Puffer Help Needed By New Member!

[nozza]

Hi there, I need a wee bit of help regarding puffer fish, I have a tropical tank already but I have just purchased a biorb 30 to house some much wanted puffer fish, being a 30lt tank does anyone know how many puffers I could house??.

I was looking at Colomesus and Dwarf and saw that I could house both together, Is this correct??

 

[nmonks]

Take the Biorb back. It's useless for keeping fish. And definitely not suitable for keeping puffers.

Dwarf puffers and South American puffers should not be kept together. SAPs are super-energetic and need lots of swimming space. They feed very quickly, and any other fish kept with them need to have a bit attitude themselves. Medium sized tetras are good with them. But I'd not risk little Carinotetraodon travancoricus, they'd just be too slow at feeding time. They're much better kept in a rectangular 20 gallon tank stacked with plants and rocks.

Cheers, Neale

 

[pica_nuttalli]

To add to what Neale said, the Biorb tanks aren't good for fishkeeping because they do not have enough surface area at the top to allow proper gas exchange, thereby preventing proper oxygen levels. Biorbs are also lacking in the filtration department, which prevents them from being a good home for messy fish like puffers. Its also somewhat difficult to get a good look at your fish, which is half the point of fishkeeping! Add in the difficulty in decorating the Biorb and you're really much better off getting a regular glass-box style of tank.

If you really want to try a "different" style of tank, then consider a hexagonal column tank or a cube. You can get a much better filter and lighting system for one of these for about as much as a Biorb costs.

 

[jennybugs]

You know what I think Norena, but Neale's information about the puffers themselves is very good

Also interesting to see other people's views about biorbs and I'm wondering if either person has actually tried running a biorb? I agree there are many issues with the biorbs and lots of people like to run them down, but if stocked responsibly, not overfilled with water and maintained on a weekly basis, I have found them to be a very nice tank to keep. It's also good to totally ignore the dire instruction that comes with these tanks - imho.

Admittedly, I have some dwarf puffers in a 60L biorb, but it's modified for much higher internal filtration, removing the under gravel filtration system that comes as standard with these tanks. 50% weekly water changes are performed and all my puffers are healthy and thriving.

As with any tank I think good maintenance and responsible stocking is the key to these tank and I have to agree that in a stock biorb or biube, I wouldn't attempt to keep puffers. As it stands, I certainly wouldn't consider putting anything other than a dwarf puffer in any Reef One tank and totally ignore the 15L version too! I've tried that one too and find it not worthy of putting anything other than maybe a few shrimp in.

Just my thoughts

 

[nmonks]

Hi Jenny,

What you're saying here is pretty much what I think about Biorbs. It isn't that they can't be used for keeping fish; it's that they can't be used for keeping fish in the way shown on the packaging or using the equipment that comes as standard! When you see the front of the box has some goldfish in a 30 l or White Cloud Mountain minnows in a 15 l model that just rings alarm bells in my mind.

The problem for me is that these are comparatively expensive units, and for the same amount of money you could keep more fish, better, in a traditional rectangular aquarium of equal price. For example, last month I bought from Charterhouse an AquaEL Brillux 60 Aquarium for £83. Besides being a rectangular shape, it comes with two lights (36 W in total) and reflectors, a pretty good internal filter, and a heater. All in all, it's a great aquarium for the price, and ideal for either a tropical community tank or, thanks to the lighting, a wide variety of plants. From the exact same store the Biorb 60 costs £90, but comes without a heater or lights. In my mind at least there is no question about which tank is better value.

If someone gave me a Biorb tank, I dare say that, like you, I could come up with a fun little aquarium. I'd probably go with shrimps and snails rather than fish, adding only perhaps a betta. But you and I know what we're doing. The types of people who mostly buy Biorbs have no idea at all, and are buying them on the strength of what they see on the box: a clever design with modern styling, small enough that it seems a good fit for modern homes and apartments. As a container of water with some bubbles and water current, it's good; but as an aquarium, no thanks!

