HELP? Questions starting 10 Gal. Brackish Tank for a F8 Puffer/Bacteria??

[FishCrazed]

So the cycling (10Gal.) process is finished and I've decided to go low end brackish.
I'll be soon getting a F8 Puffer and it will be a species tank for just the one puffer. In about a year I'll be getting a 30G, 3 Bubblebee Gobies for the F8.
I've done my fair amount of research on the F8 Puffer, but it's hard to get a straight answer.

10 Gal. (currently freshwater)
w/ Aqueon 10 and heater... Temp. @ 80 degrees
PH= 7.8 (hoping after adding the Marine Salt it will raise it to 8.0-8.2ish)

Uncertainties/Questions:

1) Should I start a F8 puffer (approx. 1") in freshwater or brackish, then slowly raising the SG???
(My LFS keeps them in the Sm. Cichlids tank. They won't tell me the tanks current SG or PH and they use
Aquarium Salt in that tank.)

2) Will a Aqueon 10 Filter (10gal.) be enough water flow for the F8 or should I get a sm. power head too?

3) I have two Tuffer Rock in the tank, which both have green (algae) growing on them.
But, one of the two rocks has this dark brown stuff growing on it that I'm unaware of!????
Can someone tell me what this stuff is and if it will harm the F8 I any way?

 

[d3sc3n7]

Go ahead and start him in brackish water, thats where he should be anyway. In my experience with F8's you will want to go ahead and run the powerhead...F8's are VERY VERY messy eaters! Your going to have to take good care cleaning up the tank.

As for the rock...I'm not too sure on that one. I dont have any experience there so you should wait on someone with more experience for that one.

PS: PM F8fan for some great advice.

 

[Ammy]

I would venture to say the brown stuff is just brown algae. I have quite a bit of it growing on some of my decorations, so I assume that is what is in your tank is well. I wouldn't worry too much, or even remove it, unless it is really unsightly, because algae will photosynthesize and add some more oxygen to the tank. I like to think of algae as a poor aquarist's live plant. I envy you for having a brackish tank going. Some day I would really like to have one, and get some archer fish. I wonder if anyone has ever done a brackish pond? That would be dreamy..

 

[ValRasbora]

Hi.
Marine fish are harder than freshwater, don't know why, but they are. I've had a tank for 3-4 years, and I'm still an Beginner or an intermidate. good luck, with your puffers!