Brackish Water & Caring for Small Puffer Fish

[seanus]

Hello friends

I am thinking of starting up a 29-gallon brackish water tank with puffer fish.

Have any of you set up a similar combination? If so, I would greatly appreciate your input...

Some topics:

1. Cleaning time & salt addition
2. What else can be added with puffers
3. Are puffers very sensitive fish? (like clown loaches, for example)


Thanks in advance!

 

[CFC]

What can be kept with a puffer depends on the puffer species, for instance F8 puffers can usually be kept with robust fast swimming short finned fish but adult green spotted puffers are unlikely to tollerate any tankmates unless housed in very large tanks.

Puffers are sensative to nitrate so regular water changes and tank maintainance is essential to their well being.

 

[seanus]

Thank you very much for the advice.

The LFS has 1" leopard puffers (a.k.a. green spotted puffers) that will reach a max. adult size of 6". I am also thinking of adding two silver scats, but understand that it may not work out...

I am going to cycle the tank immediately (since it is empty) with some danios for a week before adding the green spotted puffers. I'm sure the puffers will eat the danios, so i won't be getting many.

I have only had freshwater thus far. Would you recommend 25% weekly water changes with close salt monitoring for a brackish tank?

I just want to cover all the bases before going forward! Thanks!

 

[Erised]

Green Spotted Puffers need to be kept in a tank with SG of around 1.005 when young and go up to about 1.010 or even full marine. I believe the benificial bacteria change after a SG of 1.004/1.005 so you might JUST get away with cycling it freshwater style, but I'm not sure if you will. Also, the danios would not appreciate the salt.

Not just that, the green spotted puffer at 1" will not just kill it. It will nip its fins, chase it, harrass it, wound it badly, and then in the very end (which might take months) kill it. Also, at that age, it might not even touch it yet, untill it gets slightly bigger. Either way, a horribly slow death for the danios. I seriously do not recommend you go on with that.

Puffers are also quite sensitive to water, so make sure your tank is very much fully cycled before adding them. For this reason, I advice you to make sure cycling freshwater style will be ok.

Good luck

 

[seanus]

thanks, Erised.

Is the salt a lot of work or really expensive? Never done it before...

Oh, also, I will take the danios out before putting puffers in.

Also, I'm not too familiar with the timing on cycling...i know about the conversion of ammonia, nitrite & nitrate, but how long does each stage take & when is the best time to add the new fish & then the puffers?

Thanks so much!

 

[Pufferpunk]

A GSP would need the 29g all to himself. Forget about scats, they grow as large as your outstreched hand & are extremly messy (like oscars, or a large goldfish).
It would make a lovely tank for 3 F8 puffers & a few gobies.

Here's an article on Starting a Brackish Aquarium

Generally 50% weekly water changes are recommended. You'll be adding roughly around a cup of salt/5gal to get the salinity you'll want for low-end BW fish (F8s). You will need to use a hydrometer to measure the salt content exactally.