FAQs about Figure Eight Puffers
2
Related Articles: Alone But
Not Lonely: The Importance of Keeping Puffers
Individually by Damien Wagaman, Figure Eight Puffers,
Freshwater/Brackish
Puffers, Green Spotted Puffers
(GSP's), The Arrowhead Puffer,
Tetraodon suvattii, miraculously malicious, True
Puffers, Puffers in General, Burrfishes/Porcupinefishes, Tobies/Sharpnose Puffers, Boxfishes, Puffy & Mr.
Nasty, Puffer Care and Information, Pufferfish Dentistry By
Kelly Jedlicki and Anthony Calfo,
Related FAQs: Figure
Eight Puffers 1, & FAQs on: Figure-Eight Puffer Identification, Figure-Eight Puffer Behavior, Figure-Eight Puffer Compatibility, Figure-Eight Puffer Selection, Figure-Eight Puffer Systems, Figure-Eight Puffer Feeding, Figure-Eight Puffer Disease, Figure-Eight Puffer Reproduction, &
BR Puffers 1, BR Puffers 2, BR
Puffers 3, BR Puffer
Identification, BR Puffer
Compatibility, BR Puffer
Selection, BR Puffer
Systems, BR Puffer Feeding,
BR Puffer Disease, BR Puffer Reproduction, Brackish Water Fishes in
General,
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F8 puffer care 2/5/19
Hi, I have an extra 10 gallon tank and really would
like to put an Figure 8 Puffer fish, max size 3in. but the recommended
size tank is a 15 gallon I could get a 20 gallon but I wanted to know if
you think the F8 puffer could thrive ( no other fish) in a 10 gal.?
Thank you!
<Short answer, is no, a 10 gallon isn't really going to work in the long
term. A juvenile might be fine for 6-12 months, but they do grow
quickly, and like all puffers, they're very sensitive to poor
environmental
conditions. If the Figure 8 is a species you rarely see in your
hometown, and there's one on sale now, then sure, a 10 gallon tank for
the short term, until you buy a bigger tank, will work. But longer term,
nope.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: F8 puffer care 2/5/19
Thank you so much I just picked up a 20 gallon
<Good move! Enjoy your new pet. Don't forget this is a brackish, not
freshwater puffer, so you'll need to add some marine salt mix to the
water; around 5-6 gram (1 teaspoon) per litre works fine. Cheers,
Neale.>
Figure 8 puffer, please help! 4/6/18
I would like to start by congratulating you on such a marvelous site, You are my
one stop shop for any fish related question I have!!
<So no pressure then...>
Unfortunately I have stumbled upon a problem that is proving hard to find help
for. I have a figure 8 puffer, alone in a 15 gallon tank. He was bough from a
local fish store about 2 years ago, as a fresh water fish but as you advised, I
gently introduced brackish water.
<Cool.>
We are having some building work done in our home, so I needed to move the tank,
so rather than stressing him out by moving him from one tank to another, whilst
doing my water change we decided to move the entire tank, whilst if was only
half full, which went very well, ( although rather heavy!) without any hiccups!
<Can be done this way, yes; but do be careful -- the silicone seals aren't very
resistant to 'twisting' when the tank is moved, so slow, weeping leaks are a
risk when moving a partly filled tank.>
Once moved and the water change completed, in its new location, my puffer was
swimming around happily coming to the front of the tank to greet anyone who
passed.
<Good oh.>
I was so happy with my little fella coping so well with the move that a few days
later I decided to reward him with some live blood worms, as he normally has
frozen, which he guzzled down.
<I bet.>
However the next day I noticed that his belly had strange lumps in (and I
apologise for my crudeness) his anus seemed rather noticeably open.
<Can happen if the fish has overeaten and the pressure of food behind the anus
is forcing it open more than usual.>
This is not just the normal big belly after food, but almost 3 small pea size
lumps.
<Likely just mouthfuls of food; I would not worry if the problem cleared up
within a day or two.>
I have attached pics to try to show them.
<Yes; can see the issue.>
I read up on you site and though that maybe he is constipated, so I added some
aquarium salt to his tank.
<Alongside the marine salt mix? This will achieve nothing. To be clear, it's
Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) that helps with constipation and bloating, not
common salt (sodium chloride). 1-3 tablespoons per 5 US gallons/20 litres.>
That was 2 days ago now and he doesn't seem to have changed, still 3 large lumps
in his belly and although he isnt eating the food I offer him, He is still
swimming around as normal and coming to say hello every time I walk up to tank.
<Then I would not worry too much. It is common (though bad practice) for
pufferfish to be overfed to the degree they become bloated, and if left a few
days, they will sort themselves out. This isn't natural though, and reflects our
tendency to provide them with a much richer diet than they'd get in the wild.
Epsom salt can help with constipation, as will high-fibre foods such as cooked
peas, or failing these, Spirulina-loaded frozen brine shrimp or live daphnia.>
Do you think it could be caused by the stress of the move or is it more lightly
constipation? If so how long should it take for the salt to..... relieve him?!
<Epsom salt will work quickly; a few hours.>
Should I just keep adding the aquarium salt to the water once a week whilst I do
my water changes until the lumps go? Or is there something else I should try?
<There is NO need to add extra aquarium salt on top of the marine salt mix. Will
achieve nothing, and will be raising the salinity somewhat, which may be harmful
to any plants in the tank. The puffer won't care, of course!>
As I said he's not eating now either, how long will he be able to survive
without food?
<An adult fish this size should be able to go 6-8 weeks without food.>
Is there a chance it could be internal parasites? if so is there a product you
would recommend in the UK, Im struggling to find one on the UK market.
<I don't think that's the issue here.>
I am sorry to bombard you with questions, but we have become very fond of the
little fella, so any help you could offer would be much appreciated,
<Understood.>
Other info I thought you might want to know is, diet of frozen bloodworms,
snails and cockles in shells,
Ph is 7.5
Ammonia 0
nitrite 0
nitrate between 0 and 2.5 ( it wasn't white but a slight pink tone to it)
water salinity 1.005
water temp 24.5
Many thanks and Kindest Wishes,
Emma
<Hope this helps. I would not be concerned about internal parasites or worms
unless this persisted for more than a few days. Two days' bloating sounds like
constipation, and can be treated without anything more expensive than Epsom
salt, which you may well have at home anyways, and checking online, apparently
£2.49 for a kilo at Boots drugstore! Way more than you'll need, but nice in a
hot bath, too. Cheers, Neale.>
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Re: Figure 8 puffer, please help! 4/7/18
Thank you so much for your quick reply!! I was unaware that the aquarium salt
wasn't Epsom salt!!
<Oh! Well, glad to help.>
I did ask in my local fish store and they told me that marine salt ( that I use
to make the water brackish) was different to the aquarium salt,
<It is. Aquarium salt is basically sodium chloride, perhaps with some other bits
and bobs added, but really not much different to the sea salt you'd buy at the
supermarket. Marine aquarium salt mix, on the other hand, is mostly sodium
chloride, but also a whole slew of other minerals, like calcium carbonate, used
to buffer against pH changes. It isn't "dehydrated seawater" but rather
something with the properties of seawater in terms of salinity, but a much
higher ability to resist pH changes.>
so I assumed that aquarium salt was another "brand" of Epsom salt..... I know
never assume!!!!!
<Sage advice.>
Not a problem, thank you for clearing that up, and off to Boots I go!!!
Thank you again for your help,
You really are the fish whisperer!!!
Kindest wishes,
Emma
<And thank you for the very kind words, Neale.>
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Figure Eights & Spotted Green Puffer
1/17/16
Hello -
<Hi Rebecca!>
First, I absolutely love your site and appreciate all the help available! I
guess I am emailing because I have a bit of anxiety about my tank as I am new to
being a ‘fish mommy,’ as my sister puts it.
