The Puffer Forum

Hello folks,

I'm new to keeping puffers, but not new to keeping tanks. Presently I have 2 African cichlid tanks, a 65 gallon Lake Malawi and a 135 Gallon Lake Tanganyika. (images of species kept in sig below)

So, I've just setup a 36 gallon tank which is cycling with the help of BioSpira. I purchsed 2 puffers a few days ago. A Figure 8 and a GSP, both around 1 inch. (They are both in my hospital tank until their home is ready)

Here's my question. I keep my cichlid tanks at a high PH, usually 8.2-8.4 by adding a Rift Lake Buffer of espom salt/sea salt/baking soda (1 teaspoon of each per 5 gallon). GH and KH are over 200. Could I add the same mixture to my puffer tank? I'll be picking up a salinity gauge tomorrow for a more accurate salt gauge.

I'm assuming from my research that I should cut out the baking soda, therefore avoiding a high PH, but keeping up with salt additives to achieve a brackish parameter?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Kelly

It is not sugested to keep these species together for several reasons--GSPs are more aggressive, grow 3x larger & require much higher SG than F8s. You may be able to keep them together as very young juveniles though, if the fish you have don't turn out to be killers. By then it's too late...

I suggest using a substrate of aragonite or crushed coral to keep the pH at a steady 8. Please read the info on these fish posted in the Library.

Pufferpunk wrote:It is not sugested to keep these species together for several reasons--GSPs are more aggressive, grow 3x larger & require much higher SG than F8s. You may be able to keep them together as very young juveniles though, if the fish you have don't turn out to be killers. By then it's too late...

I suggest using a substrate of aragonite or crushed coral to keep the pH at a steady 8. Please read the info on these fish posted in the Library.

Well darn, that's disappointing. (and not something I was told by my lfs) I suspect I'll just wait and watch. When trouble starts, I could always move the F8 back to my 135 gallon.

I use aragonite sand in all my tanks. Works like a dream, especially when combined with limestone.

Thanks for input.

Kelly

Also, Bio-Spira is for instant cycing. Add the product, then fish. You could make a lovely BW tank w/3 F8s & gobies (bumblebee, knight, dragon) in the 36g.

Pufferpunk wrote:Also, Bio-Spira is for instant cycing.

I get that.

I've always waited 24 hrs. or so before dropping my fish in. On the off chance I've got a dead batch of BS or some other parameter crisis. No fish loss yet after 6 tank setups.

Kelly

If you have stocked tanks sitting around, you might consider "borrowing" from them. Double up the filter media in an established tank for 1-2 weeks, then transfer that media to the filter of your new tank. Sounds like you've got it sorted, though.

In the case of a bad-batch of biospira (knock on wood!) you would be looking at regular or near-regular cycle timeline for the tank, ~25 days. But that's another story entirely. Monitor those tanks and you'll be fine!

Welcome to the forum.

The problem is, if you do have a good batch of B-S & don't feed it, it may die before you add fish.

I understand that.

The fish have now been added. Seem happy and curious.

I also helped the cycle by using water from my existing tank, plus a small filter sponge.

Kelly

Water from an established tank, does nothing for cycling. The bacteria you need lives on surfaces, not in the water column.

I've always squeezed my internal filter sponges from other established tanks into the new tank and added a drop of household ammonia... It usually takes about 10 days for the nitrite spike to clear.

But as the tank is brackish you would need to take filters sponges of a brackish tank.

1 drop???

Isn't 1 drop a little too small?

Didn't mean a drop exactly, it doesn't take much though, but it all depends on size of tank and strength of solution. Just test it with an ammonia test but watch you don't go right off the scale or you'll be waiting forever to cycle.

Yeah I bet 32 oz of amonia for a 10 gallon would be a wee bit much lol. And probably take 20 years to cycle, rofl.

Bear in mind that baking soda is for buffering KH - if you add it, then test for your desired KH, not pH. pH will tend to a higher value as a result of the increased KH.