Puffer Species

[Killi]

I won't listen to them again then

Well I'm planning on cloning it (think thats what you call what I'm doing)...I'm going to use the filter and maybe some substrate from my mature tank, as I feel my communtiy tank could do with a bigger filter. I'm going to run both filters in there for a few weeks for the new one to "mature" and then I'm going to move the old one into the new tank (this is what was advised), with maybe 3/4 ottos, making sure to keep an eye on both tanks for any mini cycles. Only when I feel the tank has completely matured will I get any puffers, so I'm thinking it will be at least 2 months from now, but however long it takes really. I'm in no rush and want to make sure I do everything properly

That is the plan upto now anyway, but I'm still researching.

 

[christianflores]

ill just put it in the 240 gallon tank then.

 

[mygsp]

hey i have a green spotted puffer do you know what it looks like when puffers are about to have babys? please! i need help!

I won't listen to them again then

Well I'm planning on cloning it (think thats what you call what I'm doing)...I'm going to use the filter and maybe some substrate from my mature tank, as I feel my communtiy tank could do with a bigger filter. I'm going to run both filters in there for a few weeks for the new one to "mature" and then I'm going to move the old one into the new tank (this is what was advised), with maybe 3/4 ottos, making sure to keep an eye on both tanks for any mini cycles. Only when I feel the tank has completely matured will I get any puffers, so I'm thinking it will be at least 2 months from now, but however long it takes really. I'm in no rush and want to make sure I do everything properly

That is the plan upto now anyway, but I'm still researching.

puffers do great with other puffers exsept they mabe will byte there tails but i wount kill them

 

[mygsp]

Which puffer do you recommend for a fresh water tank? The lfs has colossiums, dwarfs and figure of eights (won't be these as they're brackish). If need be I don't mind ordering off of somewhere like Trimar.

Just added the sand into the tank now, waiting on the new filter but will be using seeded filter media so shouldn't take long to get the tank cycling. Gotta get plants and snails after that. Was suggested trumpet snails as they burrow and help keep the sand clean, also will hopefully get some ottos to put in.

Any ideas or info would be much appreciated as I've only ever kept either general community fish or years ago tiger oscars.

\\ well i have a green spotted puffer they are soooooo cute! but they need alot of
stuff but i have too so i have a 5 gallon tank and they do fine!and also they
love to eat snails (the size of there eye) also they like frozen shrimp please try
this then they will live longer!

 

[pica_nuttalli]

Which puffer do you recommend for a fresh water tank? The lfs has colossiums, dwarfs and figure of eights (won't be these as they're brackish). If need be I don't mind ordering off of somewhere like Trimar.

Just added the sand into the tank now, waiting on the new filter but will be using seeded filter media so shouldn't take long to get the tank cycling. Gotta get plants and snails after that. Was suggested trumpet snails as they burrow and help keep the sand clean, also will hopefully get some ottos to put in.

Any ideas or info would be much appreciated as I've only ever kept either general community fish or years ago tiger oscars.

well i have a green spotted puffer they are soooooo cute! but they need alot of stuff but i have too so i have a 5 gallon tank and they do fine!and also they love to eat snails (the size of there eye) also they like frozen shrimp please try this then they will live longer!

oh dear, oh dear, oh dear... you do realize that GSPs quickly grow to an adult size of 6", right? two of them would need to be kept in at least a 50g and they should also be kept in strongly brackish water.

 

[Fella]

hey i have a green spotted puffer do you know what it looks like when puffers are about to have babys? please! i need help!

I won't listen to them again then

Well I'm planning on cloning it (think thats what you call what I'm doing)...I'm going to use the filter and maybe some substrate from my mature tank, as I feel my communtiy tank could do with a bigger filter. I'm going to run both filters in there for a few weeks for the new one to "mature" and then I'm going to move the old one into the new tank (this is what was advised), with maybe 3/4 ottos, making sure to keep an eye on both tanks for any mini cycles. Only when I feel the tank has completely matured will I get any puffers, so I'm thinking it will be at least 2 months from now, but however long it takes really. I'm in no rush and want to make sure I do everything properly

That is the plan upto now anyway, but I'm still researching.

puffers do great with other puffers exsept they mabe will byte there tails but i wount kill them

Puffers definitely do not always do great with other puffers. A lot of species are territorial. have a read of the pinned topic at the top of the forum for more info.

 

[DarkEntity]

well i have a green spotted puffer they are soooooo cute! but they need alot of
stuff but i have too so i have a 5 gallon tank and they do fine!and also they
love to eat snails (the size of there eye) also they like frozen shrimp please try
this then they will live longer!

Oh please tell me you are joking

2 GSP in that tiny tank....how do you maintain the water quality for those two fish in that small a tank.

 

[Maximus]

well i have a green spotted puffer they are soooooo cute! but they need alot of
stuff but i have too so i have a 5 gallon tank and they do fine!and also they
love to eat snails (the size of there eye) also they like frozen shrimp please try
this then they will live longer!

Oh please tell me you are joking

2 GSP in that tiny tank....how do you maintain the water quality for those two fish in that small a tank.

By feeding them flake...

Seriously though, are you kidding?