<Ok>
I recently was gifted a 40 gallon breeder tank which I promptly cycled for a
month. (Current Parameters: Freshwater/77-78 degrees Fahrenheit/Ammonia
0/Nitrite 0/Nitrate 0/PH 7.4/two bubblers to keep up oxygen/black sand
substrate/fake plants except for a few Marimo balls/the biggest API canister
filter)
At my local LFS today I made the plunge and purchased my new puffers. I
originally intended to purchase 3 Colomesus asellus but the LFS had already sold
out, and I fell in LOVE with a green spotted puffer kept with her trio of figure
eight puffers. The LFS said he’d had the three figure eights together for a
really long time (to the point he was going to take them home himself bc he was
getting attached), while the green spotted was added to the tank about 6 months
ago. All four puffers are the friendliest things and were in a community tank at
the LFS labeled ‘brackish’ (not a single nipped fin in sight!). The LFS was
keeping them in freshwater but warned that now the puffers are headed to their
new forever home, I should slowly acclimate them up to 1.0012 salinity
brackish water using marine salt during water changes.
<Mmm; well; this is not "very" brackish.... A good spg for both species would be
about 1.005... Do please read Neale's piece here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracsaltyh2o.htm
Will the spotted puffer and the figure eight puffers be alright together at that
salinity (between the two ideal parameters)?
<Very likely so; especially if they are "good sized" (adult tending)...>
The more research I do, the more conflicting information I seem to find. Also,
what is the best food for them?
<Please read here re:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackishsubwebindex/gspfdgfaqs.htm, and
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackishsubwebindex/fig8puffdg.htm
I’ve currently been feeding them thawed blood worms and cockles from the LFS. Do
they like snails as much as the Colomesus asellus do?
<Yes>
Will the Marimo balls survive in the brackish tank?
<Aegagropila linnaeii; at moderate salinity, yes>
Thank you for your help and any peace of mind you may be able to provide.
Kindest regards,
Rebecca
<And you, Bob Fenner>
Re: Figure Eights & Spotted Green Puffer
My apologies - salinity up to 1.012 (sorry about the extra zero)
<Ahh; I would actually lower this to the prev. stated 1.005. BobF>
Figure Eights & Spotted Green Puffer /Neale's better go
1/19/16
Hello -
First, I absolutely love your site and appreciate all the help available! I
guess I am emailing because I have a bit of anxiety about my tank as I am new to
being a ‘fish mommy,’ as my sister puts it.
I recently was gifted a 40 gallon breeder tank which I promptly cycled for a
month. (Current Parameters: Freshwater/77-78 degrees Fahrenheit/Ammonia
0/Nitrite 0/Nitrate 0/PH 7.4/two bubblers to keep up oxygen/black sand
substrate/fake plants except for a few Marimo balls/the biggest API canister
filter)
At my local LFS today I made the plunge and purchased my new puffers. I
originally intended to purchase 3 Colomesus asellus but the LFS had already sold
out, and I fell in LOVE with a green spotted puffer kept with her trio of figure
eight puffers. The LFS said he’d had the three figure eights together for a
really long time (to the point he was going to take them home himself bc he was
getting attached), while the green spotted was added to the tank about 6 months
ago. All four puffers are the friendliest things and were in a community tank at
the LFS labeled ‘brackish’ (not a single nipped fin in sight!). The LFS was
keeping them in freshwater but warned that now the puffers are headed to their
new forever home, I should slowly acclimate them up to 1.012 salinity brackish
water using marine salt during water changes.
<Well, 1.003 to 1.005 for the Figure-8, and from 1.005 to 1.025 for the GSPs.
They have somewhat different requirements, and the GSP will get A LOT bigger and
sometimes quite a bit more aggressive.>
Will the spotted puffer and the figure eight puffers be alright together at that
salinity (between the two ideal parameters)?
<1.005 or slightly higher can work, but see above.>
The more research I do, the more conflicting information I seem to find. Also,
what is the best food for them?
<No one item! Like all predators, your big problem is lack of variety, because
that leads to vitamin deficiency. So a mix of white fish fillet, bloodworms,
cockles, krill, squid, and occasional offerings of mussels and prawns (these
last two contain thiaminase, which you want to minimise).>
I’ve currently been feeding them thawed blood worms and cockles from the LFS. Do
they like snails as much as the Colomesus asellus do?
<Yes.>
Will the Marimo balls survive in the brackish tank?
<Not particularly well above, say, 1.003.>
Thank you for your help and any peace of mind you may be able to provide.
Kindest regards,
Rebecca
<Most welcome, Neale.>
Re: Figure Eight Puffs 1/19/16
Hi Neal and everyone -
Thank you again for all the excellent advice and help.
<Most welcome.>
I hope the best kind of karma heads your way. I returned the GSP today and
decided to keep the three figure eight puffs. But I have a follow up
regarding one of the figure eight puffs. When purchased on Saturday one of them
had a very very bloated belly. I chalked it up to being over fed but her belly
has not gone down a bit (today is Monday), she hasn't eaten (that I've seen but
some bloodworms tend to stay after feeding so maybe she grabbed a snack when
alone?), it seems like she's rubbing her belly on the tank heater sometimes and
this morning she had white lumpy stringy poop (first time I saw her poop). Her
belly is still white and she swims about just fine exploring (except when she
gets in the mood to just pace the glass for hours)
Is this constipation? Parasites? My friend seems to think she's ready to lay
eggs and I should add more smooth stones to entice her to spawn...
<Deworming is not a bad idea at all. Various fish-friendly medications exist for
this, such as PraziPro. The use of Epsom salt in the aquarium can also be a
useful laxative; do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/SaltUseFWArtNeale.htm
Egg-binding in fish is rare. Sexually mature Figure-8s will be fairly big,
upwards of 5 cm/2 inches.>
These three lived together at the LFS the last year or so in fresh water.
I've started to gradually adjust their tank to a brackish set up. Tank
parameters: 40 gallons/1.002 salinity/77.5 F temp/nitrates 0/nitrites 0/ph 7.4.
I've grown surprisingly attached to these helicopter river puppies and want to
do my best for them. Thank you again for the time and help.
<They are nice fish, and entertaining too. SG 1.002-1.003 is ample, and provides
scope for planting the tank and, with care, choosing certain tankmates like
Bumblebee Gobies known to do well with Figure-8s.>
Kindest regards,
Rebecca
<Cheers, Neale.>
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F8 Puffer has orange string hanging
4/4/13
I attached a photo of Dorphy my F8 he or she has been acting strange
ever since its larger and older buddy died a few days ago Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0 nitrate 5-10 PH 7.6 and today pooped orange string with
balls attached and now has a second today his stomach turned grey but
seems to be turning white again there are 2 other puffs with him 37 gals
6 electric green tetras 3 zebra danios 6 bandit Corydoras catfish and a
yoyo loach what could it be?
Thank You for your business
Sincerely: Steven
<I'm confused by your stocking. Figure-8 Pufferfish must have brackish
water, around SG 1.003, which is roughly 5-6 grams marine aquarium salt
per litre. That's lethal to things like Danios and Tetras, so I'm
assuming that you have placed this fish in a freshwater aquarium. That,
my friend, is why this fish won't do well, why the other one died, and
the odd thing you see here may be a warning sign. Have a read here, and
follow the links:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/fig8pufsys.htm
No, these aren't eggs; they're likely unusual faeces, possibly caused by
parasites but it's hard to say for sure. Move your Figure-8 puffers to
brackish water as soon as possible, and they should improve. Meantime,
visit the excellent Puffer Forum, here:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/
While the guys and gals there are a bit waspish at time (they take
pufferfish very seriously) they know their stuff and they'll tell you
precisely what to do. Cheers, Neale.>
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Figure Eight Puffer - Tetraodon biocellatus
4/4/13
http://freshaquarium.about.com/cs/otherfish1/p/figure8puffer.htm
<I do like About.com's offerings, including food recipes, gardening... and
pet fish>
This link tells me it's a fresh water fish and this sites host has kept them
for up to 5 yrs at a time in freshwater so I don't think in 2 weeks of
having him in freshwater would kill it.
