Puffers

[BigC]

I went into my lfs recently with my two youngest kids. They took a shine to some puffers in a tank. (bags of character) They were advertised as Figure of Eight Puffers and were around 75mm in length from snout to caudal peduncle. I have kept fish for over 25 years but I know absolute zilch about puffers. Now for the questions!!!!

Do you need a hydrometer to get their salt content correct. (I take it that they are brackish water species)

How big do the above species attain & what size of aquaria suits them best.

What decor can be included (please refrain from suggesting plastic divers, sunken galleons and their ilk) keep it natural

What substrate is suitable.

What foodstuffs are best.

Please advise me with any more info on the above species. Actual personal accounts are best.

Thanks in advance. My kids await the outcome.
BigC

 

[Pufferpunk]

F8s are best kept in low-end BW (SG of 1.005). You will need a hydrometer that starts at 1.000 & marine salt. They grow to 3", 10g/fish is ok & they can be kept as singletons. A complex decor for them to investigate is best, as they are intelligent & get bored easily ovserved by them pacing the glass). Substrate of crushed coral or aragonite is necessary to keep pH arouound a steady 8. Crunchy foods are necessary to keep their teeth trimmed, as they are constantly growing: snails, crickets, ghost shrimp (gut-loaded), krill, plankton, shrimp tails & worms are what my guys eat.

 

[BigC]

Many thanks for your input Pufferpunk..

 

[CFC]

I have nothing to add to what pufferpunk has already said but...


Welcome to the darkside of fish keeping BigC it starts with a little puffer and before you know it you have tanks full of the most fearsome and destructive fish mother nature can create

 

[BigC]

the most fearsome and destructive fish mother nature can create

Interesting............. please elaborate CFC.

 

[CFC]

it was meant to be humourous but it is a noted fact that when fish keepers turn oddball the fish they keep start to be a little more dangerous, like stingrays that can stick you in hospital with a flick of their tail, catfish or eels that can knock you on your butt (or worse) with a electrical discharge and all manor of venomous or toothy beasts that can inflict damage in various ways.

 

[BigC]

Ah! with you now CFC, Do Snakeheads count.

 

[CFC]

The big ones do, why do you have any? I have a breeding pair of gachuas which attack the cat through the glass but other than that they are harmless, but i remember a big red that a store used to have that would litterally smash glass to try and get at people, scarey fish!!

 

[BigC]

I was toying with the idea of getting one Channa gachua "Th 03/2". (abit off topic this aint it)

 

[CFC]

Shame your over the water otherwise you could have some gachuas for free, i have about 150 fry at the 3mm stage right now and unfortunately most will have to be culled due to a lack of interest for them.

 

[BigC]

Shame!!! They must be pretty easy to breed though. And brood size poses a problem. Apart from the impending cull where else do you suppose you can ofload a few Ebay perhaps.

 

[CFC]

I swamp the local shops with as many as they will take but thats usually only a dozen per store, unfortunately not many people in this area are prepared to buy a fish that ideally needs a species tank and will eat smaller fish.
The trouble with Ebay is that to sell you have to ship and shipping will push the price too high to make them sellable, being predators theyre not as cheap to raise to a selling size as other fish since they require a meatier diet.

Breeding is as easy as falling off a bike, getting a pair that doesnt kill each other is more difficult than it sounds.

 

[BigC]

Are they anything like these babies...

 

[CFC]

Yep, that could well be a picture of their tank.

 

[BigC]

Those belong to a friend of mine in Sweden.
Nice fish...