 

[TheKryptonian]

3 x 1 x 1 would be about 30 gal? You could get a pack of 10 or 12 in there with lots of room for each to claim territory. Or you could try the mix and match like I did with 10 Dwarfs and 3 or 4 C. asellus. I like the mix because they have very different behaviors (the asellus are much busier most times) but are bout little sweethearts

Gotta ask how the hell do you trim a puffers beak??? 

...with lots of anxiety on the puffer keepers part, I have to trim all 3 of me C. asellus this week and will try to make up a little photo diary to post. Here is a link to the whole proceedure as done by an experienced puffer keeper Trimming Puffers Teeth

Feel free to ask away, I love talking about puffers

I just got a green spotted puffer from a guy who obviously had no idea how to take care of it. I have more patients and have done alot of reading on puffers but cant find info anywhere on trimming. It looks like his teeth are getting very long. Ive tossed in some snails, and crunchy shrip but it looks like he is not interested in the snails and he seems to have trouble getting the shrimp down. Can anyone point me to info on how to trim or where to get trimming done. Your link here sends me to another website and I dont want to sign up for another forum service. Im a newby so be kind to me ^^

 

[slakey]

hey need a suggestion...

I'd like a colourful pufferfish or some carnivorous type fish.
I don't mind if it'll be the biggest fish in the tank.
My tank is a Rio 125, with 2 bits of mopani wood, a beach rock, live plants and sand/pea gravel substrate.
It currently houses 5 zebra danios... cycling, I wouldn't mind getting rid of the zebra danios, but if can be prevented it'd be good, as I've had one for nearly 2 years.

Thanks for any suggestions
slakey
P.S. Looks at my signature to take a look at the 125

 

[eddyg]

im looking for suitable puffer for my 240l aquarium, it is freshwater at the moment and looking at Colomesus asellus it seems perfect, the one problem being that you have to cut its teeth, is it true that its teeth need cutting regularly? if so how should you go about it? it seems like the most unnatural thing ever

 

[kj23502]

im looking for suitable puffer for my 240l aquarium, it is freshwater at the moment and looking at Colomesus asellus it seems perfect, the one problem being that you have to cut its teeth, is it true that its teeth need cutting regularly? if so how should you go about it? it seems like the most unnatural thing ever

I'm planning on setting up a puffer tank and from what I've read you only need to cut their teeth 1 or 2 times per year, as long as they get snails regularly. I beleive that there's a link in the beginning of this topic for trimming the teeth. Here's another one that I found. They even have a pic of a puffer w/over grown teeth! Teeth trimming is something that you'll just have to watch for, I think.

 

[Rudyard]

Hi
Could anyone tell me if it would be possible to keep one or two south american puffers in a tank with a couple of red claw crabs? It would be a large tank with fresh water, with plenty of space for the crabs to get out of the water (with a separate brackish pool). I'm aware of the puffer's reputation and have read through this thread. However, I wondered if they would just be too small to bother crabs.
Any thoughts appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Fella]

They would undoubtedly eat the crabs, crabs are quite a desirable food for a puffer!

 

[madpiano]

Hello Fella

I am glad I found this thread. I am just returning to freshwater from Marine and I would like to try and keep SAPs again. I had them before, but I don't seem to be very lucky with them. The first time round we had one in a 5" tank with plenty of other South American fish and some YoYo loaches, but he was harassed to death by the loaches. He may also have not been very well when we got him. It was a spur of the moment choice.

The second time round I researched, researched and researched. I really wanted the Spotted Congo Puffer, but apparently it is no longer available and may be extinct. So I settled on SAP again. I had a fully cycled and mature Juwel 96 set up with Zebra Danios, Neons, Otos, Cherry Barbs and 1 Guppy (he was too fast to catch, lol). Because I read that they are actually schooling fish and rarely get over 3", I got 3 of them. One didn't make it and died after 3 days (LFS gave me a refund, apparently the whole shipment wasn't very well and they lost all of the others in the shop), 2 survived and seemed to live for quite some time. The tank was fine, the cherry barbs never stopped breeding, but the puffers were not. The tank was quite heavily planted and apart from the Danios, all the fish were quiet. But the puffers kept swimming up and down the glass like they were going stir crazy. They were eating bloodworms until their bellies nearly popped, but ignored all the snails I offered them (not much use in a planted tank, lol. ). Therefore in no time their beaks were overgrowing. The did eat and chase ghost shrimp, but no snails. At the time their beaks were getting too long, they were about 3-4cm long and I really don't know how to trim their beaks at that size ??? Eventually I lost them both, although they were still eating, I am not sure to what. They were with me about 6 months and after that exeprience I swore to never get them again, because I didn't want to kill them again. But I am really tempted...

1) what makes them swim up and down the glass like a caged Lion ? It made me feel awful.
2) how do I cut their beaks when they are still tiny ?
3) I tried every snail available last time, they ignored all of them. How do I make them eat snails ? Garlic
4) I have a slightly smaller tank this time (80l), how many should I get ?
5) I think the Danios may have been stressing the SAPs out, any other small fish I can cycle the tank with ? I am able to get a filter squeeze from my ex, so cycling should be pretty painless.

Cheers
Mad