<Mmm, no. Are freshwater... >
Not being combative but want to understand this species.
Thank You for your business
Sincerely: Steven Konen
<Cheers, Bob Fenner>
Re: F8 Puffer has orange string hanging
4/4/13
Also was purchased 2 weeks ago from pet supermarket and they had them in
freshwater. Don't understand?
<Oh, I see; the response below (will be posted above... chronological) by
Neale.
Tetraodon biocellatus IS a freshwater species. I've personally collected
them in a few rivers in S.E. Asia... is listed as FW in Fishbase.org...
most everywhere else. Maybe Neale (a UK citizen) is mis-taking the common
name for something else? Here's a bit on this on EOL:
http://eol.org/pages/340393/names/common_names
Am bcc'g Neale here>
Thank You for your business
Sincerely: Steven Konen
<Thank you for your follow-up. Bob Fenner>
Re: F8 Puffer has orange string hanging
4/5/13
So are you saying they are a freshwater fish?
<Yes... Tetraodon biocellatus...>
The link I sent Leeds me to believe that a few weeks in freshwater would not
kill a fish that was kept in freshwater at the store where I purchased them
so I'm confused. Are you saying that you feel they do better in brackish but
are truly freshwater?
<Fresh>
Thank You for your business
Sincerely: Steven Konen
<Not a biz; but a free information, interactive site offering help on
ornamental aquatics. Bob Fenner>
Re: F8 Puffer has orange string hanging 4/5/13
Why are you offering help if you don't give any
<Not sure the misunderstanding here, but will try. Tetraodon biocellatus,
the fish we call the Figure-8 Pufferfish, was once thought to be a
freshwater fish. That seems to be wrong, and comes about because a name used
in the hobby for this species, Tetraodon palembangensis, *is*
a freshwater fish, sometimes called the Humpbacked Puffer. It's a totally
different fish, bigger, mottled brown, upward pointing snout, and feeds on
fish it lunges at from below. Anyway, Tetraodon biocellatus, the Figure-8
Pufferfish you have, is a low-end brackish species. While it may
live in freshwater for long periods, it does much better in brackish, and
should be kept at around SG 1.002-1.005. As you have experienced, kept in
freshwater they are sickly and short-lived. Move your specimens to a
brackish water tank. Job done. Not sure what more help you need! Cheers,
Neale.>
Re: F8 Puffer has orange string hanging 4/5/13
Hello Bob, Steven,
<Neale>
Have replied via WWM; didn't see this message from you until this morning.
<Aren't you still on your honeymoon?>
Figure-8 Pufferfish *are* brackish water aquarium fish. Fishbase is wrong,
or at least, uses old resources based on misidentifications or
misunderstandings. Do remember that Fishbase is not a primary source but
collates scientific literature, including any obsolete or incorrect data
therein.
<Ahh, am sorry for my part in this confusion. I have collected what I
thought was T. biocellatus in straight freshwater... Could be that these
were just there temporarily or that I had a different species altogether>
Later works, e.g., Aqualog, treat Figure-8 Pufferfish as brackish water
fish.
In any event, moving freshwater fish into brackish water (where possible)
generally kills of parasites by interfering with the
parasite's life cycle. So while it's hard to say what's wrong with this
Pufferfish, switching to moderately brackish conditions would be very
helpful.
Cheers, Neale
<Thank you. Bob Fenner>
Re: F8 Puffer has orange string hanging (Bob, an FYI for you, too)
4/5/13
That was perfect just an explanation from a professional was what I was
seeking had no clue it was a different fish thank you for the extra effort
for us stupid people. I have research this fish and gets mixed answers.
Sincerely: Steven Konen
<Thank you both for your patience and understanding. Bob Fenner>
Re: F8 Puffer has orange string hanging
4/6/13
Have no doubt that this is true, Bob. Like Knight Gobies, Bumblebee
Gobies, Violet Gobies, and Mollies, they likely to occur, commonly, in
freshwater habitats. But by all modern accounts they are comprehensively
more durable kept in brackish water (like the fishes just mentioned)
with Klaus Ebert in the Aqualog book describing collections of these
puffers living for, on average, twice as long in brackish as in
freshwater.
<Ok>
Yes, still on honeymoon. Yesterday went visiting the Sian Ka'an nature
reserve and coral reef. Among other highlights were the mangroves, where
I watched Mollies of some sort swimming in a lagoon alongside Needlefish
(Tylosurus sp) and Mangrove Jellyfish! Have often described Mollies
living in near-marine habitats, but this was the first time I'd seen it
in action!
<Neat!>
Cheers, Neale
<And you, BobF>
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Puffer Eyelashes?
2/15/12
Hello!
I've looked everywhere and I have yet to find anything that answers
my question.
Ever since I purchased my first green spotted puffer, I've been
fascinated by these fish! I like learning new things and I've been
stumped when trying to figure out what this was. I was hoping you could
help me in identifying what exactly the two "eyelash" looking
things on my figure 8 Puffer's face are and what
they could be used for. They are positioned just between his eyes and
protrude by roughly one millimeter.
Thanks,
Chris C.
<Those are its nostrils. They're actually very interesting. Most
fish have nostrils not connected to the throat (so they can't
breathe through them -- the fact our nostrils are connected to the
throat is something we inherited from our Lungfish ancestors). Fish use
their nostrils exclusively for smelling. Now, Puffers have a skull
almost completely filled with proportionally massive muscles to
operate their small but exceedingly strong jaws. That means there's
little room inside their head for anything else. Evolution compensated
for this by giving Puffers eyes that bulge outwards compared to other
fish, and putting their nostrils on the outside of the head. Those
little tentacles are the tissues used to detect smells in the water.
Hope this clears things up! Cheers, Neale.>
Incredibly stupid mistakes.
Figure 8 puffer, Need help ASAP. 10/27/11
Hello...
<Hi there>
It's embarrassing to approach you with such a series of stupid
mistakes, but as you like to know the tank info and history, I'll
lay it all out. I saw a green spotted puffer and fell in love with how
it swam and it's personality.
BUT didn't get it, I researched and discovered it needed a large
tank and special treatment. Did more research and found out about Dwarf
Puffers. I talked to a LFS and they said they might be able to get some
in for me.
SO, I set up a small 10 gal tank, heavily planted to break up field of
vision, and did a very careful fish-in-cycle with 6 Tetras. My husband
and I did regular water changes and made sure the ammonia and nitrites
stayed down.
I planned on getting 2, or maybe if I was feeling selfish 3 dwarf/pea
puffers.
(We do try to be responsible owners.) Got the tank established and
cycled and kept the tetras in it to continue the cycle and had it
established for approximately 1 month.
<So far...>
We then discovered, as winter suddenly moved in here, that the heater
we had in the tank wasn't working. So we got a new heater, my
husband installed it and intended to observe the temperature change to
make sure it was gradual.
(The temperature dial was kind of hard to tell where the temperature
was set at.) Our 2 year old daughter decided, at that moment, to have
fun getting into trouble and my husband had to take care of her. Thus
getting distracted. As it was Sunday, and we're religious, we went
to church and returned home to 6 dead tetras. The temperature had been
around 70 degrees, room temperature, and within an hour or so shot up
to 85 degrees. We think the stress of the sudden temperature change did
them in. That was stupid mistake 1. (Don't worry, I am getting to
the puffer.) We checked our parameters and they were average for our
tank (I'll provide specifics later on. I know this is FW and
F8's need brackish.)
As we no longer had fish in the tank to keep the cycle going, we called
the LFS, who then notified us that they were unable to get DP's in
the previous shipment but were placing an order within a day or two and
might be able to get some DP's then. In an attempt to continue the
cycle, my husband placed some flakes and some shrimp pellets in to
create ammonia. A few days passed and we talked to the LFS. They said
they had been unable to get DP's and that none of their suppliers
had any available or any idea of when they would be able to get some.
