Snails usually come with aquatic plants. Look at the plants at your LFS and see if you can find some snaileggs.
New Puffer Owner
- Thread starter rsandelius
- Start date
figure 8 puffers will do best in a SG of around 1.008 to 1.012 for their entire life. they do not need to be increased to full saltwater like green spotted puffers do. as for how much salt to add, I was using Instant Ocean brand I believe, and I was adding 1 cup per gallon, not 1 teaspoon. I don't think 1 teaspoon per gallon would increase the SG by much at all. the 1 cup per gallon kept the tank right around 1.008 to 1.010. 
Yeah... it looks like I'm going to have to invest in a hydrometer, for sure. So... does brackish have a defined salinity? Or does it just fluctuate between the values you mentioned above?
Brackish salinity is usually around 1.012. Fluctuation to 1.008 or 1.014 will not bother your fish as long as the change is slow. Hydrometers are cheap($7) and probably the only extra piece of equipment you need.
Archers do get big. You would definitely need a bigger tank. As a side not ,alot of archer tanks are filled two thirds of the way to the top with branches sticking out of the water. This is in an attempt to get them to display their archer skills by shooting insects off the branch. Anyway, puffers are very hit or miss in terms of aggression. I have seen huge mbu puffer in planted tanks with rainbowfish and tetras, but no one is going to recommend this. Your puffer won't be in any danger, but the archerfish may get nipped. You can always try, just keep a good watch as puffers can go for awhile being passive and then become agressive as they mature. There really are no easy solutions for tankmates with a puffer. Most people would say keep them as solitary fish. I keep mine with a green spotted puffer and they have been together for 6 months, so you never know. Good luck!
Archers do get big. You would definitely need a bigger tank. As a side not ,alot of archer tanks are filled two thirds of the way to the top with branches sticking out of the water. This is in an attempt to get them to display their archer skills by shooting insects off the branch. Anyway, puffers are very hit or miss in terms of aggression. I have seen huge mbu puffer in planted tanks with rainbowfish and tetras, but no one is going to recommend this. Your puffer won't be in any danger, but the archerfish may get nipped. You can always try, just keep a good watch as puffers can go for awhile being passive and then become agressive as they mature. There really are no easy solutions for tankmates with a puffer. Most people would say keep them as solitary fish. I keep mine with a green spotted puffer and they have been together for 6 months, so you never know. Good luck!
Lol... yeah. I know this. (laughing) Let's put a 6" puffer and a couple 5" archers in a 20 gallon tank... you know, they say you only need a gallon per inch of fish, and that's giving them an extra 4 inches!
Dang it! I woke up this morning and the puffer was sitting on the side of the intake pipe of the Hob filter... just sitting there. I thought he was dead, so I got out my little "stirring stick" and bumped him and he just swam away like normal. Anybody else experience this?
Also, I noticed that he's got a couple little spots of white on him. Dang it. Now there's another thing I have to take care of... I just wonder where he got the ich from... maybe from the water not being "brackish" enough...
Also, I noticed that he's got a couple little spots of white on him. Dang it. Now there's another thing I have to take care of... I just wonder where he got the ich from... maybe from the water not being "brackish" enough...
I HAVE A PORCUPINE SALT WATER.. HE WEDGES HIMSELFT BETWEEN THE INTAKE AND THE GLASS AND JUST WATCHES EVERYTHING GOING ON.. I HAVE ALSO SEEN HIM FLOAT TO THE SURFACE AND LET THE OVERFLOW FOR THE WETDRY HOLD ON TO HIM AT THE SURFACE!
It just worries me that he's acting a little bit lethargic... I bumped up the temperature, too...
Note to anybody using a cheap hood with an incandescent bulb:
DON'T LEAVE IT ON ALL DAY LONG!
Came home yesterday to find the temp in my tank at about 95 degrees and my poor puffer huddled under the little castle I have in the tank. Took about 5 hours to get it back down to 78 and he seemingly got his energy back. I'm going to cut the cord on that hood tonight so that it can never be plugged in again.
Blah! (looking to get another 29 gallon for him so that I won't keep having these tank problems... grrrrrr!!!!!!!)
DON'T LEAVE IT ON ALL DAY LONG!
Came home yesterday to find the temp in my tank at about 95 degrees and my poor puffer huddled under the little castle I have in the tank. Took about 5 hours to get it back down to 78 and he seemingly got his energy back. I'm going to cut the cord on that hood tonight so that it can never be plugged in again.
Blah! (looking to get another 29 gallon for him so that I won't keep having these tank problems... grrrrrr!!!!!!!)
If you lived by me I would give you enough snails that you could put them in a rubbermaid contrainer with some java fern or moss and you would have an endless supply. They have infested my planted tank so I am thinking of buying a couple clown loachs and let them have run of the tank for a month to keep the population down.
