New Puffer Owner

rsandelius

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 28, 2005
187
1
0
42
Detroit, MI
Hey guys! I'm kind of on a double learning curve here... I'm new to puffers AND brackish. The guy at the LFS told me that to do brackish, it's workable to put in a teaspoon of sea salt in during every other water change, but other than that, run it like normal. Think he's that far off?

Anyways, I just bought my little figure 8 puffer last night, and I'm already in love with these guys! Within 5 minutes of being put in the tank, he started eating bloodworms that I dropped in the tank and was bullying some guppies that I tossed in there for fun. It's amazing how when they eat, their stomaches bulge out so far! I thought senegal bichirs had personality, this guy is a riot! So... I immediately dubbed him "Bozo."

Now, I know that he'll outgrow the tank within the next couple of months, and I'm already budgeting/planning for that. But for now... I think he'll be happy.

Pics to come....

(I've already been to a bunch of puffer sites for maintainance/care/feeding/etc information, but if you guys would reinforce what you consider the CARDINAL RULES for owning puffers are, that'd be AWESOME!

Some quick questions I have....

1. Do I need to buy snails to help him/her wear down his teeth/beak/???
2. Where can I get those little snails?
3. Can feeder fish last in brackish water for extended periods of time?
4. What kinds of illnesses are puffers prone to and how can they be prevented?

Thanks a ton in advance!
 

ferco

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Apr 11, 2006
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Scotland
well i think i can help with Q's 1-3:
1- Yes, you should buy some snails to wear down their teeth, otherwise, like rabbits and rodents, their teeth will begin to grow to long and they will not be able to eat anymore.
2- I think lots of fish shops may just give you the snails for free, you takin them off their hands can be quite useful... i THINK!! lol, im not 100%.
3- Yes i think Mollies can survive in Brackish water for a bit... but depends on sizes...

If this has helped at all please say, i do not actually own any puffers, this is all just info i have picked up off reading from this forum... i wish i could remember GCSE French this well...lol.
Also if anyone disagrees with what i have said please say as i don't want to be giving wroing info...
 

rsandelius

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 28, 2005
187
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42
Detroit, MI
It's funny... I've heard so many people say that finding these little snails is so easy, but I've check with all of my LFS's around here, and nobody has them! Amazing....

Had another question, slightly off-topic.

I wonder if, when it outgrew the tank, I could put the puffer in with a senegal bichir? More precisely, I wonder if the bichir can tolerate brackish conditions....
 

rsandelius

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 28, 2005
187
1
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42
Detroit, MI
bump
 

jimk

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Feb 1, 2006
168
0
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51
coatesville, pa
I'll try to help a little, but am by no means an expert.
Brackish water is usually around 1.012 on a hydrometer. You should be able to get one at most fish stores. With puffers you want to gradually increase the amount of salt to almost full salinity(1.025). By gradually you can raise a little bit each time you do a water change. This is species dependent. Puffer like mbu, fahaka do not need brackish condition. You probably already researched this, but I am not sure that figure 8's necessarily need brackish water.

Your little puffer may have trouble with the snail shells at his size anyway. You can probably find some ghost or glass shrimp feeders to serve the same purpose. Try not to feed him till his belly bulges. Feed a little less more often.

Guppies and mollies will do fine in almost full salt water. They probably won't last long enough to matter. Use these as treats once in a while. There are countless threads on the troubles with live food. Feed krill, bloodworms, earthworms, market shrimp.

It seems like you are attached to your fish so I probably would not but the bichir with the puffer. Figure 8's can get nasty and may kill any tankmate. I do not know whether bichir can tolerate brackish but my guess would be it is best to avoid that.

Good Luck, they are really cool fish.
 

rsandelius

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 28, 2005
187
1
0
42
Detroit, MI
Awesome! I appreciate you taking time to help me out on this. I wasn't really planning on putting the two together, but I wouldn't want to pass on the opportunity if it was possible, ya know? Point noted on feeding until his stomach bulged. That little punk can eat, though!

I didn't think a hydrometer was necessary for the puffer, but I'll look into it. I've always been a little bit leary of saltwater and it's complexities, but maybe it's not so bad.
 

rsandelius

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 28, 2005
187
1
0
42
Detroit, MI

Hakon

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Nov 12, 2005
867
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32
Son, Norway
If you get some snails you can breed them in a little tank you only need a heater and a filter. Feed them with all types of food, flakes out of date works very well.
 

rsandelius

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 28, 2005
187
1
0
42
Detroit, MI
Right... I just need to FIND some to begin with... i can't believe those little suckers are so hard to find... Anybody in the Detroit area have any ideas on where to find them? I might just have to go try and get them in the wild, I guess...
 

HarpoGarza

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Oct 26, 2005
404
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46
Citrus Heights, CA
I get free snails from my local PetSmart every week. One of their "experts" put a shipment of live plants in some of their stock tanks, and they now have a snail epidemic on their hands. They keep asking me how to get rid of them. If I wasn't so dependant on the freebies I'd just tell them to order more clown loaches and let them take care of it. Oh well. Their problem is my gain, I suppose.
 
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