How to start....

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
L

laura65536

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 3, 2007
428
0
0
Nebraska
I thought I was going to get out of fish keeping....but I can't stand not having any fish now and I'm thinking about doing something different, I'd like to get a puffer, I'm not sure what all will go well with it though...
Anyway, to start out with I was thinking about getting a 10 gallon tank to grow them out in, but I think it would be more economical if I just started the little bugger out in the 46 because the smallest filter I have is an ac70 and that on a 10 gallon is like a whirlpool....
Anyway, it'll be going in the 46 with black moon sand, rock work, and a few plants (fake swords) unless it needs something else...
I have no idea what I need to get to set up a BW tank, I have all the stuff you'd need to do just about anything with FW, but I've never ventured into this side of it, I've looked and cannot find a "how to set up a BW tank" thread, which by the way, someone should make a sticky for that ;), so can someone help me out here...do you just use api salt, or is there special salt you get, what else can go in with him, or is the 46 even big enough for a puffer (he will eventually probably move into my 55, but I don't want to have to upgrade again after that). It's a bowfront and filtration would be an ac500 with double sponges, and an emperor 400 with biomax in all 4 inserts....
thanks!
 
for light BW just set up your tank like a FW one and add in 2tsb/gallon of marine salt(not API aquarium salt, instant ocean is a great one) and do a fishless cycle. once the cycle is complete go get your puffer, who is probably going to be in FW, and do a drip acclimation into the new tank. when you want to raise the salinity just do a WC and replace with higher salinity water, but slowly syphon it into the tank through an airline to allow time for the fish to adjust and don't try to make the jump too fast.
 
2tsb/gallon of marine salt won't even register on a hydrometer. It takes roughly around a cup of salt/5g for a low-end BW SG of 1.005. That would be good for a puffer like the Figure 8--you could keep 3 of them in there, along with a few gobies. For a GSP, You'll need the SG much higher eventually & you could only keep 1 in there. Cycle the tank at whatever SG the shop keeps their puffers at.
Fishless Cycling
Starting A BW Tank
 
<2tsb/gallon of marine salt won't even register on a hydrometer. It takes roughly around a cup of salt/5g for a low-end BW SG of 1.005.>
wrong, there are 16tsb in a cup so for a salinity of 1.005 you're using approx. 3.2 tsb/gallon, i recommended starting at a low salinity of around 1.002~1.004 because i've never seen a shop selling puffers in BW and it's an easy jump for BW fish to go from FW to very low end BW after a few hours of drip acclimation. after the fish are settled into the tank, it's pretty easy to gradually change the salinity to whatever their ideal range is.
 
16tsp to a cup? Sounds a bit short to me. That was an estimate for making a SG of 1.005, a rought starting point. Of course, you'll need to check it against a hydrometer/refractometer & it's best to have it calibrated 1st. I in no way meant for them to start at that SG. What I said was:
Cycle the tank at whatever SG the shop keeps their puffers at.
Click to expand...
Generally that is FW. Then you can raise the SG .001-.002/week, if necessary.
 
I don't know what a tb or tsb is.
 
Generally tbsp is short for tablespoon & tsp is short for teaspoon. That's why I didn't understand. I still don't get why you measure by the spoon when I use a measuring cup.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
MonsterFishKeepers.com
Top Bottom