Red Eyed Red Tailed Puffers Help!

[patthecat12]

this summer i bought 2 Red tailed red eyed puffers, and have been struggerling ever since, they were my first tropical fish (only kept goldfish before) and was told by the pet shop that they would do fine in a Aqua-start 320 (PIC)

Its only 28 litres and i have been told in the tropical section that this is too small even though the pet shop wanted to sell me 6 of them!

There out of direct sunlight but the tank just keeps on producing algae, ive only be using the supplied under-gravel filter that came with the tank, and have been told on the tropical forum that i need a different filter so i put in a normal goldfish filter in tonight and change the water as the Ph rocketed into the acidic levels AGIAN. PLus all my plants i put are now dead so i have a fake mangrove tree in and nothing else but two red eyed puffers.

Im asking Anyone, Anyone who is or has kept these puffer for some advice as im clearly not going to get it from the pet shop as there solution was to sell me a CO2 kit (that didn't work but made my goldfish tank fantastic). How have you set yours up? What type of filter? Do you have any other fish in your tank?

Plz Help as i feel im being cruel to them as its a sorry sight to look at.

Patrick

 

[nmonks]

Carinotetraodon irrubesco is a hardy, easily maintained pufferfish, but I will make one observation: despite its size, it appreciates some space. I kept my pair in a 60 litre tank for a while and they were never really happy. Since they're essentially peaceful, you can combine them with catfish, loaches and really most anything that can keep out of trouble. My specimens live happily enough in a 180 litre community, swimming about in the open, at feeding time anyway.

What they like in terms of decor is simple. A tank with lots of plants (real or plastic) and hiding places such as rocky caves. They're territorial, and even the females can be quite pushy about keeping their particular cave. Good water quality, including plenty of current, is helpful, just as with any puffer. Algae is not a problem, and in fact because algae consumes nitrate, it actually does something useful. If you're finding the pH drops rapidly, and you don't have lots of plants, then the problem is likely overstocking and/or too much bogwood. You need to check the carbonate hardness (KH) of your tank, because it's the KH that stops pH changes.

If you don't know how to harden water, read up on the topic. Any aquarium book should explain this important issue. But I do suspect that because your tank is too small for these fish anyway, any investment in trying to fix the situation will be "good money after bad".

Cheers, Neale

 

[patthecat12]

Thanks NMonks what you said about female being quite terrotorial about a perticular space is true to what mine does it chases away the male if it dares gets near the front of the tank so he hinds behind my only plant left but he is usaly the one swimming about, and doesnt seem to be that botherd by her. but generaly they get on with each other. Some told me that they produce lots of waste due to there protein diet, i have just yesterday added a differnt filter to help out, as i heard the undergravel wont do much good.
Im going to read up on the water KH when i get back from collage today and see what i can do. but im going to wait a week or so and moniter the water levels with the new filter i put in.

Cheers patrick

 

[nmonks]

A properly maintained undergravel filter is very efficient, so whoever told you it won't "do much good" is talking cobblers. The reasons people don't use undergravel filters much any more are various, but the main reasons are that [a] plants with roots don't like them; and you can't use more than a few rocks or bits of wood for decoration.

Adding a (bigger) filter to a tank this small will help, as will doing more water changes. At a pinch, adding small doses of marine salt mix (not tonic/aquarium salt!) will raise the carbonate hardness thanks to bicarbonate/carbonate salts in marine salt mix. Don't add much, maybe 2-3 teaspoons per gallon. The sodium chloride will also offset any nitrate toxicity, helping the puffers stay healthy. But long term, I suspect (know) you will need to upgrade this tank.

In my experience the males tend to be fairly benign, and more interested in chasing one another, or their reflections! The females are more territorial towards other fish generally, and my specimen is constantly displaying to a female dwarf cichlid. I think they both like the same sorts of caves, and end up squabbling over them.

Cheers, Neale

 

[patthecat12]

Hi back from collage and ive asked a friend of mine who used to keep fish i could buy his old tank and he has agreed, its at least 20 gallon so im getting that set up soon. They will just have to bare the tank for 1 more week while the nitrogen cycle is running and hopefully il have better luck at keeping them ( i just love the way they move)

Thanks for your all your help im going to do what you sugested with the various salt and carbs.

P.s. i do have loads of rocks in, its just that he seems to like sleeping in the plant

Thanks agian
patrick

 

[nmonks]

Glad to help. Do note the addition of marine salt mix is *short term* fix, not something to do on a constant basis. If you have the bigger tank, you don't need salt. Do check carbonate hardness and pH stability though.

Cheers, Neale

Thanks for your all your help im going to do what you sugested with the various salt and carbs.

 

[jennybugs]

I wish you luck with your puffers!

I had two males (first mistake) in a 50L tank. It was heavily planted but the fish weren't happy and one beat the other up in the bag on the way home! The victim died over night on the first night and the other was so weak it looked on its last legs.
When I took them back they gave me two more males and sadly I had the same trouble with them fighting so i took them both back before I lost them to.

One day I will try with them again as I now have alot more experience under my belt and have successfully been keeping other puffers for some time now.

C irrubesco are lovely fish