puffer fish

[fishywishy]

Ok basically need some advice.

i am considering getting some puffer fish as i think they are so so cute so am considering buying a bio-orb tank (http/www.theaquariumshop.co.uk/ishop/1029/shopscr83.html) for them as we have long finned fish (guppies and mollies) in our main tank and they don't mix (that much i know).

so i was wondering if there are any puffer fish experts out there! our lfs sells figure of eight puffers and leopard puffers (not sure about the name but something like that) and i need to know:

1. how hard are they to look after.
2. what pretty fish and bottom feeders can they go with.
3. how big do they grow.
4. how many should i get (30L tank).
5. what do they eat.
6. how easy are htey to breed.

basically everything possible about puffer fish so if anyone has a good web-site or good advice can you let me know, please. Thanks so much.

lisa

 

[fishywishy]

Also any info on dwarf puffers, are they sickly like dwarf guiramis?

 

[LittlePuff]

1. They will need fresh and frozen seafood (shrimp,mussels,bloodworms etc.)
They are brackish.
Water changes every week 50%

2. bumblebee gobies

3. Fig 8's=3+"
Geen spotted=up to 6"

4.Fig 8= one per 10gal
Green spotted=one per 30gal (they get pretty mean)

5. see above.

6.not easy at all.

For more info: check out Thepufferforum

Kim

 

[LittlePuff]

Sorry, Didn't see about the dwarfs

Freshwater, 2gal per puff(large or small tank)
Get a 1/3 M/F, or 2/5. info on sexing at the dwarfpuffer website
tankmates: otos and shrimp (they may be small, but thay can be very mean.)
They get ~ 1"
They are difficult to breed

All puffs are worth it. They have so much more personality than other fish and would rather interact with you than other fish.
They have more incidence of internal parasites than normal.

Kim

 

[SirMinion]

Please, no. Not a bio-orb. It's nothing more than an expensive fish bowl.

Get a proper tank and you will be able to see your fish properly, and they will be much happier too.

 

[fishywishy]

about the bio-orb, you see i am a girl and it is all about looks for me and i love the look of it, really different with pretty bubbles in the middle!

 

[fishywishy]

^^^ that was my girlfriend btw! )

 

[Chasing Puck]

While I can understand the desire to have a pretty tank, getting one without considering the welfare of the fish in it is, IMO, a poor decision. If you want it as decoration, great, put in some shrimp and call it good. Putting delicate fish like puffers in is asking for deaths. That's not fair to the fish, and seldom satisfactory to the owner.

Dwarf puffers are hardy once established. They are often sold while very young, and this can complicate feeding them, since they do require a substantial amount of live food initially. Once they are 6-9 months old, they can usually be trained onto mostly prepared, frozen foods, with supplements of snails and other crunchy foods.

 

[clutterydrawer]

As for the biorb...you could get a much bigger tank for the same price. For a 3" or 8" fish, esp. puffers which are messy to start with, I don't think a birob is really appropriate.

On the other hand I've always thought a biorb would look nice just as a planted tank, no fish...pretty.

 

[Erised]

I'm gonna be the fun spoiler then I guess

I'd really say no to keeping any fish, Specially Puffers! in a bio-orb tank. Puffers become terretorial (or however you spell it ) and its better to break their eyesight so they will not see eachother all too often. In a bowl, in which the bottom surface is a lot less than in the middle, I dont think you could get it planted well enough for them to get along properly. Also, a dwarf puffer needs At Least 2 gal a puffer (at least, so it was said here ... personally, I'd make it 5gal a puffer). Meaning that in a 30L tank (8Gallon) you could keep 2 dwarf puffers Tops!

Any other puffer you just could Not keep in a tank like this, because they get too big.

With having only 2 dwarf puffers in a tank, I dont think you'll have much of a chance breeding, also, where will you leave the juveniles?

I say, if you really wanna keep dwarf puffers, get a normal tank so you can break the eye-sight properly, and will have more than an 8 Gallon tank so you can keep more puffers

 

[fishywishy]

thanks a lot everyone, i guess i will have to sacrifice looks for some really cool fish, i really want puffers so will look into square tanks. When i eventually save enough money to get puffers i am sure i will be back with lots of questions so watch this space, maybe i could move my goldfish to the bio-orb if i get one! we will see, thanks again

 

[mandi]

Although people often keep goldfish in bowls, they actually belong in much bigger tanks too ... 20 gallon for 1 goldfish + 10 gallons for each additional. I think the only fish that would possibly be happy in that orb would be a betta maybe. I think the suggestion someone made before -- about just filling it with aquatic plants -- would be really cool though!

 

[chdabott]

i have just been to the pet shop and they have 5 puffers in a bi-orb, saying that i have had nothing but problems with my bi-orb !!!!

 

[chdabott]

Also, i found that fan tail goldfish are excellent in them, i brought a heater for my bi-orb, and my fish are backstroking all over the place!

 

[chdabott]

just read the above and it sounds like i added a heater with my goldfish! i did not, they went in to another tank and i brought tropical.

Feel better now, dont want people thinking i boiled them!