They then said they HAD been able to get some Figure 8 Puffers in.
I'd seen them previously, and liked how they looked just as much as
the others. So we did some more research, we learned how to read the
salinity.
<Adjusting this may well kill off the nitrifying microbes>
We learned about water conditions and what they need to eat to keep
their teeth from growing. We knew the 10 gal was small for them, but
the F8's at the store were maybe an inch long. As we're moving
in a few months, we decided to place them in the cycled 10 gal, and
then after moving get them in a bigger tank. We got 2 F8's and plan
on a 30 gal long. The LFS had them in FW, so we kept the tank FW to
slowly adjust them to BW. Did an acclimation process, set the bag in
the water to help adjust temperature, and then slowly added tank water
to the bag. Then, as they were to be the only fish in the tank and if
they needed treated we could just treat the tank, we added them in.
They swam around fine for a while and we went about our business...
Then, my husband happened to look up at the "perfect"
time.
He watched one playing in our powerhead flow (we read they like
current, the powerhead says it's 170 gph, is that too much
current?)
<Not if the intake is screened>
it apparently lost the fight with the current and got shot half way
around the tank before regaining control. He then checked on it again a
few minutes later and saw that it was caught in the current from the
filter, floating upside down and seemingly out of control. We rescued
it, and it swam to the top, and floated there. Not breathing well, not
swimming, just doing the occasional twitch/hiccup.
We realized a BIG mistake. We hadn't checked the parameters before
adding the fish. Turns out the temperature was 88, we turned the heater
down feeling that a somewhat sudden drop would be better than
slow-cooking them.
We then checked the ammonia etc. Ammonia was reading at .25,
<Toxic>
Nitrites 0,
Nitrates 40,
<This too>
and PH 8.0-8.2. We kicked ourselves for our stupidity and did a 50%
water change ASAP. Retested the water. Ammonia was now at 0, Nitrites
0, Nitrates back down to 20 (average for our tanks) and PH was
8.0-8.2.
Temperature is slowly dropping and currently reads 84, we're
adjusting the heater down more to get it around 77.
<Good>
So now the reason I'm writing. How much damage did we do?
<Only time can/will tell>
The one fish (that alerted us to our stupidity) has been swimming
around all disoriented-like, and can't seem to swim straight. She
swims in barrel rolls and in general seems to be rather ill. The second
fish has been in "time out". It swam over to a corner and is
just hovering there. Fins moving average speed and it seems to be
breathing fine and appears to have fine swimming control. We feel
absolutely horrible for our stupidity and are especially concerned for
the one disoriented puffer. Could it have ruptured it's swim
bladder in the original tumble?
<Doubtful>
If it's suffering from the ammonia levels and/or has permanent
damage done to it and will continue to suffer, we'd rather be
humane and euthanize it. All we can do is live and learn and never make
the mistake again, but we don't want to be cruel to the poor thing.
Any help or advice you can give us would be wonderful...
<I'd just wait; be patient here>
~Jamie
P.S. The previous sources I had, pufferforum and aaquaria are both no
longer up and running, maybe it's just my browser but I can't
access either of them.
<Mmm, they're still about: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/
Bob Fenner>
New to f8 puffers 10/11/11
Hi Team!
Please excuse my appearance of being an absolute moron (I work on
the metric system and inches/gallons are foreign to me).
<Please do feel free to use the metric system with me! I use
both>
For my birthday I recently (two days ago!) received a small tank
(approx H=14"; W=12"; L=8.5") - I'm guessing 5
gallons - with a full lighting, filtration and pump kit.
<Much, MUCH too small for the fish listed. A single Figure-8,
perhaps with a few Bumblebee Gobies, needs 75 litres/20 gallons,
minimum. While they are small fish when young, they do grow
quickly, and should reach 6-8 cm in length. They're also
active and very sensitive to even slightly poor water quality (a
common trait with all the puffers, really). Suckermouth Catfish
such as Hypostomus plecostomus (though I doubt you have that
species, Pterygoplichthys pardalis being far more common) get to
between 30 and 45 cm in length, and need aquarium three or four
times bigger than the 75 litres needed by your Figure-8
Pufferfish. On top of that, they aren't brackish water fish;
your puffer and your gobies are.>
In the tank are 3 Figure-8 puffers (just over an inch each -
they're babies), 2 Bumblebee Gobies (a little smaller than an
inch each), and 1 sucker fish (Hypostomus plecostomus). It is not
brackish water I've read that they can survive in fresh water
but strive better in brackish,
<Actually not true. It's a very long story, but to cut
things short, the aquarium literature for years called the
Figure-8 Puffer "Tetraodon palembangensis". Now, that
fish certainly is a freshwater fish. But it looks very different
-- it's a brown, hunchbacked thing that sits on the bottom
and eats midwater fish that swim overhead. So how it got confused
with the Figure-8, I cannot say. But for decades the poor
Figure-8 was referred to as a freshwater fish. In the last ten
years the error has become clear, and all, and I mean ALL,
fishkeeping experts agree that the Figure-8 Puffer is actually
Tetraodon biocellatus, and that it's a brackish water fish.
No question here. When kept in freshwater they rarely do well for
long, and often die for no obvious reason within a year or two.
Kept correctly, they can live for up to 15 years, though 5-10
years is perhaps more typical.>
but then I have been told by a guy at the local pet store that
specialize in fish that the sucker won't survive in brackish
water - is this true?
<This is true. Suckermouth Catfish have no place in a brackish
water system.>
I also read that I should have 15gallons for the first puffer and
then 10gallons for every additional one.
<Something like that, yes. Puffers, apart from the South
American Pufferfish, are not social and don't get
along.>
Now I'm worried because I don't really have the extra
money now to buy a bigger tank for these 3 puffers, and will I
need an even bigger tank because of the gobies?
<As it happens, Bumblebee Gobies are among the very few fish
that seem to cohabit with Figure-8 Puffers. Both do well in
slightly brackish water, around SG 1.003, which is about 5-6
grammes of marine aquarium salt mix per litre of water.>
I also bought about 20 or 30 little snails and thought that
they'd be able to survive in the tank with the fish and
they'd only eat them as they get hungry, but within an hour
every last snail was gone.
<Yes.>
I'm guessing that the puffers will eat the snails till they
are gone, so should I rather keep the snails separate and only
pop a few in once a week and continue with bloodworm on the other
days?
<This can work well.>
I also am not sure how much bloodworm to put in for the f8 and
bbg because the puffers seem to munch all the worm before the
gobies even spot the food and I am worried they will starve.
<Bloodworms aren't that nutritious. By all means offer a
few as a treat, but don't go wild. Krill and snails are much
better. Minced cockle is also excellent. Prawn and mussel can be
used, but sparingly, because they're rich in
thiaminase.>
Two of the puffers appear to have some kind of mark on them.
It's a tiny circular scar looking mark, and I'm not sure
if it is what has been discussed as fungus or rot. One has it
near a fin, and the other has it on it's head. It is
silver-grey in colour.
<Could be damage from fighting, or from maintenance in
freshwater. Do note that in freshwater aquaria, brackish water
fish will constantly be suffering from one ailment or
another.>
I am at a loss and I want a bigger tank, but my boyfriend is
telling me I'm being stupid, but I'm the one that's
been reading up on these little cuties. How long could they
survive in this tiny tank till I can afford a bigger one?
<Hard to say. In freshwater they should stay healthy for a
couple of months at least. But if the tank is too small, and
they're fighting, then things will get worse much more
quickly.>
Unfortunately I have not had a chance to buy anything to test the
pH; ammonia; nitrite; nitrate in the water yet, so I don't
even know if it's all ok. I want to be able to give these
little guys a happy home so they can live as long as possible
without any illnesses or deaths.
