The Puffer Forum

I am gradually raising my salinity in my tank from fresh to brackish for my GSP. I have been going slowly over several weeks (.001-.002 sg per week). I am currently at 1.007sg. I keep having ammonia spikes. Nothing dead in the tank but every time I add a little instant ocean I get ammonia spikes. I have used several common bacterial products. Nite out, Stability and fluval nutrafin cycle all of which are supposed to be for salt or freshwater cycling. The guys at my LFS say use the test kits for freshwater since I am closer to fresh than saltwater. Are theses ammonia spikes normal when raising the salinity? Should I be using marine bacteria supplements?

1GSP
1Molly
15 guppies
20 gallon tank

Welcome to TPF!!!

For sure you will be told that you're tank is too small for you're GSP... 1 GSP should have to himself a 30+ Gallons tank... So somebody else will give better input on the ammonia spike but probably tank is overcrowded..

To be honest it is likely as stated above, remove the guppys as they should not be exposed to salt. Raising salinity in a stable and properly stocked tank will not cause such issues, remove the guppys and the problem should go, you can then source a bigger tank to complete the transition to high brackish or marine. Welcome to the forum

I agree with the above responses in general, but I personally would remove all of the livestock except the GSP. Or else upgrade to a 40-long or 55 gallon tank immediately.

All that cycling crap you are adding is nothing more than dead bacteria, which could be contributing to ammonia problems.

Thanks for the input everyone. The guppy thing kind of confuses me. The guy at my LFS said guppies did well in brackish water as did mollies and I thought the guppy fry would give my puffer something to hunt. My puffer is only 1.5-2 inches at the monent. The tank had been well cycled while it was fresh the only thing that was added was the puffer and the salt.

Guppies do not do well with any salt, it seems he has fibbed. Or is just misinformed or downright crazy. The majority of puffers are not piscivores so fish are not good for them

Give him worms to "hunt".