The Puffer Forum

I have had a GSP for about 3 months he was brackish water at a LFS and have since to converted to full marine and he seems to be much happier! I have slowly been adding some live rock to the aquarium and really really want to add some kind of coral to the tank! I know that these little guys will eat or try to eat almost anything and I've read mixed testimonials of people who have them with tank mates and coral with no problems. I didn't read anywhere that people had one and it wrecked the reef so I'm just curious on all of yours opinions also if any tank mates are compatible with him now that he is full marine? Thank you!

How big is his tank? I had success keeping mine with another GSP, Ceylon puffer or Tomato clownfish. You might want to try leather corals or xenia. I hear they taste bad.

I have a 29g that he is in I've got a t-5 light set up and bio wheel filter by marineland for a 55gal tank since they are messy I don't have sand in there only rock substrate and then the live rock. I have dealt with salt before and I also have a 66 gal fw my only peev with sand is the amonia build up that can happen if stirred somehow. I really do love this little guy and he eats like a puffer for sure already took out one fiddler crab that was sharing the tank as a scavenger but have since got hermits that he leaves alone. Anything else you suggest?

When you set up the 55 for him, use 1" sand. You have been misinformed about it releasing ammonia. The rock will seed it with critters that will airate it & eat detritus. You don't need to stir live sand. Actually, you shouldn't. Then, you can consider tank mates. You will also be needing a protein skimmer. After that, you shouldn't need the HOB filter. The hermits will eventually become pufferfood.

Tforbes003 wrote:I have a 29g that he is in I've got a t-5 light set up and bio wheel filter by marineland for a 55gal tank since they are messy

Just FYI, 29g tanks actually hold only 25g, and that's not counting the water that's displaced by substrate, live rock, etc. Keep in mind that your puffer should reach the size of a Nerf football!

When you're dealing with regular sand, if it goes unstirred, it can build up pockets of anaerobic gas, but not ammonia.

Plus, using a skimmer will save you a lot of money in the long run - ask the marine experts!

Actually, sand can easily generate ammonia, especially fine or sugar sand which is not well-populated with tiny lifeforms yet, even at a nominal 1" layer if undisturbed. Methane (swamp gas) might be more common, bur anaerobic denitrification (the process leading to ammonia) does not require great depth if particle size is small.

I do agree w/PP on adding sand, but I would start more shallowly, say with no more than ~1/2" and increase the depth later as it establish a rich population of bugs and 'pods from the LR. I am very conservative on such techniques.

I also agree that a 29 is just a bit too small for a GSP, especially if the LR occupies the tank as well. That really cuts down on the water volume and swimming space space.

Rightnow he is only about 2" and he will get a bigger tank later on. I have a spare 55 gal also that is empty just don't have the room in my place for it. I have seen them get tree adult size and wouldn't keep that guy in that small of a tank at that point.

About the sand my cousin has been doing salt for ever and had that gas leak in his tank from a move and almost lost everything. I'll probably do sand in the 55 but since this 29 started as almost fw and low Bw there wasn't anything I could buy locally to filter the sand if I had put that in.

You could also try crushed coral in there. It doesn't compact like sand or have the anaerobic pockets.

That's a good idea as well haven't thought of that one

We just got a GSP too Congratz

RTR wrote:Actually, sand can easily generate ammonia, especially fine or sugar sand which is not well-populated with tiny lifeforms yet, even at a nominal 1" layer if undisturbed. Methane (swamp gas) might be more common, bur anaerobic denitrification (the process leading to ammonia) does not require great depth if particle size is small.

I do agree w/PP on adding sand, but I would start more shallowly, say with no more than ~1/2" and increase the depth later as it establish a rich population of bugs and 'pods from the LR. I am very conservative on such techniques.

I also agree that a 29 is just a bit too small for a GSP, especially if the LR occupies the tank as well. That really cuts down on the water volume and swimming space space.

Wow, I'd never heard that.

"Sand" covers a wide range of particle size and several distinct chemical compositions. Sugar sand an inch deep can go anaerobic quickly without full depth stirring and cleaning weekly absolute minimum - a PITA in my book. At the other extreme, blasting sand at that depth would onl;y do so if really neglected. The semi-soluble sand mixtures or formulations also affect the oxygen levels.

Remember that O2 penetration with depth varies with particle size primarily. The smaller the particle, the less the O2 can diffuse downward. Very fine sands can go anaerobic with even relatively shallow beds. That effect is what makes plenums functional - allowing anaerobic denitrification, but also being too shallow to allow methane gas production and iron precipitation (those require deep anoxia, which anaerobic denitrification need only mild anoxia). The processes are not all the same in relative freedom from oxygen needed. Some advanced hobbyist run their tanks via ORP probes, with one range for the water column and much lower levels in any substrate used, but both controlled. That is too lab-like for me personally.

HTH

Tforbes003 wrote:I have had a GSP for about 3 months he was brackish water at a LFS and have since to converted to full marine and he seems to be much happier! I have slowly been adding some live rock to the aquarium and really really want to add some kind of coral to the tank! I know that these little guys will eat or try to eat almost anything and I've read mixed testimonials of people who have them with tank mates and coral with no problems. I didn't read anywhere that people had one and it wrecked the reef so I'm just curious on all of yours opinions also if any tank mates are compatible with him now that he is full marine? Thank you!

I was planning to keep a clown with my GSP. You will prolly need a 55g+, maybe even a 75g+. If you end up keeping your GSP in the 30g tank, I would use live sand, but skip the live rock. Just my personal opinion. If using a sump, you can add live rock there.

Live rock is the reason we go SW in the 1st place!

Pufferpunk wrote:Live rock is the reason we go SW in the 1st place!

but, you wouldn't recommend keeping a GSP with live rock in a 30g, right?