Your eager student
Erin
<Do peruse the Brackish section of this site, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackishsubwebindex/BrackishSubWebIndex.htm
These are excellent puffers, perhaps the best in the trade, and
exhibit lovely colours and excellent behaviours. But they
aren't freshwater fish, and can't be kept as such.
Cheers, Neale.>
Re: New to f8 puffers 10/13/11
Hi again
I am having a little trouble locating a post on your site with
regards to transition from freshwater tanks to brackish tanks for
my f8 puffers.
Thankfully my brother in law has a much bigger tank that will
suit the cute little monsters and I will be getting that on the
weekend. I thought that it would be a good time to also start
them off in brackish since you, and many others say it will be
for theirs and my benefit. How would I go about the transition
from the freshwater to brackish?
<Just go slowly. Here's an idea. Make up some water at SG
1.003 at 25 C/77 F; that's about 6 grammes of marine aquarium
salt per litre. Make up enough to change 10% of the water in the
aquarium. Take out the old water, and top up the tank with this
new water. Do the same thing tomorrow or the day after. And then
again, leaving it a day or two between water changes. After a
couple of weeks of this the tank will be slightly brackish, and
best of all, the filter bacteria will have adapted just fine. By
the way, if you prefer to use ounces and US gallons, you can find
a conversion tool for this on my website; it's called
"Brack Calc". But I find grammes and litres much easier
to work with, not least of all because 6 grammes is about one
level teaspoon, so estimating is easy! Use a hydrometer to double
check the salinity, of course.>
I attached some pics from today and yesterday. They are literally
no bigger than an inch and so cute. Their bellies are extremely
big after feeding (pic of 2 under rock is 3 hours after eating),
I just hope I'm not giving them too much food. They devour
what I give them in 2 min.s or less and I am scared to give them
more food in case they either get sick, constipated or literally
blow up. Do they look good? (apart from chasing each other around
the tiny tank I unfortunately have for them for now).
<They look fine. Puffers overeat given the chance. They only
need enough for their bellies to be very slightly rounded. If
they look swollen, they've eaten FAR too much. A portion
about twice the size of their eyes is ample. Feed as much as you
can with thiaminase-free foods like cockles and tilapia fillet.
Minimise the use of thiaminase-rich foods like mussels, prawns
and shrimps. Pond snails are a good food. Tough snails (like
Malaysian trumpet snails) can be smashed with a stone before
feeding.
Vitamin-enriched wet-frozen brine shrimp is sold for marine fish
can be used for puffers, and these make EXCELLENT additions to
their diet. Because they're carnivores puffers easily become
weakened over time through a lack of vitamins. The idea you can
use market shrimp as a staple food, for example, is extremely
misleading. Do read:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_1/thiaminase.htm
But you also want some crunchy food; snails are best, but the
"legs" from unshelled shrimps are another good source
of crunch. These wear down their teeth.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/smpufferdentistry.htm
To be fair, this species isn't very prone to excessively long
teeth, but it does happen.>
Thanks again.
Erin
<Cheers, Neale.>
|
|
Re: New to f8 puffers 10/13/11
Hi Neale...thanks so much for the transition advice.
<No problem.>
I am from South Africa so the metric system is my home.
<A lovely part of the world!>
I have fed them snails once so far, and I have been alternating
between frozen bloodworm and frozen krill.
<These are both very popular foods with puffers, but
bloodworms don't contain much "goodness", so be
aware of that fact. Small morsels of tilapia fillet for example
would provide excellent protein without any thiaminase, so if you
can get tilapia, freeze a small piece, and cut off a sliver
as/when required.>
I have only had them for 4 days, and obviously learning a lot. So
I'll stock up on more of a variety. I am finding a problem on
who eats faster than the other though. Two of them munch up tons
before any has settled at the bottom for the bumblebee gobies and
the third puffer who usually prefers hanging out behind the
foliage near the pump. The greedy ones seem to beat the rest to
the food and I don't want the others to starve. I'm
hoping a bigger tank will do the trick and then I can pop bits of
food close to each fish to eliminate any theft. I hope you guys
won't get sick of me, but I have a feeling I'll be
e-mailing you a lot about things.
<We're happy to help. But you might also want to make
yourself known to the fine folks at The Puffer Forum, a good
place to pufferfish expertise.>
Cheers for now.
Erin
<Cheers indeed! Neale.>
Re: New to f8 puffers 14/10/11
Hi Neale again
I'd like to read an explanation on why figure 8's need so
much space since they are such cute little fish.
<Well, "cute" doesn't mean much biologically!
They're territorial, aggressive fish once sexually mature at
about 6 cm/2.5 inches in length. Adults will bite one another
leaving obvious circular scars. So the space is needed for each
puffer to feel secure and have space to get away from rivals. On
top of this, they're very inquisitive fish that spend much of
their time foraging by looking at surfaces like rocks and plant
leaves. They swim up and down, side to side, examining very
closely everything they see. This is one reason they're so
damaging to other fish -- to them, another fish is simply a
moving meal to be eaten whole or one bite at a time! So they need
a big tank with stuff for them to explore without getting bored.
Finally, puffers are extremely sensitive to dissolved metabolic
wastes -- ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Nitrate is the stuff that
builds up between water changes, and above 20 mg/l, there's
severe risk of health problems like Pop-eye and Dropsy. So, you
need to keep a small fish in a big tank to ensure water quality
is very good. In fairness, puffers are basically hardy animals,
but they're fish you want to plan around carefully.>
People keep asking me why I'm getting a bigger tank for such
little fish.
<Same reason you'd provide the right conditions for any
animal. It's what they need. 20 gallons is adequate for one
Figure-8 and a group of 4-6 Bumblebee Gobies. A bigger tank might
allow more puffers or gobies.>
And I don't know what to say. I haven't actually found a
reason on the web'¦ maybe I'm searching the wrong
key words so I'm coming to the pro. What say you?
Erin
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: New to f8 puffers 10/16/11
Hi Neale
<Erin,>
I have now got a 30gallon tank from my brother in law.
<Cool.>
He has got bits of coral along the base of the tank instead of
some other gravel or sand. Will this be ok for the puffers?
<Yes.>
Also, since I live no more than 5km from the sea, can I get
actual sea water instead of using marine salt mix, and use that
to get to the right salinity?
<You can, from a good clean source. But remember, real
seawater contains plankton that dies in aquaria -- and quickly in
brackish conditions! -- so that's dead stuff polluting the
tank. I've used real seawater in brackish tanks and never
really noticed any problems, but your own mileage may vary.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/seawater.htm
>
He has been maintaining his parents marine tanks for about 15
years now and said there's a beach no one goes to that he
uses to get salt water, so it's cleaner than the tourist
beaches.
Thanks in advance.
Erin
<Cheers, Neale.>
|
Figure of 8 puffer fish, teeth
reading -- 7/14/10
Hi, I have had figure of 8 puffer fish for about a year, regularly
feeding them bloodworm, Krill, shell on prawns and muscles and of
course snails.
But Around 2 weeks ago I noticed a vertical split down the centre one
of the puffers beaks, It fed okay up untill now, but the beak seems to
be overgrown, and the puffer keeps pecking at the gravel and ornaments.
I have heard that you can file the beaks down, Have you got any tips on
how I would do this?
<Oh yes. Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/smpufferdentistry.htm
and the linked FAQs file in the series above>
Please help I dont want him to starve!
Many thanks
Kayleigh
<As many welcomes. Bob Fenner>
Blenny Aggression...And A Brackish
Puffer In A Marine Tank - 01/10/07 Hi there! <<Hello!>>
I have looked online and consulted with various people I work with (a
large public aquarium) and cannot seem to find a solution to my problem
so maybe you can help, or have a different perspective.
<<Let's see what I can do...>> I have a bicolor blenny,
a red firefish, and a figure-eight puffer in a 20 gallon, as well as a
decorator crab but I doubt he figures into this equation.
