for my terribly boring job). These issues are also causing my boyfriend and I to scream at each other b/c he thinks he's right (of course). Haha.

So if you would PLEASE, PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE lay it out for me, here our are questions/concerns:

1. We have 2 small (2'' or less) GSP's in a well cycled (and tested) FW tank since they were sold to us that way. The tank they are in is small but we have a new larger tank to put them in but we need to know how to fishless cycle a brackish tank (due to some other fish stuff, we're raising the salinity in their current tank and moving them over to the new tank in a few (or more) weeks but we need a cycled tank in a week or so for another brackish friend the LFS is holding for us). I've read on here that you're supposed to add ammonia to feed bacteria...but we only have FW bacteria...will it do any good to put FW cycled gravel and a used sponge filter in the brackish tank? If not, how to we grow bacteria in the brackish tank without fish?

2. I cannot figure out what medicine to use on brackish puffers for IPs. I'm 99.9% sure the larger one has them. We feed him, he eats like crazy, then the next day his belly is sunken again (no black to his belly like others have described). Can you help? Pretty please?

First, don't mess with the SG just yet.

If you move the puffers along with the filter(or it's media) from the current tank to the new tank, it should have plenty of bacteria to instantly cycle it. Just feed very lightly. The gravel, decorations, etc in the old tank should have enough bacteria to keep it cycled for the new fish, even with new filter media. A well established tank has about twice the bacteria it absolutely needs.

FW and brackish water bacteria are the same, just adapted. If you increase the SG slowly, .002 per week is the most common guideline, it will adapt fine.

Medicines for IPs have nothing to do with fresh, brackish, marine, etc. Jungle parasite fizz tabs work for some people, soaking food and treating water at the same time is suggested. I like Wormer Plus myself, I import it from the UK. I prefer to avoid just just prazipro or just metronidazole, as it's hard to tell what kind of ips a puffers has and prazi is just for flatworms, while metro is for hexima and protozoans, but if you know what type you have, targeting the medication in that way is good.

The new fish we are getting in a few days are currently in a brackish tank (1.011). Thats why we can't raise it slowly, we need a cycled brackish tank to put it in while raising the GSP's salinity slowly in a separate tank. I'm sorry if this is confusing.

Thanks for the info on medicating. I have no way of know what kind of IP the puffer has...I haven't seen any worm-like things in their poop...yet.

You cannot cycle a tank at SG 1.011 in that time. I recommend splitting the tank as I describe when you get the new fish. What type of fish is it? if possible, you'd set up that tank for them at SG 1.002, then slowly acclimate them down to that SG, increasing by 1.002 per week to whatever is ideal for that fish. Knowing what it is would help a lot.

Nick wrote:You cannot cycle a tank at SG 1.011 in that time. I recommend splitting the tank as I describe when you get the new fish. What type of fish is it? if possible, you'd set up that tank for them at SG 1.002, then slowly acclimate them down to that SG, increasing by 1.002 per week to whatever is ideal for that fish. Knowing what it is would help a lot.

Yep, what he said. If you raise the salinity too quickly in a tank that is already established, you will kill your bacteria.

Drip-acclimate the higher-BW fish to the lower SG.

The other fish is a knight goby that has been living w/ a ceylon & gsp @ the LFS. Talked to them & they suggested 1.007 for a few days might not kill all the bacteria & to drip acclimate the goby when we bring it home. Well test the water in a few days, that should tell us if the bacteria are present or not. Thanks again for the help!!!

Keep in mind most brackish species are used to having small to large differences in water salinity considering they live where fresh and salt water meet. Slow acclimation almost assures you wont harm the fish. On the other hand the bacteria may not fare nearly as well.

I would start out by moveing the gsp to the larger tank and start raising the salinity by 1.002 a week. make sure you take the filter and everything with them to the new larger tank. Once you get the new fish drip acclimate them down to whatever your tank is at the time like PP said. That would be the safest way to go makeing sure you dont hurt any of your fish or your bacteria.

One way to quickly cycle your new tank though is to use bio-spyra. It should at least jump start your cycle. A friend of mine just used some to cycle a tank at 1.015 and it worked. Although you need to check the expiration date on the bottle its pricey and a shot in the dark cause they are sometimes over heated and it kills all the bacteria in the bottle.

A knight goby would be fine at SG 1.002 for a time, I recommend moving the bacteria less and fish more, as per my plan.

Just want to say that I've had figure-8s eat a knight goby.

I know it's risk keeping the GSP's with the goby BUT they haven't shown any meanie tendencies, which we all know puffs are famous for, towards each other (I was kinda of suprised since their current tank is too small). We'll see how it goes! I'm nervous moving them AND treating them for IPs, don't want to stress them out too much, but I'm pretty determined...and you guys/gals are SO HELPFUL!

Adria wrote:I know it's risk keeping the GSP's with the goby BUT they haven't shown any meanie tendencies, which we all know puffs are famous for, towards each other (I was kinda of suprised since their current tank is too small). We'll see how it goes! I'm nervous moving them AND treating them for IPs, don't want to stress them out too much, but I'm pretty determined...and you guys/gals are SO HELPFUL!

GSPs do not bite solely because they are mean...most often they bite because they are little narcissists...which means they bite because they can and because they want to..

And just because they do not seem mean to each other now...just wait for "dear enemy" to kick in once they get the bigger tank LOL