The Puffer Forum

So I need some help and guidance on how to go about making my tank a GSP tank. My tank is a 4ft long 55gallon tank with:
Equipment:
1 200W heater
1 aqueon 55/75 HOB filter
1 Fluval C4 HOB filter
1 air pump with bubble wall in back.
Fish:
3 Dalmatian mollies (1M, 1F, 1 week old fry)
2 silver mollies (1M, 1F(prego I assume))
1 fancy guppy (M)
1 jewel cichlid (ate 14 neon tetras…… just their heads). Will rehome before I start adding salt.

Now I have had this tank almost 2 months and is almost done cycling. I started off not knowing a thing about cycling and killed 7 of 8 cichlids. Now after reading forums for 2 months 3-4 hours a day its starting to take shape. Here is last night’s Pre 50% water change (Prime and Stability added) readings from the API master test kit:

Ph: 8.4 (tap is 8.4 after 48 hours of aging)
Ammonia: .5 ppm
Nitrite: 1.0 ppm
Nitrate: 10 ppm
Temperature: 80 degrees F

Now here are my Questions:
1. I know to use marine salt but do not know how much or how to add. What I do know is only go up by .002 each week?
2. How many GSP’s can I have? I want 2 but if 1 is all that’s fine.
3. How does salt affect my bacteria? I’ve read if you go slowly the FW will die off and SW will take over. But will that be safe?
4. I also have white rock in the bottom of the tank now and want to switch to sand. People recommend aragonite to buffer the PH up but my PH will be 8.4 from the tap? Will Play sand do fine? Also changing rock to sand will also screw with my bacteria and could have to cycle again?
5. I know mollies can go brackish but can the guppy?
6. Will it be possible to add a dragon goby? I’ve read the SG for them stop at 1.010 whereas a GSP is 1.020 when grown.

I think that is it for now and thanks for the replies!

Thanks for all the great detail! A GSP will most likely eat all the tank mates in there now.
Start by reading these articles:
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=19348
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/
library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/

+ 1 to Pufferpunk's suggestions, all of them. The adult Mollies may survive for some time, but sooner or later they will likely be eaten. Getting the Cichlid out ASAP will increase the tank biomass by increased fry survival.

Do you use liquid-based test kits? If not, switch over ASAP.

Your water is quite alkaline, the KH is likely quite high (a good thing for SW). Do you have a phosphate test kit or will your LFS run this liquid-based test for you?

If your tap water is suitable for making up SW, conventional (silica) sand may work okay. If you have to go RO or RODI water, a thin aragonite (best choice) or crushed coral substrate (next best choice) would be better long-term.

HTH

RTR wrote:+ 1 to Pufferpunk's suggestions, all of them. The adult Mollies may survive for some time, but sooner or later they will likely be eaten. Getting the Cichlid out ASAP will increase the tank biomass by increased fry survival.

Do you use liquid-based test kits? If not, switch over ASAP.

Your water is quite alkaline, the KH is likely quite high (a good thing for SW). Do you have a phosphate test kit or will your LFS run this liquid-based test for you?

If your tap water is suitable for making up SW, conventional (silica) sand may work okay. If you have to go RO or RODI water, a thin aragonite (best choice) or crushed coral substrate (next best choice) would be better long-term.

HTH

yes to liquid test kits

no i dont have a phosphate kit and the LFS is petsmart would that be something they can test for?

i have a family member who just gave me a full RODI water treatment device? it has 3 cylinders and a long one on top? he said its good for another year. should i start using that for my water fills, its a 75gallon a day flow so it would take some time to fill up each time.

RTR wrote:+ 1 to Pufferpunk's suggestions, all of them. The adult Mollies may survive for some time, but sooner or later they will likely be eaten. Getting the Cichlid out ASAP will increase the tank biomass by increased fry survival.

Do you use liquid-based test kits? If not, switch over ASAP.

Your water is quite alkaline, the KH is likely quite high (a good thing for SW). Do you have a phosphate test kit or will your LFS run this liquid-based test for you?

If your tap water is suitable for making up SW, conventional (silica) sand may work okay. If you have to go RO or RODI water, a thin aragonite (best choice) or crushed coral substrate (next best choice) would be better long-term.

HTH

Cichlid is out, rehomed to a 200 gallon where he will be happy,
Yes I use the liquid API test kit, the big one with 4 test tubes(1 broke)
Phosphate test- don't have it should I pick it up or will it be a 1 time thing?
I got offered a RODI, it's 3 cylinders with a small one on top with 75g a day flow, should I get that or stick with prime and my water? I just last night bought quickcrete play sand, washed it a lot last night, man was it gross.

Instead of getting a gsp or 2, how would a figure 8 sound could 4 fit in my tank? And would they kill the mollies?