New Tank For Puffers! When To Add Them?

[pavetheforest]

Hi. I set up my new tank for my puffers and it's been running for 2 and 1/2 days. When should I put them in? I was reading up on the fishless cycle, but I do not want to wait that long-they need to be in a bigger tank. Do you think Monday would be alright to put them in? Or is that not enough time to establish some benificial bacteria? Should I just put them in and cross my fingers?

 

[Fella]

Hi. I set up my new tank for my puffers and it's been running for 2 and 1/2 days. When should I put them in? I was reading up on the fishless cycle, but I do not want to wait that long-they need to be in a bigger tank. Do you think Monday would be alright to put them in? Or is that not enough time to establish some benificial bacteria? Should I just put them in and cross my fingers?

Certainly not. Either fishless cycle or cycle with fish. Puffers are inteolerant of nitrite and high nitrate (and definitely ammonia) so get the stats perfect first, THEN add the fish.

 

[BiffMalawi]

I couldn't agree more. Umless you have been feeding the empty tank, cycling has not even started. It is less harmful to leave them in the smaller tank while cycling the bigger one, than to rush them into an uncycled tank.

Is Bio Spiria available in your country? If you are in the US, it is and this will solve your problem. BioSpiria is actual live bacteria in a refrigerated package that you add to the tank. It allows fish to be safely added immediately.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

actually, it might be ok... lets run through a checklist:

1. Do you already own the puffers? If yes, continue.
2. Are they already living in a cycled tank? If yes, continue.
3. Is it just the puffers living in that tank? If yes, continue.
4. Can you remove the entire filter from the current puffer tank and put it on the new tank? If yes, continue.
5. Yes, you can go on ahead and move the puffers if you can move their filter too.

A "fully cycled" tank is just one that has all the bacteria that necessary to control the amount of waste produced. Since the majority of cycle bacteria lives in the filter, moving a filter from one tank to another essentially moves the cycle too--provided that the second tank produces no more waste than the first.

 

[pavetheforest]

I couldn't agree more. Umless you have been feeding the empty tank, cycling has not even started. It is less harmful to leave them in the smaller tank while cycling the bigger one, than to rush them into an uncycled tank.

Is Bio Spiria available in your country? If you are in the US, it is and this will solve your problem. BioSpiria is actual live bacteria in a refrigerated package that you add to the tank. It allows fish to be safely added immediately.

Great, thanks for the tips. I did end up using Bio Spiria--Put it in Friday, added the puffers last night. I put snails in Friday as well and the puffers LOVED IT. Exploring, hunting. hahah. Well all seems to be well, i'll keep posting as the tank progresses/regresses. Thanks again