Which Puffer?

[spilz]

ok, so from what i can see,

they need a ph of around 7-7.5

and salt content can vary due to it fluctuating in the wild, but around 1.005 -1.019, adding some marine salt during water changes.

so i will need to buy an external filter,which im guessing i can use straight away?,a PH test kit, and a Hydrometer, which looks like a ruler with a protractor stuck to it??

anything else i will need to buy to keep an eye on the water? (sorry, im used to buying the easier fish!!)

 

[AdAndrews]

ok, so from what i can see,

they need a ph of around 7-7.5

and salt content can vary due to it fluctuating in the wild, but around 1.005 -1.019, adding some marine salt during water changes.

so i will need to buy an external filter,which im guessing i can use straight away?,a PH test kit, and a Hydrometer, which looks like a ruler with a protractor stuck to it??

anything else i will need to buy to keep an eye on the water? (sorry, im used to buying the easier fish!!)

dont bother with a ph test kit, the salt will raise ph.. the hydrometer looks like a glass thermometer, dont get the plastic one, they are not as accurate, AND more expensive, so:

Marine mix salt-any cheap mix will do
glass hydrometer
fig8 pufferfish

happy days

 

[spilz]

haha ok yer i'll get that lot on saturday!, but the only thing is, ive never checked the levels of my water, like ammonia, nitrate etc.

should i get a kit to check that, or just take a sample in to my lfs?

 

[AdAndrews]

just read my brackish water fishes book(i recommend you get one) for you..

ideal s.g is 1.005
they grow to 3 inches

the ammount of salt you require is 9 grams per litre.. so..

1) get the puffer
2) everytime you do a water change- i recommend 30% weekly, add 9 g/l of salt
3) after about a month you will have reached 1.005 s.g
4) you can do a freshwater water change once every so often if you feel like it
5) you can also take the s.g up to 1.010 by adding 15.5 g/l of salt.

Adam.

EDIT: When you test the s.g of the water, using your hydrometer, unless the water is at 25 degrees celcius, it will be inaccurate.. so keep your heater at 25oC

also, if i were you, i'd not worry about getting the temp right for every water change, a nice bit of cold water can help... just get the water out of the tap, put the salt in, mix it up until it dissolves, and then pour right in.

 

[spilz]

thanks so much, its all coming together in my head now, cant wait to get going with it!

ive been looking for a book, gonna order one asap.

just gotta get my catfish into other tanks now and im away!

p.s thanks for the step by step, it really helps my retarded brain to grasp things

 

[AdAndrews]

great, can i just ask.. what filtration do you have on the tank??


and also, you will need a good lot of plants with rocks and wood to give the puffer something to do, they are very intelligent, and can get bored.

 

[spilz]

yer sure, at the minute i only have the filter that the juwel 96's come with. but i would buy an external filter to go with this way before i get the puffer (im in no rush to get the fish). plants and that im gonna get on saturday, the tank is already full of bogwood thats been in there for 4 years +

do you have to let a filter cycle if youve already got another running?

 

[AdAndrews]

yer sure, at the minute i only have the filter that the juwel 96's come with. but i would buy an external filter to go with this way before i get the puffer (im in no rush to get the fish). plants and that im gonna get on saturday, the tank is already full of bogwood thats been in there for 4 years +

do you have to let a filter cycle if youve already got another running?

you may be fine with the current internal, maybe just get a powerhead, such as the hydor koralia nano, that will probably do tbh, if its only the one puffer and nothing else...

if you get another filter, simply hook it up to the tank, rip out the jewel internal(easy to do, only silicone holding it) and put all of your jewel media that is mature into the new filter... however, if there is going to be no ammonia source(no fish) for a period of time, bacteria will start to die off.. so if you have any fish, keep them in the tank, re-do everything how you want it.. and then go and get the puffer, when you come back with him, floating in the bag, take out your other fish(or do this before you go).

 

[spilz]

ah right ok, so its better to have only the new filter running rather than both of them, but with the old media in? i'd rather get a new filter because then its more of a project

i'll have a look at that powerhead then thanks!

heres a pic of how the tank looks at the minute, may aswell turn this into a build thread to save it getting too boring!

during a water change i think this was, but it hasnt really changed looks wise, apart from the bubbles pipe is hidden.

 

[AdAndrews]

looks good.. if you want then get an external, you certainly wont be doing any harm.. yes, just put as much of your exsiting media in as poss and then the new stuff.. i would reccommend a tetratec ex700 for that tank

and then i'd just fill you tank with easy plants such as...

mosses
ferns
crypts
vallis
anubias
and stems like rotala sp green or elodea

 

[jennybugs]

Sorry to disagree again but F8 puffers need a relatively warm environment and putting cold water in for the 50% weekly water changes won't do the fish any good imho.

What I do is get the dechlorinated water to tank temperature then add the salt and mix with an old pump until fully dissolved. Only then should you add it to the tank water.

50% weekly water changes keep the water at optimum quality. No puffer can tolerate any ammonia or nitrite in the water (they're scaleless) and nitrates should be kept to a minimum. Doing large weekly water changes keeps the water perfect as does a good turnover from a large external filter...I have a large external and a big internal filter in my F8 tank and religiously perform 50% water changes each week.

Get the appropriate test kits and check your water is perfect before even going out and getting a puffer.

BTW, what are you doing with the other fish in the tank? Are you removing them (a good idea)?

 

[spilz]

ok cool thanks, yer im moving them, getting a bowl for the two female bettas, and putting the rest in one of my dads tanks, unless a mate wants them.