The Puffer Forum

Hi all,

So I've got my tank scaped and ready for a fish. Its just over 3ft long and around 160 litres. I was looking to get a GSP, and I have read the article on fishless cycling on The Puffer Library. Now I am looking to add bacteria to the tank to start the cycling process, but I am unsure what bacteria to buy. I have heard that freshwater beneficial bacteria is different to those found in marine environments; is there a specific start up bacteria for brackish tanks? Furthermore, are these bottled bacteria products any good? I don't have another tank to take media from, and this is my first fish tank.

EDIT: I also wanted to ask about RO & DI water, is it needed for a brackish tank, (for a GSP for example)? I can provide tap water parameters if it would be any help answering this one.

Any help and advice appreciated, many thanks.

Most BW fish are sold in freshwater. Tetra Safestart is good. You can add it directly to your filter & then add the puffer. Check the parameters fir 2 weeks & if everything remains stable, you can begin adding salt. RODI is not necessary.

Thanks for the quick reply! The LFS has their GSPs in brackish at the moment, so I was thinking of cycling my tank as a brackish tank, would the tetra safestart be suitable for that? I couldn't find any info on their website.