<<Something to mention here...Tetraodon biocellatus is a
"slightly brackish water" species and will not fare well in
the long-term in a full-strength marine environment. This
species is also best kept as single individuals (it will eventually
bite/kill its tankmates), and though a small species (to less than
three inches) it likes having some room to roam with minimum
recommended tank size being 30-gallons. You can find much
more information re this species by perusing our articles and
FAQs. A good place to start is here, following the
associated links in blue: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/fig8pufffaqs.htm
>> And yes, I know the figure eight is usually brackish...
<Not usually...is>> All that considered here is my
question. The blenny is getting aggressive with my
firefish. It is not at feeding times, so I doubt the theory
that he isn't getting enough to eat. I thought it could
be a territorial/spatial issue. <<Very likely this "is
" the issue>> I had one big pile of live rock, so I split it
into two piles thinking that maybe the blenny would pick one to call
his own, but no luck. <<This tank is too small...does not afford
enough "separation">> He swims between the two like he
owns it all. :) <<Indeed...these blennies generally occupy
relatively small territories on the reef (sometimes smaller than a
square meter...but still larger than a 20-gallon tank) and will defend
vigorously from perceived invaders>> I have thought about
splitting it into three piles, but not sure if this would help.
<<probably not>> Any suggestions would be appreciated.
<<I'm afraid your best option is to remove one or the
other>> And just as a side note, no one else in the tank is
involved in this dispute. <<Not surprising...only the blenny and
the firefish would compete for the same food items/occupy the same
niche on the reef. Nemateleotris magnifica is a peaceful
(conspecifics aside) almost timid fish that can be difficult to keep
under the best of conditions. The continued aggression from
the blenny will likely result in its demise>> Thanks a lot! Robin
<<A pleasure to share, Eric Russell>>
Puffers teeth too long, need filing?
10/5/06 I have several puffers and have had them for about three
years. <<What species, and how are they kept?>> One of my
figure 8's teeth grow much faster than everyone else's, faster
that crustaceans can grind them down. Do you think it would
be possible to hold the fish and sand them down a little at a time with
a very fine finger nail file? I couldn't find anything else about
this technique. Maybe you've heard of someone trying this.
<<Is common, and posted on WWM: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i1/puffer_dentistry/puffer2.htm>>
Thanks, Phillip. <<Glad to help. Come check us out at
www.pufferresources.net for more info on your puffers!
Lisa.>>
Sleeping Puffer? 9/30/06 <Hi Amy,
Pufferpunk here> I have had this figure 8 puffer for only 2 days and
I noticed that today he went to the top and cocked his tail to the side
and slowly fell to the bottom. I thought he was dead but in
less than a minute he started swimming again. I was
wondering if this is odd behavior or if it is natural? <It should be
one of 2 things. This is the way a puffer acts when it's
sleeping. It also acts that way when it's
sick/dying. If your puffer swims & eats normally, you
should assume it is sleeping--as long as it's not doing this a
lot. Are you keeping it in brackish water with marine
salt? Is the tank cycled? Check out this article
on them: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/f8puffer.html. Feel
free to look around that website for more info on
puffers. ~PP> Thanks, Amy
Let Sleeping Puffers Lie... 9/2/06 Wet
Web Media, <Hi Daniel, Pufferpunk here> I have a Figure 8
Pufferfish exhibiting really strange swimming behavior. For example,
whenever I come to the tank after having been away from it for any
length of time, I find him in a corner or next to an ornament
vertically (head towards the gravel) or generally leaning against
things upside-down. The past few days he seemed to right himself soon
after I would approach the aquarium but just tonight he had a lot of
trouble doing what looked like stabilizing himself horizontally to
swim. He's still eating but I think there's something really
wrong with him. <Not to worry, he's just napping. He
may have just been in a deeper sleep the last time you woke him. If his
water parameters are good (ammonia & nitrite 0, nitrate <20, pH
steady, around 8) & he's eating, then he should be
fine. Check out www.thepufferforum.com, for more
info. ~PP> Daniel I can't believe I ate the whole
thing! Re: help! My figure eight puffer is sick 8/8/06
Hi WWM Crew, <Hi, Pufferpunk here> I've spent hours on your
site and can't find an answer so I'm not sure where else to
turn. I have a fairly small (maybe 2 - 3") figure eight
puffer. <That's almost an adult. They only grow to
3".> I've had him for about a month. All of the
levels in his tank (freshwater) are normal. I do a 25% water
change weekly, adding 1 tbsp. aquarium salt per 10 gallons of water,
taking into consideration evaporation and the fact that salt
doesn't evaporate. The tank is planted with 4 different live plants
and has a pretty large hidey-hole cave as well as a smaller cave.
Puff's diet consists of frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp and
live snails once a week. Up until a week ago he was eating with no
problems. He never once bothered his tank mate, a male Betta
fish over food or considered Betta to be food! <That's hard to
believe! Puffers love snacking on long fins.> A week ago
on Friday he made a pig of himself and ate 12 of the little "no
bigger than a pencil eraser" snails in one 24 hour
period. After that he started acting strange. He started
hiding under the filter instead of coming over to the corner of the
tank "flashing" his teeth at me. He completely ignored any
and all blood worms and brine shrimp. Today was snail day and I put two
snails into the tank. He swims over to where they're at
and hovers as if he's "guarding" them from the Betta, but
he has only nudged at one of them twice, instead of hitting at it like
he usually does. When he's not doing that, he's so close to the
substrate that it looks like he's just lying there on the bottom of
the tank. His belly looks larger than I would expect after a
week of no food, but it's not swollen or distended. His underbelly
is still a nice white, but under his bottom lip it's a bit dark,
almost like mottled looking lipstick. The same discoloration
is around his bottom fin. I'm at a loss. Betta is fine,
the tank readings are normal and I'm worried that my little puff is
a goner! Any help or suggestions you can offer will be
greatly appreciated. Out of all three of our tanks, puff is
our favorite fish. <It sounds to me like your puffer went on a snail
binge. It's probably constipated. Try adding
a tbsp Epsom salt/5 gal to his tank. You fish will be a lot
healthier & live much longer (up to 18+ years) if you kept it in
brackish water though. They prefer a specific gravity of
1.005. A rough estimate of MARINE salt added to make that,
would be about 1 cup/5gal. Also, a substrate of crushed
coral or aragonite, to keep a steady pH of around 8 is
best. For more info on your puffer, see: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/f8puffer.html
check out other posts about your puffer at that forum
too. I'm sure your puffer will be feeling better
soon! ~PP> Thanks ... Kim
Figure 8 Puffer Question - 6/6/6 Dear WWM Crew,
<<Hi Ronald.>> Thank you for this great source of
help. I recently moved the inhabitants of my 37 gallon
hexagon tank into a 75 gallon tank. I have the 37 gallon
tank in my office and would like to restart it with something
different, and I am considering a Figure 8 Puffer. <<Very cool
puffer.>> I have read the articles on your site and it seems that
they do best as the only Puffer in the tank. <<Figure 8's in
general are better with their own kind than some other species.>>
My question is, are there any other fish that I could add to the tank
with the Figure 8, or would he need to be the only fish in the tank.
<<Some recommend Bumblebee and Knight gobies, but it is really
hit or miss. Orange Chromides are my choice, but not for the
'tall' style tank you have.>> I realize that they are a
brackish fish, and I am looking forward to using some of the
decorations from my old marine tank. <<In your tank, I'd
think two figure eights and perhaps some gobies will be
fine. Check out www.thepufferforum.com for more information
on caring for your puffers.>> Thank you for your advice. Ronald
Boudreau <<Glad to help. Lisa.>>
Figure Eight Puffer - Bored?
