The Puffer Forum

Well, i thought i was all set on my new tank situation, but i got the thinking that a single GSP could be fun and if i did i'd like to go full marine. yes, there are other puffers available for marine conditions, but i only have a 75g tank to work with and most need a minimum of 100g.

First off i dont know anything about salt water, outside of needing a protien skimmer and canister filters are a no no.

So basically, for a GSP tank with no coral(what is live rock and is it necessary for a fish only marine tank)?

Is a wet/dry trickle filter prefered? If not, what is?
I have an extra 20gL, could i make a sump out of that?

really, before i buy anything i am just poking around all the options, and see what tickles me the most.

wasnt sure if this belonged here or in the marine tank section, as i dunno if baby GSP's can go full marine...since everyone says at 4"s they can. I figured since waterchanges aren't required as often on full marine tanks, i'd just start off that way to save on salt.

only looking to house 1 gsp in 75g + possible sump.

As far as I know, juvie GSPs are not found in SW. We don't know the long-term effects of putting one in there so soon. Why the rush to go marine? Maybe you could search around for an adult?

Mine is about 1.5" and in full Saltwater.

But like PP said, the long term effects (If any) are unknown.

For marine puffers there are also tobies, the "sharpnosed" puffers, but they look very different and may not be what you want. Most of them stay small and would do great in a 75G.

IMHO, canisters are just fine for marine... I use one on my reef tank and am very happy with it (although I do plan to replace it with a sump this next year). Canisters have the same problem as wet/dry filters; they make lots of nitrate. However, I also use a really good skimmer, a deep sand bed, and a refugium with lots of great macro-algae... my reef has not had detectable nitrate for a very long time.

As far as live rock... is it nessesary? Not absolutely, but it helps so much I would never set up any marine tank without some! And a good skimmer.

If you can do a sump and/or a refugium, I would encourage you to try it... even if you start as brackish you can certainly use it to house heaters and various filter bits.

IME, brackish tanks will use lots less salt than marine tanks even with all the bell and whistles... and with puffers, you'll probably still need to do as many water changes on a marine FOWLR tank as you would with brackish tank... unless you have an awesome fuge and lots of LR to process the nitrate.

well, my goal would be a lot of live rock to minimize waterchanges(say once a month rather than once a week). Like i said i'd be willing to do a sump setup of somekind(i have a 20gl extra or i could buy say a 29g taller tank). I am just trying to get a feel of what direction i want to go with this. My only concern is a lack of astetics in a Fish only marine tank.

Make sure you do your research for building a sump, I learned the hard way with my first one, a lot of water damage to my floor. I had several problems...At first my pump did not pump water out of the sump as quickly as the overflow brought it in, sump overflow! Second I fixed that but did not have a mesh or anything to prevent critters from getting into the overflow and one day came home to find my tank had overflowed onto my new floors because a few snails had slowed the flow into the sump but the pump was still pumping water into the tank, and the last problem with that sump was basically the design was just horrible...baffles were weak, chamber for skimmer was too small (really crammed in there) and basically it just didnt have good water flow, like it should...So just do your research. I am thinking of building a new one now for my smaller tank and Im really taking my time and asking lots of questions and doing lots of research for the best designs! Plus I dont want to spend the $500+ it cost to build the first one (That was with the pump and HOB overflow)!

The sump expert: http://www.melevsreef.com

i just read through most of that website, all i can say is the man knows how to spend money well.

amazing.

After seeing that and reading through most of the marine depot material, i think i am going to stick with freshwater, atleast for now. I know i'll atleast have a tank that is well planted and nice to look at(going freshwater, maybe even brackish planted which seems to be a rareity and i like doing things different). I am afraid a fish only marine tank would be a bit blah, and the extra jump with setup and lighting for a reef tank does not interest me(almost double the lighting needed, which meansmore money on lights and electric bill, plus all the extra know how for something that to me still isn't as pleasing to look at as a planted tank).

Although, salt water fish interest me(i'd love to have a porc one day) , i dont think i could afford 8+wpg for seagrass to grow, let alone the 75g i have is not deep enough for the substrate+water height needed.

I think i've been conviced not to dable with salt water, atleast not yet.
Although GSP's are just so damn cute and vicious.