Green Puffers Acclimating to brackish

[SpyderSpy6]

I currently have two green puffers that I keep in 20 gallon tank. They are still babies, but I will have a 55 gallon tank for them in about 2 monhts.

I really haven't measured my salinity in the tank. I've gotten accustomed to eyeballing my salt amount and mixing it with the tap. I have had my LFS store test it before and he said that it is a very low salinity. My questions are...

What is the best way to acclimate my puffers to a full brackish waters? And, what is the solution for brackish water (how much salt)??

The fish are healthy and doing well, I've just been reading that as they get older, the salinity must be greater than what I have it as.

[snapdragon9]

I am in the process of doing the same thing actually. I friend of mine gave me a 25 gal. tank with a puffer and a knight goby. At first I raised the salt too fast, and according to a lot of info I have read, this will destroy a lot of nitrifiying bacteria, and thats exactly what happened.

Suggestions are .002 per week, and there are some different methods for doing this. One is to do a slow drip from bucket of salt mixture. The other way, (the one I did at first) was to follow the directions on the back of the instant ocean box. Which was detrimental all-together.

I perform a 10 gallon water change now every week, (because the puffer is a rediculously messy eater) and I do this with 1/3 cup instant ocean per 5 gallons that I remove. Mind you I am still acclimating the salinity, (it is now 1.010 and slowly rising every week but 1/3 cup salt per 5 gallons seems to raise it about .002 per week. Hope this helps.

[sanddigger]

Just in case you didn't know(couldn't tell from your post) you have to use marine salt for all brackish fish and use a hydrometer (I prefer a fractometer, got mine cheap on e bay a year ago).

If you have received your GSP from a LFS more than likely it was in FW in the first place so having your GSP on the "low end" .08-.010 should be fine for the little guys. ( two inches)They will enjoy as BW fish do the change in the SG. Natural habitat. Since GSP are slow growers you reallly can "take your time" with the SG. You should increase the SG according to the GSP size. As in their natural habitat they migrate toward "Ocean water." This is a gradual process, you have time. Full marine would not take place until the GSP is 5" to 6".

The main thing to remember since your GSP are still little, feed them snails, crunchy stuff, inverts to keep the beak down. The beak grows quicker at this young stage. If this is not done, the beak will continue grow, they won't beable to eat. This is more important to keep in mind at this young stage than the SG. The SG flexing up to .012 is fine. Remember it does not has to be consistant.

Great that you have a 55G for two GSP. Just give them barriers and lots of things explore.

[snapdragon9]

Another tid-bit to elaborate on what sanddigger said of the snails. What I do for my GSP's snail diet is to go out and buy a 5 gal. tank, and set it up. You don't need much in the tank, except some substrate and a handful of snails...and in no time you will have your own snail farm. This also allows you to 'gut-load' your snails with algae wafers, you could also keep ghost shrimp in there too and gut-load them in the same fashion. Its inexpensive and great for your puffers!!

[Angila]

I don't know if i am right or not but i have read u shouldn't have 2 puffers together they will pick in each other! I to have a gsp but i just got mine he is so little i have to break snails for him i also have found he will eat feeder fish they have to be disabled in some way or else they swim way to fast for him. Good luck with your water and your fish

[sanddigger]

I don't know if i am right or not but i have read u shouldn't have 2 puffers together they will pick in each other! I to have a gsp but i just got mine he is so little i have to break snails for him i also have found he will eat feeder fish they have to be disabled in some way or else they swim way to fast for him. Good luck with your water and your fish

This is true, gsps are loners and do not like company of each other. As long as spyder is going to put the gsp's in a 55g and with markers so each will claim their territory and eye barriers, they should be ok, but I would still keep an eye on them.

Angila, I would be careful on the feeders for any fish(unless you raise them yourself). You could be fine for awhile, but even the best lfs can give you feeders that will bring nightmares to any tank. I had it happen from a lfs (I still frequent, alot) 12 years ago and eventually lost my guys (Oscar, Felix and Jack) after a long battle. Thought it was the feeders, but figured, "Hey I been doing this a while (keeping fish off and on for 15 years at that time and nothing was said to me as I didn't say anything either) As you can tell, I still miss them tremendously and don't want anyone to go through that. So I would be careful. I do feed my gsp brine shrimp (from the same lfs) snails I raise myself and ghost shrimp.

Remember gsp's are slow movers, but rapid for food. I had thought the Ghost's would be too fast, they get them. They are natural stalkers and will hide and fold themselves in half and hide, (MY puff-g hides in the fake plants)then he moves in, in a second. When I first seen him "in half" I thought he was dead, it was early in the morning 5am turned on the light for a peek and FREAKED OUT. LOL Then realized what he was doing and turned the light out. No Ghost left at 9am.