# New saltwater tank: all to rescue a GSP. Advice?



## Sharklover (Sep 15, 2013)

Hello,
I'm new to the community and come in need of some real advice!
I have several freshwater tanks and have always wanted a saltwater, just haven't got around to starting one, until a little rescue Green Spotted Puffer (Herbie Pufferton) came into my life. I researched this beautiful little guy (as I knew he couldn't be freshwater forever, even though that's what a certain FS told me) and learned he need to be acclimated to SW eventually. Well, there's my "excuse" to finally get a SW started. So, here's my "idea". I want to start a SW tank and slowly add the actual "salt" with my GSP in it, starting around brackish levels of 1.001-1.004 until I get to my goal of 1.022 or so. He's currently residing in one of my freshwater tanks and not very happy.  I had to move him from my 55 gal FW where he was thriving (and chewing my other fish to pieces) to a spare 10 gal "holding tank" until I get his new home set up. My goal is to eventually get this new tank fully saltwater and have a semi-aggressive tank with a dwarf lionfish, snowflake eel, ect. No coral. This is where I'm at: 55gal tank, crushed coral sand, two Marineland 350 power filters, 250 watt submersible heater, and 20lbs of Instant Ocean. I'm adding my water today and getting ready to cycle this tank. should I do a fishless cycle with dead shrimp? Or should I cycle with him and do daily water changes, chemicals ect.? How much salt should I add to get my SW bacteria going? Am I crazy for attempting this? HELP! I'm going in blind!*c/p* 
Thanks so much! Sarah


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## Sharklover (Sep 15, 2013)

I mean, if I'm crazy, just say I'm crazy. Other options I've heard of is just setting this tank up full SW and drip acclimating my GSP into it over a period of 24 hours. That just seems harsh to me. I've had a few people tell me that it works though. I just don't want to shock the little guy.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

The bacteria for FW and saltwater are different and one will not transition to the other.So the slow switch over for the fish will cause you to be in constant cycle until you stabilize the specific gravity and then the bacteria will be able to grow.
Possibly you can switch his water (from FW to salt) in the 10 g and it will be easier to keep up on water changes as necessary and cycle the 55g full salt right from the start.
The timming may actually line up as you slowly convert him you could be fishless cycling with a dead shrimp in the 55.


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

It would be best if you acclimated him over 4-5 hours into the SW environment. The bacteria is different from FW to Brakish to SW, so in a sense you'd keep having to build new bacteria everytime you changed the SG, not all of it would die out, but some would. I've drip acclimated FW to SW, its not a huge deal, just set it up for about 3-4 drip per second, he'll acclimate just fine.


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## Sharklover (Sep 15, 2013)

I was thinking that might be the best way. Glad to hear the drip acclimation is not so bad as I envisioned. I really wanted to get this thing started full SW as I'm anxious to cycle it and get my other new guys in there. AHHH! Patience is a virtue. I am telling myself that hourly! Can't wait for my lionfish and snowflake eel!!! Next question I have is rock. I guess I'll do dead rock since this will be a fishless cycle. What kind is best? A guy at the LFS almost had me talked into Lava rock until I (thank God for technology) did a quick research via iphone and found out that it gave out a lot of phosphates. I've invested so much on my setup already I need to try to stay as inexpensive on the rock as possible. I can always add more later. What kind would you suggest? And I've heard you can get the right rock at home depot type places but this seems "fishy" (pun intended) to me. What do you think?


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

I don't think I would buy any rocks (base rock) for salt tanks from anywhere besides LFS,or on line.


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## reddevillover (Sep 17, 2013)

+1 on different bacterias and drip.


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