4/29/06 Hello WWM Crew, Thank you so much, Bob Fenner, for your
very helpful response to a previous question I had sent in with regards
to my Columbian Sharks. They are really thriving. <Actually,
Pufferpunk here today.> I do have another question but this time
about my F8 puffer. First a brief history. My F8 and Columbian Sharks
(Hexanematichthys seemanni) were in a 20 gallon tank together but my F8
bit off all the sharks' fins. My sharks are now in a separate tank,
the brackish water of which is gradually being to marine levels as the
sharks grow. <Great, I hope much larger...> At first my naughty
F8 was delighted when my sharks left his tank - he swam all around the
tank investigating every nook and cranny. However, a couple of weeks
later and ever since then, he has been swimming up and down the same
area of glass. So I decided to add more decoration to his tank in case
he were bored. To no avail. So I decided to completely change the
decoration. The decoration now includes large live java ferns
throughout the aquarium with large rocks placed here and there and a
large piece of driftwood that he could swim under - but doesn't.
I've tried to make his tank exciting for him. The tank is cycled
and at a specific gravity of 1.005. 20% water changes are done every 2
to 3 days, ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0, nitrate is under 20, kH is 80
(although the colour on the test for 40 is so close it is hard to tell
which it is), and pH is 7.4 (but again I find it hard to tell which
colour it is closest to, so it may be 7.8). <It sounds like you are
taking excellent care of your puffer! To keep the pH at a
steady level of around 8, it is recommended to use crushed coral or
aragonite substrate.> My puffer eats well and always has a very
slightly rounded belly. His colours are vibrant and his underbelly is
white. So he seems very healthy. I wonder if you would have any
suggestions on how to make my fish's life more exciting? Do you
think that maybe he didn't like the 'sharks' but would
still like some other company? Perhaps another F8 or some other
brackish fish? <You don't have room for another F8 but you could
try a few bumblebee gobies. You can't always trust a puffer
though--even the more mild-mannered species, like the F8. I
have 2 F8s in a 29g, started out with 6 BBGs & now have 1.> If
so, what fish would you suggest? I certainly don't want
them to suffer the same peril as the 'sharks'. <Exactly what
I was saying--you just can't trust a puffer!> And would another
F8 be okay in the 20 gallon or should I get a larger tank and if so
what size? <15g for the 1st F8 & 10g for every 1 added.> Do
you think there is some decoration missing from my tank that would
interest him more? <Many folks have added Habitrail tubes to their
tank.> Sorry about all these questions. I do feel at a loss right
now. I really do value the excellent information and help that you
provide us on your incredible website. As I mentioned in my
previous e-mail, I have spent hours and hours and hours and
hours reading your site. You really do provide a wonderful
service and with such excellent expertise. Thank you so much.
<You're doing a great job--stop by at
www.thepufferforum.com for some more puffertalk! ~PP>
With much appreciation, Sandra Treating Puffers with
Ich 3/24/06 <Hi Brolin , Pufferpunk here.> I
recently (over a week ago), purchased 3 figure-eight pufferfish from
Wal-Mart. <I wouldn't purchase toilet paper from
them.> I know but I couldn't stand seeing such wonderful fish
waste away. <Just encouraging them to buy more, since they see these
fish sell.> They were already covered in ich. <Never
buy sick fish.> I chose three that seemed to have lots of
energy. I have cured ich in fish before and figured I could
do the same with these puffers. I have tried so many
combinations of treatments and none have seemed to work. I
have been treating them with Quick Cure Ick (a formalin and malachite
green solution). I've added salt and raised the
temperature and increased aeration, to prevent anoxic
conditions. I do a 50% H2O change if not once a day, every
other day but the cysts on the fish have seemed to double the in the
last two days. <Bump that up to 80%
daily. Bare-bottom tank is best.> The fish still have a
tremendous appetite, so I feel that there is still hope. <That is a
good sign. Sometimes it looks worse, before it gets
better.> I was thinking about switching aquariums everyday until the
fish are cured and thoroughly clean the previous tank but I didn't
want to stress the fish out more and make them more
susceptible. <That does sound stressful.> I also have
Clout, but it says not to use it on scaleless fish. <I
wouldn't use it then.> I was also wandering what kind of
filtration would be good to have going? I am currently
running an undergravel filter with a power head and a power filter with
just a fiber cartridge, no activated carbon. If I switch aquariums,
should I just not use any rocks or substrate? <Bare bottom, simple
filtration is best for a QT.> Please help! I truly
appreciate it, and so do my fish!! <Sounds like you are doing
everything possible for these poor fellas. Check here, to
see if you missed anything: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9
Check out that forum too! ~PP> Thanks and God Bless,
Brolin Evans
Care & Feeding of Figure 8
Puffer 3/19/06 <Hi, Pufferpunk here> I recently
purchased a figure eight puffer at Wal-Mart for my son and
I. We have another tank with an Oscar and Pleco.
I bought our figure eight without doing the proper research. After
bringing him home I started looking on the net and realized I
didn't have the right foods for him. I have read some of your
answers for what to feed, the problem is I don't know where to get
the food. <Appropriate Puffer Foods: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/food.html>
I live close to a river and see small snails all the
time. Will these be ok? <I wouldn't suggest feeding
these directly to your puffer, although they would make excellent
breeding stock. Breeding Snails: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/basicsnail.html
& http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/basicsnail.html
> Also I would like to buy fast breeding snails but
don't know what type of snails they are. Please help Bubbles (that
is what my son named him) or he is going to starve. <Figure 8
article: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/f8puffer.html
Also, check out the puffer forum those articles are
in. ~PP>
Keeping mollies in Saltwater 3/19/06
Hello, <Hi, Pufferpunk here> I was wondering what mollies could
be kept in full salt water. <Yes they can. You
must acclimate them slowly or start them in freshwater & raise the
specific gravity no more than .002/week.> Can you keep figure 8
puffers in full salt water? <F8 puffers are best kept in low-end
brackish water, of a SG around 1.005. See: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/f8puffer.html
> What about feeder guppies? <Guppies are freshwater
fish. HTH ~PP> Thanks for the help.
Care & Feeding of Figure 8 Puffers 2/19/06 Hi,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here> I'm looking into getting figure eights
but I want to make sure everything is right, like what kind of salt and
to make sure I have set up my tank right. I have asked around at the
LFS and they tell me to use aquarium salt, But other people say to use
marine. The LFS said I should have about 1 teaspoon to every 5 gallon
is this right? <You must use marine salt & measure with a
hydrometer. After some experimentation, I have calculated I
use around a cup of salt/5gal to make a SG (specific gravity) of 1.005
(rough estimate). That is where they seem to be most
comfortable & live longest.> I have been looking info up on the
F8s all night and just want to know how to start and maintain a
brackish water tank. Thank you for your help. Love the site. <Check
out this article on F8s: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/f8puffer.html. Check
out the puffer site that article is in too! There is great
info on the special food they need to eat to keep their teeth trimmed
& plenty of folks to talk to about your puffer, before & after
you purchase it. ~PP> Figure 8's with
Ick 2/10/06 <Hi, Pufferpunk here> I
just lost a figure out to Ick a few days ago, and I got
two more that I set up in a separate tank until I completely
get the other one clean. My two new ones now are
starting to get Ick and I tried the Ick Cure (blue stuff) on
the last guy and it did NOTHING. I noticed the
pet store I work in carries a medicine for ornamental fish that is
suppose to kill all parasites and Ick, would that be a good
thing to try?...if not what should I do because I
don't want to loose another puffer, especially not
within a week of buying the 2 new ones? < http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9 ~PP>
How Many Puffers can a Pickled Person Pick? 1/6/05 Hi
Guys, <Hi, Pufferpunk here> I was just wandering how many figure
8 puffers one can keep in a std 3 ft (about 90L) aquarium. Great Site.
<Well, since I'm in the US, I've converted that to about 23
gallons. You can keep 2 figure 8s in
there. Here's a great article on
them: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/f8puffer.html ~PP>
Howard Snoyman
Pufferfish Aggression 1/4/06 <Hi, Pufferpunk
again> Our green spots are the most passive of the puffers we own...
