# puffer upgrade from 30 to 55 gallon



## rewindthelies (Dec 14, 2010)

i have 5 green spotted puffer in a 30 gallon .021 salt water tank. i have 4 that are about 3 inches and havent done any growing since i rescued them from another lady. and one that is getting just massive of about circumference of a galf ball and is about 4 inches(walmart who knew!) any ways they have been co existing for the last 9 months together with just live rock and sand. 

i feel the need to put them in a big bow front i got off craigs list for a steal! i have about 30 lbs of rock growing in there now and will have 50 or 60 when im done seeding the new dry rock i got. this is the first salt tank i have done and an upgrade scares me so i think i might just add all the water and everything from the old tank and just put a fresh 20 gallons in the new tank.

the only reason why im wondering is because its salt and i would like instructions on how to care for the live rock through transportation in and out of tanks and how to transfer the sand with out to much stress.

im also going to hook up the original 60 gallon hob filter i have plus our (off craigs list) two chamber bio wheel..

how do i care for everything living in transportation to the new tank?

how does my idea of seeding and just adding 20 more gallons sound as far as stress and cycling? 

any one know why these puffers might be stunted? it seems many people dont get them past 3 inches and one of mine just took off to 4 and growing?


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Slowly transfer the existing liverock over to the bowfront and watch for ammonia spikes. If you add it all at once, you'll kill most of the non-bacterial life on ALL of the rock. By adding it slowly, you keep the ammonia and such down allowing for a faster mini cycle. Over all, it may take longer, but you won't loose nearly as much life on the rocks. As for adding the fish, when most or all of the rocks are in the bowfront, bag them and drip acclimate them to the bowfront. Instead of transferring old water, you'll be putting them in new perfectly clean water, like a 100% water change. As for transferring sand, you can transfer the top inch or so if you want, but a lot of the detritus is in the sand bed, and no matter how well you rinse it, you'll never get it all out. That's why many other hobbyists, when doing upgrades, will just use a new sand bed and seed it with the rock.

Good luck and post any and all questions!


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