Cheers, Neale

Also interesting to see other people's views about biorbs and I'm wondering if either person has actually tried running a biorb? I agree there are many issues with the biorbs and lots of people like to run them down, but if stocked responsibly, not overfilled with water and maintained on a weekly basis, I have found them to be a very nice tank to keep. It's also good to totally ignore the dire instruction that comes with these tanks - imho.

 

[nozza]

Thanks for info, I have gone with Jennys suggestion of removing the stock filter / replacing it with an aquaball as well as changing the media to sand (yeap you could say totally changing the biorb to a standard tank set up!!)

I got the tank second hand - so didn't cost me much and since I have a community 68lt set up just want something a bit different - It's the orb appeal!!!

Anyway really looking forward to getting it set up, will post pictures once I have.

Once again thanks Jenny you are a real star!!!

Hi Jenny,

What you're saying here is pretty much what I think about Biorbs. It isn't that they can't be used for keeping fish; it's that they can't be used for keeping fish in the way shown on the packaging or using the equipment that comes as standard! When you see the front of the box has some goldfish in a 30 l or White Cloud Mountain minnows in a 15 l model that just rings alarm bells in my mind.

The problem for me is that these are comparatively expensive units, and for the same amount of money you could keep more fish, better, in a traditional rectangular aquarium of equal price. For example, last month I bought from Charterhouse an AquaEL Brillux 60 Aquarium for £83. Besides being a rectangular shape, it comes with two lights (36 W in total) and reflectors, a pretty good internal filter, and a heater. All in all, it's a great aquarium for the price, and ideal for either a tropical community tank or, thanks to the lighting, a wide variety of plants. From the exact same store the Biorb 60 costs £90, but comes without a heater or lights. In my mind at least there is no question about which tank is better value.

If someone gave me a Biorb tank, I dare say that, like you, I could come up with a fun little aquarium. I'd probably go with shrimps and snails rather than fish, adding only perhaps a betta. But you and I know what we're doing. The types of people who mostly buy Biorbs have no idea at all, and are buying them on the strength of what they see on the box: a clever design with modern styling, small enough that it seems a good fit for modern homes and apartments. As a container of water with some bubbles and water current, it's good; but as an aquarium, no thanks!

Cheers, Neale

Also interesting to see other people's views about biorbs and I'm wondering if either person has actually tried running a biorb? I agree there are many issues with the biorbs and lots of people like to run them down, but if stocked responsibly, not overfilled with water and maintained on a weekly basis, I have found them to be a very nice tank to keep. It's also good to totally ignore the dire instruction that comes with these tanks - imho.

 

[jennybugs]

If someone gave me a Biorb tank, I dare say that, like you, I could come up with a fun little aquarium. I'd probably go with shrimps and snails rather than fish, adding only perhaps a betta. But you and I know what we're doing. The types of people who mostly buy Biorbs have no idea at all, and are buying them on the strength of what they see on the box: a clever design with modern styling, small enough that it seems a good fit for modern homes and apartments. As a container of water with some bubbles and water current, it's good; but as an aquarium, no thanks!

Cheers, Neale

Ah, I see where you're coming from now Neale

I admit to being lucky enough to find a little help on a good forum - not mentioning any names - prior to buying my first biorb I am pleased to say.

The company who makes them blatantly refuses to admit they are not suitable for goldfish, having recently changed their website to say normal goldfish aren't suitable but fancies are! Beggars belief really.

 

[nmonks]

How depressing. But it does make the point that some manufacturers (not all) view the fish themselves as little more than fodder, as stuff to be consumed as required. Makes me sick, really.

Cheers, Neale

The company who makes them blatantly refuses to admit they are not suitable for goldfish, having recently changed their website to say normal goldfish aren't suitable but fancies are! Beggars belief really.

 

[AdAndrews.]

to add what jenny said, i biorbs are ok, as long as you dont overstock them, they are fine, plus you can modify them like jenny has!- the only thing that i dont think is very good is the filter, but i just have wcmm in mine so its fine for their needs

 

[jennybugs]

The filters are ok only if the tanks are stocked lightly with small slim bodied fish. If you believed Reef One and tried to stock (for example) a 60L biOrb with fancy goldfish as they say you can, then you'll end up with no end of troubles