Brackish tank ready?

[Mar23]

I'm full of questions. I have a 10 gallon tank that I have been cycling to host a figure 8 puffer. I realize this is not a big tank and bigger is better, but this kind of puffer only grows to 2-3 inches. The tank has been setup for about 1 month. Here is what I have:

2 medium moss balls
About 10 ghost shrimp (food for the future inhabitant)
Fine gravel (but not sand)
Top Fin power filter (came with tank)
Heater
LED hood

Water parameters:

Ph 7.5
Nitrites 0
ammonia 0
Temp 78
SG 1.010
Is my tank ready for the puffer?
Thanks!

 

[Mar23]

Anybody on here have puffers? I would really like some input before I buy it so I don't make the mistakes I made with my other tank. I have been doing a lot of research, but it is all pretty general and some of it gives contradicting info. I would appreciate some input from someone who is successfully keeping these fish.
Thank you.

 

[lindenthaler.9]

It looks good. The one thing you want to make sure you do is drip acclimate your puffer. They're sold as freshwater puffers, and almost always from freshwater tanks. You don't want to shock them with the sudden salinity. If your lfs keeps them in brackish water, I'm impressed.
They're also all wild caught so make sure you treat for parasites. Puffers almost always have them. They can remain dormant so even if they appear healthy, do it. It's hard to bring them back if you don't.
(They stop eating, belly gets sunken.. it's not something you want to watch happen)

Also, snail tank. Lots and lots of snails. You have the option to trim their teeth yourself if you don't feed enough hard shelled foods, but it's not something you want to do. It's not necessary with this species unlike the SAP, given you provide the proper diet.

They produce a lot of water changes so if you're going with the stock filter you really want to keep up with your water changes. They're very sensitive to deteriorating conditions.

And if you get the chance in the future, upgrade your tank and add a few more. The Figure 8s enjoy groups.

 

[Mar23]

Thanks! My lps actually keeps them in brackish. It's an aquarium store and they are pretty knowledgeable, but I will ask, just in case. They also sell snails, but I will do a snail tank, like you recommended. Do you think I could do 2 puffers or would that be pushing it?
I would love to have a big aquarium. This one is actually for my son, who has been asking for a puffer fish for months, although I will be doing the maintenance.

 

[treemanone2003]

I'm full of questions. I have a 10 gallon tank that I have been cycling to host a figure 8 puffer. I realize this is not a big tank and bigger is better, but this kind of puffer only grows to 2-3 inches. The tank has been setup for about 1 month. Here is what I have:



2 medium moss balls

About 10 ghost shrimp (food for the future inhabitant)

Fine gravel (but not sand)

Top Fin power filter (came with tank)

Heater

LED hood



Water parameters:



Ph 7.5

Nitrites 0

ammonia 0

Temp 78

SG 1.010

Is my tank ready for the puffer?

Thanks!

It all seems about right. The only missing is nitrates. Also, if you're using test strips I would recommend liquid kit as (same with other thread) they're not very accurate. As well what did you use to get the SG reading ? Hydrometer a are not as accurate as refractometers.

Anybody on here have puffers? I would really like some input before I buy it so I don't make the mistakes I made with my other tank. I have been doing a lot of research, but it is all pretty general and some of it gives contradicting info. I would appreciate some input from someone who is successfully keeping these fish.
Thank you.

There's a few that keep puffers here. Use the search bar and you can find quite a few links actually.

It looks good. The one thing you want to make sure you do is drip acclimate your puffer. They're sold as freshwater puffers, and almost always from freshwater tanks. You don't want to shock them with the sudden salinity. If your lfs keeps them in brackish water, I'm impressed.
They're also all wild caught so make sure you treat for parasites. Puffers almost always have them. They can remain dormant so even if they appear healthy, do it. It's hard to bring them back if you don't.
(They stop eating, belly gets sunken.. it's not something you want to watch happen)

Also, snail tank. Lots and lots of snails. You have the option to trim their teeth yourself if you don't feed enough hard shelled foods, but it's not something you want to do. It's not necessary with this species unlike the SAP, given you provide the proper diet.

They produce a lot of water changes so if you're going with the stock filter you really want to keep up with your water changes. They're very sensitive to deteriorating conditions.

And if you get the chance in the future, upgrade your tank and add a few more. The Figure 8s enjoy groups.

+1 here.


Sent from my iPhone that doesn't like me. Or you !!

 

[lindenthaler.9]

Two would be pushing it, both for bioload and territorial issues. A 30 you could probably house 3 easily if you decorate it well. Personally I think larger is better in terms of watching the salinity and water quality.

 

[Mar23]

I have a hydrometer. I went today and bought the API Master test kit that you recommended in the other thread. The nitrates was showing close to 0 as well on the strip. I will do the testing with the liquid test tomorrow to make sure.

 

[Mar23]

Oh, the test kit says it's for freshwater, since I got it for the other tank. Should I use the marine test kit for my brackish tank, or will the freshwater kit be enough?

When you do large water changes, do you add the water conditioner to the tank and then add the new water or do you add it to the new water before you put it in the tank?

 

[treemanone2003]

Oh, the test kit says it's for freshwater, since I got it for the other tank. Should I use the marine test kit for my brackish tank, or will the freshwater kit be enough?

When you do large water changes, do you add the water conditioner to the tank and then add the new water or do you add it to the new water before you put it in the tank?

You can try the FW kit. I'm not exactly sure if it will or won't. One issue may be the pH. It'll really depend on the puffer you choose to keep and what pH they require.

As for WC's, everybody does them differently and you'll get more opinions than you can imagine. I treat the tank and then add water. I also treat for the entire tank volume and not the physical amount of water I'm changing.


Sent from my iPhone that doesn't like me. Or you !!

 

[lindenthaler.9]

Generally a saltwater kit is recommended for brackish tanks. The salinity isn't that high, so a freshwater kit may work for now, but I'd eventually get a saltwater kit. It's going to be more accurate.
Water changes is pretty much personal preference.

 

[Nils]

I keep a Dwarf Puffer and that guy is a handful! I'd say only one for that tank, and keep up those water changes! You can go to the LFS and see if you can get any pest snails for free, thats what I do.

Nils

 

[Mar23]

I couldn't wait until tomorrow and did the liquid test. These are the readings:
Nitrites 0
Nitrates 0
Ammonia was hard to read. It was between 0 and 0.25, but looking more like 0 in the light.

Could this mean the tank really is cycled? I have been reading all the articles about fish less cycling and I didn't do it that way, so I'm worried that something may not be right. This is how I cycled it:

Day 1: filled tank, added decorations, filter, thermometer, gravel, etc. Then added quick start tablets that contained bacteria and water conditioner. Also added about 20% water from my other tank.
Day 3: bacterial bloom big time. Added marine salt and a dead fish.
Day 5: cloudiness gone. Removed dead fish.
Day 6: realized salinity was too high (1.020). Did a 20% water change.
Day 7: salinity still high (1.012). Did another change that brought it to 1.010. No more water changes. Added moss balls.
Day 20: added ghost shrimp.

And here we are.

 

[Mar23]

I forgot to mention that I did a strip test a couple of weeks ago that already showed 0 nitrites, but ammonia was more like 1. I have had the ammonia meter disk in the tank for a week now always showing 0 ammonia. My ghost shrimp are doing great, although something tells me they are pretty hardy.