<They are juvies now... Just wait till they mature & one morning
you wake up with maimed or dead fish.> We have the salinity levels
between what the figure eights and greens spots need and there is a
level which both can live in. We bought all the fish in 1.010 and that
is what they are now in... <Figure 8s are best kept at 1.005 for
life. GSPs will eventually need marine
conditions. LFS rarely know what is best for puffers.>
This particular green spot has gotten sick on several occasions where
as the other green spot and the figure eights don't get sick. The
red-eye and the dwarf are now in their own tank. <You're not
worried about the red-eye killing the dwarf? Puffers are
best kept in species only tanks. The species are not to be
mixed.> The first time the green spot got sick he had gill disease
and this time he had something that medications did not cure... So far
I have found that the most aggressive of all is the red-eye, contrary
to what every website I have read has said. <It is possible that
your red-eye is the more aggressive lorteti. They are almost impossible
to tell apart. As you have already witnessed, puffers have
their own personality & levels of aggression. Hence
keeping species & sometimes individuals separate. I know
of puffers that had previously gotten along with it's tank mates,
only to wake up one morning to it being the only survivor of a
massacre. Have you read the profiles & articles I linked
you to? I highly suggest that you do. They are
written by the top puffer experts in the world! ~PP>
Color Change in Puffers - 11/26/2005 I recently bought 2 figure
8's, and by their actions they seem to be doing fine; good
appetite, and very active. When they were introduced to
their first tank (44 gal hex tank), one fish was less distinctive in
its markings than the other, less contrast between the yellow and
green/brown. After a time I was required to move them to a
10 gal holding tank, as they took a liking to Colombian shark fins... .
<This should have been researched/expected....> This is just a
temporary change until larger accommodations can be set
up.... But a strange thing happened, the pale fish became
more distinct in its coloration and the other became more pale (for
lack of a better term). Is this stress issue, a display of dominance,
sleep coloration? As I have stated they eat well and are
active (the small tank is set up to have a current, and they seem to
enjoy riding it, but rest in the plants (artificial) during the nights.
Their bellies are white (no darker coloration) and the mid line of
their bodies does not look like a gray line. Also the
coloration of the one that is less distinct seems to become more
defined over night.... If they had both reacted the same
way, or showed other signs of stress or illness, I would not be
so confused.... any thoughts? <Brian, I'm
going to assume here that nothing is really
"wrong".... But to be safe, I want to caution you
to test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and be sure to maintain ammonia
and nitrite at ZERO, nitrate less than 20ppm, with water
changes. Fish do change color with time, and puffers are
very, very expressive with color. You've mentioned all
the "problem" or "warning" colors are not present
(bellies are white, etc.), so chances are this is nothing at all to be
worried over. I would hazard a guess that this may be an
indication of pecking order.... but which is dominant I
couldn't tell yah. I would expect this coloration to
continue to change slightly over time; you are probably more observant
than many folks just in having noticed what you
have. Puffers are wonderful and exciting fish, very
intelligent and enjoyable - I hope you have a great time with them!>
-Brian <Wishing you well, -Sabrina>
Figure 8 Puffer Not Well 10/22/05 Hey! <Hey yourself,
it's Pufferpunk here> I want to say that I love your site and it
helped me set up my tank very well. Right now I have a single figure
eight puffer, 2 clown loaches, one fan tailed goldfish and two comet
goldfish. Now I know what you are going to say "Goldfish
shouldn't be in there" lol They will be out soon, its only
temporary I have a tank coming for them in the next day or two.
<Took the words right outta my mouth! Neither should the
loaches.> But these goldfish are actually doing amazing in this
environment growing rapidly. <I bet your poor puffer hates it in
there though...> They will be out soon though. I have a 10 gallon
tank with a 25W heater (a little small I know), there is sand for
substrate, a silicon anemone, medium plastic plant, plastic coral, a
rock with hole in it and a small terra cotta plant pot. As well, I have
a bubble wall set up under the sand. The clown loaches are acting
amazing. <Are you aware that clown loaches grow over a foot?> The
concern is about the puffer. He acts normal sometimes but I leave for
school after feeding him in the morning and when I come home he is
usually lying in the anemone or on the bottom just lying there. Is
there anything wrong with him? <He could be sleeping but I'd bet
anything your water isn't nearly pristine enough for a puffer to
live happily in there. The goldfish are huge waste/ammonia producers
& that does not make for a healthy puffer.> As well I have a
filter good for 20 gals and it has BioMax in it. <Extra filtration
is necessary for puffers, as they are messy eaters & high waste
producers themselves.> I have had the tank set-up for 2 weeks, then
I changed the substrate (learned about the toxic rocks from Wal-Mart),
then it had been set-up for a week. So the filter media, plants and all
have not had the bacteria disturbed. <It is best to use crushed
coral or aragonite as substrate for BW fish, as this keeps the pH
around a steady 8.> Is this puffer ok? I want to know what to do. I
am buying a Master Test Kit soon--sorry for the lack of water quality
info, I know you like to have it. I do a 20-40% change every 4-6 days.
<That's helpful> The tank is very clear and no bad smells. I
have had the water tested at different periods by the pet store and
they said it was great water. Trace amounts of ammonia, they said
extreme trace amounts, and a PH of 7.2. <There should never be any
ammonia in a fish's water. PH of BW tanks should be around 8. The
goldfish are causing the ammonia & lower pH.> I use aquarium
salt, 1.5 teaspoons for the tank. <You must use marine salt in a BW
tank. F8s like the specific gravity to be around 1.005 & must be
measured with a hydrometer.> As well he seems to attack the planter
and the anemone, he will rub his chin on it curl his tail and flick
very fast away, like an attack. Please any help would be good. Thanks
for your time, keep up the good work. <Check out this article &
the forum it is in: http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=64
~PP>
Figure Eight Puffer - A Follow-up? - 10/24/05 Hey again!
<Yup, Pufferpunk again> Thanks for the great response. Right now
I do not have the resources for a brackish water tank. After Christmas
maybe but definitely not now. I was wondering if taking the goldfish
out would make a difference to the water quality <Absolutely!>
and I also had NO idea about the clown loaches, how long does it take
them to grow that long? <Mine are about 6" & I've had
then for around 3 years.> When they get too big I believe I will
bring them back and trade for smaller ones or some different fish.
<Not to live with the puffer or goldfish, I hope.> The puffer is
seeming more active since I have added the aquarium salt though but he
stays near the top playing the bubble wall. <Puffers love to play in
bubbles! I think the aq salt is really not making much of a real
difference. You need a lot of marine salt to make BW. For example, to
make a SG of 1.005 (which is preferred by F8s), it takes roughly around
1 cup of marine salt/5g of water.> And I had the water tested again,
I guess the tank is close to done cycling because the ammonia is gone
and the nitrites are gone. I use Cycle, the beneficial bacteria
solution--I think that sped the process up. <Actually Cycle is junk
& can actually slow the process of cycling down, by adding DEAD
bacteria (waste) to your tank.> I read all the articles that you
have linked to below and some that the linked ones linked to but I
would like to know any tips about keeping him or her in freshwater for
now. <1 puffer alone in a 10g tank, pristine water conditions (50%
weekly water changes), crushed coral or aragonite substrate, to keep
the water hard & the pH around a steady 8. Why couldn't you
just add marine salt to that? I'm afraid if you don't remove
the goldfish, your tank will never completely cycle.> I know that
they can live in freshwater very well but I guess its better in
brackish water. <If 5 years of life in FW, compared to the 18+ years
they can live in BW is considered "very Well" to you...>
Thanks again, I am Doug by the way and I live in St. John's
Newfoundland, Canada <Get those GF out of your puffer tank! Good
luck with your fish. ~PP
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