Minnnt's South American Puffer Tank

[fishprotector]

Looks good matey. Shame about the helferi, I hope I have more luck with mine. The puffer is very cute though FOTM maybe???

 

[minnnt]

Blimey. I never even considered that! Lol.

 

[fishprotector]

I am sure you did when you took that picture on your avatar thingy lol. Its great.

 

[minnnt]

Lol, its not my pic... That's why it looks good! Haha!

 

[fishprotector]

Lol, its not my pic... That's why it looks good! Haha!

That explains it then

 

[minnnt]

lol! haha! good old google!

 

[minnnt]

Swapped the aps for my old 205, seemingly no change what so ever. May have to source another beloved tetratec ex1200. Also removed the pogostemon helferi and substituted it with a mix of weeping moss and christmas moss tied to some slate in an attempt to create a moss carpet. Just need to add a few more pieces towards the middle once the donor moss has regrown a little.

Wood is still pumping out white fluffy stuff, even after a good scrub. No idea what it is.

Also gave one of the puffers a trim of their teeth. That was an experience!

 

[ian]

Can i just ask how you trimmed the teeth?

 

[minnnt]

Clove oil and water to mong him out, then grab him and snip em with a pair of nail scissors.

I was bricking it a little so I haven't done it the best I could have done, but definately better than they were. Trying to source some snails, and typically, the new plants from the lfs appear to be snail free for a change.

 

[ian]

have you had a word with your local P@H, they are normally quite happy to give you free snails from there tanks.

 

[minnnt]

No I haven't mate, may pay them a visit.

 

[stu40]

Clove oil and water to mong him out, then grab him and snip em with a pair of nail scissors.
I was bricking it a little so I haven't done it the best I could have done, but definately better than they were.

Mate, you should have video'd that.I'd have paid good money to see the look on your face.

 

[minnnt]

It would have been very shaky indeed! My hands were trembling. Poor Puffer.

Anyway, little update...

Reverted back to the APS 1000 with modified media and shortened the hoses a little. The flow has been drastically improved, it's pretty much how i expected it to be in the first place now.

Think i will give the wood the boiling water treatment at the weekend, they're both just looking like balls of cotton wool now. Also going to add a few more plants, maybe a few more sprigs of Cabomba and a couple more Crypts somewhere.

Puffers appear to becoming more friendly, starting to greet me when i walk in the room. Obviously know which side their prawns are prepared

 

[minnnt]

Thought I would give this a little update seeing as I'm sat in the van doing nothing whilst it rains.

Added 2 oto's yesterday, the puffers were eyeing them up whilst the acclimatised in the bag so I feared the wost for them. But, on release they happily swam off into the vallis and the puffers never bothered them. Depending on how they get on, I may add another 2 in the new year.

All 3 puffers are doing well, 2 are very friendly with each other, never apart, the other tends to hide more. I doubt it will lead to anything, but it would be nice to get them to breed as its pretty rare I believe.

The scape itself is going ok, may look at a bigger bulb, the vallis looks like its being left a little wanting. Fert is a steady 5.5ml a day. Moss is starting to knit together a little now, will be pulling more off from my main planted tank this week to add a few more pieces of slate covered in it to add to the effect I'm after. Crypts are doing great as always. The piece of wood that was lighter has now become the same colour and is still leeching an oily type of substance into the water. Will remove it and pour boiling water over it and give it a good scrub sometime this week. Filter is running a lot better since removing the carbon bags and a layer of the white floss stuff.

Will get pics up sometime this week of this tank and my others.

 

[lljdma06]

What is your pH and hardness?