The Puffer Forum

mmmkay, so I've been waiting to get a GSP for about 2 months. Tank is finally cycled, I drip acclimated the sp. grav to match the LFS, and all seems well...

Now I have a couple extra questions.

1. I have a 30 gallon hexagon... (not my choice, a hand-me-down. free=great!) I was originally planning on getting one puff, since everything I've read has said they usually do best alone, although there are exceptions.
The LFS where I'll be getting my GSP told me the ones they've had in have been there for the past 3 weeks and have been doing well together. I've gone back several times over the past few days and they all do seem pretty happy, no missing/nipped fins or aggression between tankmates...would it be a bad idea to get two? I know they would eventually need a larger tank as they grow (they are about 3-4in right now, so I'd aim for the smallest). There are about six in what looks like maybe 20 gallons in the store

2. Also, for snails, I want to breed them at home. I know they are pretty prolific, so it shouldn't be a big deal...but what size tank should I get, how many and what size should I take home...and is it a horrible idea? Or should I just pay a few bucks every so often to take some home from the store?

3. Mmmkay, I think this is the last one... as far as feeding goes, I think I've got the idea that at their size, they should be fed about every other day...and the article says to feed them until their bellies are slightly rounded...got it. But just so I have a general idea, for about a 3" GSP, how much should get him "slightly rounded"? Just ballpark obviously- are we talking 3 or 4 snails, a dozen, 20?

Also- snails, ghost shrimp and frozen plankton...sound good? Also, about what percentage should be which?


Thanks so much for your replies. I look forward to becoming an active member of the board!

EDIT: oh yeah, and just as a side note, I've been posting under brackish puffers since thats where most GSPs are, except the ones I'm looking at are fully acclimated to marine...where do you think I should post? In the brackish or marine section?

Welcome to the site!

What SG did you cycle your tank at? What SG did you drip acclimate the tank to after it was cycled? This may have caused a major die off in the nirifying bacteria if the SG was raised too high after being cycled.

I dont think a 30 hex will be big enough for 2 GSPs at that size, and you'll probably have to upgrade it soon for the 1 GSP. I'm not sure of the excact dimensions but I dont think a 30 hex will give the puffer the swimming room it needs.

I would definately go for breeding your own snails, its very easy. A 10 gallon with a small filter and a heater would be perfect. Go for either common pond snails or ramshorns.

As for feeding I would just feed a bit at time until there bellys are full. I'd think 3-4 snails would do. I would alternate the foods between feedings.

I cycled my tank at 1.016, and drip acclimated to 1.022 over a period of a couple days. I read somewhere that dripping at a rate of increase of 0.001/hr would be fine, and shouldn't cause a major problem...I was super paranoid though, so I stretched it out a bit more....ammonia and nitrites are still 0 and nitrates are maybe around 5....I think I'm still in the clear...

1. At 3-4 inches in size I think getting 2 would be a bad idea. if they were under 2 inch, they might have been Ok for a few months but at that size I think you would run into problems.

2. A 5-10 gallon tank would make a good snail breeder, just add heater and filter and away they go.

3. Rather than chucking the food all in at once, break it out into smaller pieces and add it slowly until they get a round belly. That should give you a visual reference of how much you will need to give them at a feeding. Same with the snails, chuck em in slowly and see how many are needed for 1 feeding.

When adjusting a cycled tank, you have to go at .002 a week or less, or you kill off a lot of bacteria and might get spikes. Fish are fine with much faster in many cases, but the bacteria in the tank are another matter. What fish were in the tank keeping it cycled? If the fish are still healthy and the water still tests 0/0/<20, you can still get a puffer, but if the water has any nitrite or ammonia in it, I'd get a packet of marine Biospira along with the puffer to make sure he's ok.

Are the puffers in SW at the shop now?

Nick wrote:When adjusting a cycled tank, you have to go at .002 a week or less, or you kill off a lot of bacteria and might get spikes. Fish are fine with much faster in many cases, but the bacteria in the tank are another matter. What fish were in the tank keeping it cycled? If the fish are still healthy and the water still tests 0/0/<20, you can still get a puffer, but if the water has any nitrite or ammonia in it, I'd get a packet of marine Biospira along with the puffer to make sure he's ok.

I did a fishless cycle w/ seeding from an established tank. My water's still testing well...maybe I will p/u the Biospira just in case. I would hate if all those weeks of cycling go to waste!

Pufferpunk wrote:Are the puffers in SW at the shop now?

Yup, they are.

What have you been putting in the water to "feed" the cycle? Any fish? Any food?

If you cycled the tank from an established tank, then raised the salinity that fast, you probably killed the bacteria. And if you haven't been feeding the bacteria either, its probably "starved" to death if the salinity raise didn't kill it.

I would agree, only one puffer in that tank. Remember at the store they are only there temporarily, its not for life and they are just trying to keep them alive, not keep them 100% healthy.

Myaj wrote:What have you been putting in the water to "feed" the cycle? Any fish? Any food?

If you cycled the tank from an established tank, then raised the salinity that fast, you probably killed the bacteria. And if you haven't been feeding the bacteria either, its probably "starved" to death if the salinity raise didn't kill it.

I would agree, only one puffer in that tank. Remember at the store they are only there temporarily, its not for life and they are just trying to keep them alive, not keep them 100% healthy.

I was using food to feed the bacteria- flakes and plankton. I just didn't like the idea of subjecting fish to a cycle.

I will just stick with one puffer, thank you for all of the input.

If my ammonia and nitrates are still 0, could this still mean that the bacteria is killed off? How long should I wait for an ammonia spike? It has been just about a week since the raise in SG.

Thanks you guys for helping me out!

If you've been feeding it, it should still be alive. But you should also be seeing zero ammonia, zero nitrites and some measurable nitrAtes, usually at least, unless you have a fuge or skimmer running?

Myaj wrote:If you've been feeding it, it should still be alive. But you should also be seeing zero ammonia, zero nitrites and some measurable nitrAtes, usually at least, unless you have a fuge or skimmer running?

I'm at 0/0/5-10 right now. I have been in the market for a skimmer, and have been trying to find a good one. I've heard some good things about the Fission Nano... my tank is 30 gallons. Do you think this would be a good idea, or is there something else that should work a lot better and is worth the extra price?

I a little light on salt water experience but if he cycled the tank at 0.016 shouldn't the bacteria have already been marine so more able to withstand the quicker sg increase