Dwarf Puffer Tank Journal

[Shelster]

My nano 40 I've recently scaped and added sand, washed it really well and the tank stayed cloudy for a week!

Thankfully it cleared, I was beginning to have my doubts!

Tank looks old, I ALMOST toyed with the idea of a puffer for my next project, but think ill stick to another betta

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Its cleared up

 
Can't wait to get some more plants. I'm on the lookout for a nice piece of driftwood too, haven't seen any to my liking yet.
 
 

My nano 40 I've recently scaped and added sand, washed it really well and the tank stayed cloudy for a week!

Thankfully it cleared, I was beginning to have my doubts!

Tank looks old, I ALMOST toyed with the idea of a puffer for my next project, but think ill stick to another betta

 
I ended up doing a water change because the cloudiness was really annoying me LoL. It seemed to clear it up quite a bit.
 
Bettas are lovely fish, I can see why you'd want another one, especially after the ones you already have  
I thought of having a Betta, but I wanted something a bit different and a bit of a challenge, and Puffers are just so darn cute I couldn't resist
A Betta tank will definitely be a future project though

 

[nigsy]

Should get 2 dwarf puffers in there.
 
Lots of plants needed, you need to break up any line of sight between the 2 fish, they will attack anything on sight; or they will just stress about the other fish and die (sad but true).
 
They need pristine water quality, so keep up the changes!!
 
We have a Green Spotted puffer on his own in a 90 litre brackish tank..they are great fish, real personalities.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Should get 2 dwarf puffers in there.
 
Lots of plants needed, you need to break up any line of sight between the 2 fish, they will attack anything on sight; or they will just stress about the other fish and die (sad but true).
 
They need pristine water quality, so keep up the changes!!
 
We have a Green Spotted puffer on his own in a 90 litre brackish tank..they are great fish, real personalities.

 
What do you think of my plant selection?
I'll be definitely adding some more, I just wanted to let everything settle before I got more
 
I'll definitely be doing lots of water changes, that's the good thing about this size tank, the water changes are super easy and quick
 
Do you have any pics of your Green Spotted Puffer and his tank? I'd love to see them!

 

[nigsy]

Meet Darwin!!
 
 

 

 

 
 
I use silk plants, so can't give you advice on that. But just need enough to break up line of sight. Tall plants are usefull. Not sure about dwarf puffers, but ours is messy to the extreme, so it's big cleans and 50% water changes once a week. They are also very intelligent fish, so move everything around when you do a clean. They also like to explore, so caves, stone bridges are a must.
 
Good luck. They are rewarding.

 

[Shelster]

Nigsy that is such a cute pic, fab setup too.

Blondielovesfish bet you can't wait now

Even makes me have another rethink - excited for when you get your chap

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Darwin is so cute! Love his tank!!!
 
Thanks Shelster, I really can't wait! I think my LFS said they might be getting them in this weekend but the tanks not quite finished cycling and I need more plants so I'll have to wait.
After thinking more about it, I think I'll just get one DP for now. I can always add another later.
 
Whatever your decisions, Betta or DP, I'm sure it will be one very happy fish. Especially in your care.
 
 
 
One thing I need to do next time I'm at my LFS is get a small cheap tank to use for breeding snails. 
Do you know if snails need a filter, since they have such a small bio-load?

 

[nigsy]

My snails tank:
 

 
Small filtered tank, keep it by the window in the garage, buy live plants and give the snails cucumber and cory pellets for food.
 
My LFS lets me pick up as many snails as I want for free.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Okay, so its best to add a filter?
What sort of size tank would you think would be best?
I had gotten some free pest snails from my LFS but since putting them in my Danio tank I haven't seen them again
 
Going this weekend to get the plants

 

[nigsy]

You only need something like this:
 
http/www.petsathome.com/shop/aqua-town-starter-tank-92213
 
You don't necessarily need a filter but you have to keep the water moving to stop it stagnating, and I guess the easiest way to do that is with a filter.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

Hmm, okay. I was hoping to have it without needing to use any electricity but if thats whats needed....
 
Thanks for your help
 
I'll get a cheap tank along with the plants
 
 
Quick update...
Just done some tests and the results are 0.25ppm A, 0ppm NI, 40ppm NA.
Do you think it is almost cycled?
Since I'm using shrimp I think I will always see some ammonia, or am I wrong?

 

[Donna_G]

I wouldn't spend too much on snails for dp's, so long as I have a good supply of blood worm mine are always happy to see me lol. Some puffers need snails and crunchy food in their diet to stop overgrown teeth, but dp's don't seem to have that issue. I think 2 dp's would be great in your tank, I'm down to 2 from 6 originally (old age sucks!!)
Look forward to the next update
Donna

 

[Blondielovesfish]

I wouldn't spend too much on snails for dp's, so long as I have a good supply of blood worm mine are always happy to see me lol. Some puffers need snails and crunchy food in their diet to stop overgrown teeth, but dp's don't seem to have that issue. I think 2 dp's would be great in your tank, I'm down to 2 from 6 originally (old age sucks!!)
Look forward to the next update
Donna

 
 
The only thing for me about using bloodworms as the staple diet is having to thaw some out each morning, I think snails will be easier for me to feed regularly with bloodworms and meal worms as a treat.  
 
Unfortunately some stuff came up and I wasn't able to go to the LFS, will hopefully go sometime this week.
 
Still no nitrite, 0.25ppm ammonia and about 40ppm nitrate, I'm now starting to wonder if the 0.25 ammonia is a false reading since no nitrite is showing up, what do you all think?

 

[BriansAquarium]

That or, like my tap water, it has ammonia in it. My tap water has 0.50ppm ammonia in it, so unless the water has been in there for a day or two, I will always show ammonia after a water change. If the tank is empty I would add some ammonia to it, check it, then  in 24 hours and see what the ammonia level is. If the ammonia levels drop back down and you still have zero nitrites you are cycled.

 

[Blondielovesfish]

That or, like my tap water, it has ammonia in it. My tap water has 0.50ppm ammonia in it, so unless the water has been in there for a day or two, I will always show ammonia after a water change. If the tank is empty I would add some ammonia to it, check it, then  in 24 hours and see what the ammonia level is. If the ammonia levels drop back down and you still have zero nitrites you are cycled.

 
The problem with that is that I don't have access to liquid ammonia. So, I have to use rotting shrimp
 
Speaking of the rotting shrimp, its practically stopped rotting, it isn't producing any more ammonia. I don't have any more shrimp in the freezer at the moment but, I was wondering if you think it would be safe to add some Zebra Danios to check that it is cycled? At any sign of ammonia or nitrite I would remove them and wait till I got some more shrimp. I'm just worried about the bacteria beginning to die off and then having a spike when I add the DP.
What do you all think of that idea?