The Puffer Forum

Hello!

By mistake I posted this post in wrong subforum... so I post it again here... (info for admins)


This is my first post on this forum, so first at all - Hello everyone!
Secondone I need to point that Im from Poland and my gramma isnt as good as yours Sorry for that....

Back to the point - some time ago I found a guy (via internet) who have GSP. He looked for a person who will take propper (better than his) care of a little GSP - 2 inch long (about 5cm).
He is force to move out his tank (about 30 gallons) and he desperately looked to find a new place for his little puffer. The dead line for puffer migration is next Saturday (4 days from today).

Cause I havnt lot of time for preperations I need some advice. Two days ago I restarted my FW tank (30 gallons), I used about 1 gallon of sand from the tank which I restarted, 3 gallons of "old" water, 2 external filters (Eheim 2022) which worked in my FW. I done that cause I wish to keep bakterias in the tank after restart. I used a coral sand for a ground and some nice stones). Picture attached.

24hours after "restart" the parameters were good: NH4 - 0,00-0,05, NO2 - 0, PH - 7,5. So I moved in three guppies to proof the parameters. Today fishes are fine. I will test the water later this evening (notice that im from Poland - european country).
I really believe, that my tank do not need full cycle and that my puffer will be fine when he came in on Saturday.

My cogitation is water gravity (as I never used salt in any tank before). Actuall puffer owner have a 1,008 in his tank. My tank salnity is 0. How can I increase the salnity before Saturday? I can use a kitchen non-iodine salt. I know that I cant increase gravity up to 1,008 just by night (cause bakterias). So I thought that maybe at Friday I will make a 50% WC with a salt to gain 1,002. Parallel I will ask puffer owner to do a water change as well do dicrease his gravity down to 1,006 tommorow and to 1,004 with next water change at Friday. The goal is to reduce gravity difference beetwen tanks. Am I think correct?
If yes, how many kitchen salt I shall mix with 12 gallons of changing water to gain 1,002 in the tank? The tank have 24 gallons net (50% water change).



Than you for your help and onece again - sorry for my english

Here is the picture of my tank:


Dordelus

You need a marine mix not kitchen salt. If your tank is cycled keep it as that and drip acclimate the puffer so you can then go forward and raise salinity slowly. Do you have access to tetra safestart? Dr timms one and only or bio spira? Welcome to the forum

bertie 83 wrote:You need a marine mix not kitchen salt. If your tank is cycled keep it as that and drip acclimate the puffer so you can then go forward and raise salinity slowly. Do you have access to tetra safestart? Dr timms one and only or bio spira? Welcome to the forum

Thank you for reply
Im not sure what did you meant by:

Do you have access to tetra safestart? Dr timms one and only or bio spira?

Spira is spirulina? Fish food? I do not have tetra safestart but I have JBL Denitrol - biostarter which I didnt use so far. Im not sure what Dr timms is at all.... sorry :/

You wrote

You need a marine mix not kitchen salt. If your tank is cycled keep it as that and drip acclimate the puffer so you can then go forward and raise salinity slowly

So shall I put Puffer into FW (as it is right now) and then after let say 1 week start slow salnity 1.002/week water change?
Is that will be safe for the Puffer? Actuall he is in BW (1.008). I was afraid that it will make him il or something....

Thgank you

Can't this person give you some/all of the filter media in his current tank, so you can add it to yours, match the salinity of 1.008 and have the tank set up that way? I'm not sure your tank is cycled. Just because tetras haven't died, doesn't mean you have a tank that is ready for a puffer. Don't you have a way of actually measuring nitrites, nitrates and ammonia?

I wish you and your puffer the best of luck. Your puffer will likely eat the tetras by the way.

PufferMe! wrote:Can't this person give you some/all of the filter media in his current tank, so you can add it to yours, match the salinity of 1.008 and have the tank set up that way? I'm not sure your tank is cycled. Just because tetras haven't died, doesn't mean you have a tank that is ready for a puffer. Don't you have a way of actually measuring nitrites, nitrates and ammonia?

I wish you and your puffer the best of luck. Your puffer will likely eat the tetras by the way.

Hello!

First of all quick water condition update.
I just made tests and results are as follow:
NH4 - 0,00 ppm (mg/l)
NO2 - 0,030 ppm (mg/l)
NO3 - 1 ppm (mg/l)

Please notice that all measurents were calculate in european metric system (mg per liters). I dont know if you guys use in USA gallons metric when it cames to water tests :/

So the parameters looks good so far (especialy with my 3 guppies no board ).

But back to the point. You mentioned that I should just match the salnity with the previous tank ( up to 1,008) just right now, but what about bacterias? I read somewhere on this forum that we shouldnt rise the salnity more than 1.002 per week. This same opinion shared person which reply just before you (as I understood to put the puffer into fresh water and then rise salnity slowly). So which way is the right one? Cause I do not want to hurt this little alien...

Thank you

Cool rock formation though!

If the previous owner is giving up the fish, can't you get the filter media from him, too? That will have most of the bacteria you need to support him. Just make sure to remove any extra fish in there.

dordelus wrote:
Thank you for reply
Im not sure what did you meant by:

Do you have access to tetra safestart? Dr timms one and only or bio spira?

Spira is spirulina? Fish food? I do not have tetra safestart but I have JBL Denitrol - biostarter which I didnt use so far. Im not sure what Dr timms is at all.... sorry :/

Just get some of this. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=32416

Pufferpunk wrote:If the previous owner is giving up the fish, can't you get the filter media from him, too? That will have most of the bacteria you need to support him. Just make sure to remove any extra fish in there.

Hi,
Thanks for reply. I will get some of the filter media from the previous owner. But why I should be sure to remove any extra fish from the tank?

Hi again everybody!

Tommorrow I will get puffer from his previous owner - now he is in the tank with gravity - 1,006.
Could anyone tell me what will happen if my water will have gravity - 1,000 (fresh water). I would like to increse the salnity week after (+1,002 every week). If that will work for my puffer (one week in fresh water). I cant add the salt earlier, cause I havnt it yet). I also cant postpone puffer arrivel, cause his owner is forced to leave him tommorrow... Pleas advise me ASAP.

All the best from Poland!

dordelus wrote:

Pufferpunk wrote:If the previous owner is giving up the fish, can't you get the filter media from him, too? That will have most of the bacteria you need to support him. Just make sure to remove any extra fish in there.

Hi,
Thanks for reply. I will get some of the filter media from the previous owner. But why I should be sure to remove any extra fish from the tank?

I'm understanding it as the GSP will be going into the tank in your photo that currently has the guppies. I'm assuming the guppies are whats being refered to as the extra fish. Those guppies would need to be moved before adding the GSP for a few reasons. The tank will be stocked with just one GSP, the guppies need different water parameters (speaking mainly of the salinity here), and that the GSP is normally aggressive to tankmates (as with most puffers) which would not end well.

I did see you mentioned something like that tank was 'tested' with the guppies after setting it up again and things had went well, from that I figured the guppies weren't intended to stay in that tank that (from my understanding) is the tank that will be for the GSP.