I've gone through countless articles on the internet about these fish, and viewed various youtube videos of these beautiful fish, but I'm just left with a couple simple questions that I'm sure a couple of fahaka experts will be able to shed some light on .
Actually, I've got MANY questions, so if you could provide help with even just a few questions, I'd be sincerely grateful. I have been reading about these puffers for quite some time now, and when I stumbled upon some unexpectedly at an LFS, I knew that I was meant to have one LOL.
Anyways, I know that I'm looking at a tank that is at least 120 gallons if I plan to keep this fish for quite some time, which I do.
Would it be suitable to have a finer substrate in the tank? I'm not talking about your standard coloured aquarium gravel, but I'm looking for some less-than-fine sand for the tank to go for a more natural look instead of having rainbow coloured gravel. Is such a subtrate suitable for the fahaka? And if so, how deep should the subtrate be to avoid any anaerobic pockets developing in the subtrate if I do settle with a very fine sand?
Secondly, I've read that fahakas need "caves to explore", and in the following sentence, I've read they need "open swimming areas". The two statements seem slightly contradictory to me, as "caves to explore" would incline one to believe that they suit a more rocky environment, and yet "open swimming areas" lead one to believe that they are suited for a bare tank. Should I set-up a medium sized rock formation in my tank, for both the fish to feel comfortable and aesthetically ?
Also, is it safe to add hardy aquarium plants? I really want to try to include a nice piece of driftwood with some java ferns attached to it. Would these plants be safe with my fahaka?
Lastly, I have a couple questions about feeding. I know everyone says that fahakas require a meal of mollusks and crustaceans, but I still find this to be slightly vague. What would one reccomend to feed, specifically, to a fahaka as it grows with age, and how frequently should one feed?
I know I should set-up a tank and try to breed ramshorn snails, but this is simply not an option for me, and I'd rather be able to feed whole frozen shrimp or something similar to my fahaka. Essentially, I need to know what types of crustaceans are fair game to the fahaka, and at what age these types of food are suitable.
Second lastly, how frequent should water changes be with my fahaka in a 120+ gallon tank, and what quantity of water?
I know I need to invest in a couple of water test kits to ensure that my tank is fully cycled and that the water is suitable, because I've lost way too many fish because of the bacteria in the tank being unable to support the amount of fish in the tank.
I know I have a lot of questions, but I really want to have a truely happy fahaka, and I really want to get all of this right the first time around.
Thanks for all your help : ) !
Actually, I've got MANY questions, so if you could provide help with even just a few questions, I'd be sincerely grateful. I have been reading about these puffers for quite some time now, and when I stumbled upon some unexpectedly at an LFS, I knew that I was meant to have one LOL.
Anyways, I know that I'm looking at a tank that is at least 120 gallons if I plan to keep this fish for quite some time, which I do.
Would it be suitable to have a finer substrate in the tank? I'm not talking about your standard coloured aquarium gravel, but I'm looking for some less-than-fine sand for the tank to go for a more natural look instead of having rainbow coloured gravel. Is such a subtrate suitable for the fahaka? And if so, how deep should the subtrate be to avoid any anaerobic pockets developing in the subtrate if I do settle with a very fine sand?
Secondly, I've read that fahakas need "caves to explore", and in the following sentence, I've read they need "open swimming areas". The two statements seem slightly contradictory to me, as "caves to explore" would incline one to believe that they suit a more rocky environment, and yet "open swimming areas" lead one to believe that they are suited for a bare tank. Should I set-up a medium sized rock formation in my tank, for both the fish to feel comfortable and aesthetically ?
Also, is it safe to add hardy aquarium plants? I really want to try to include a nice piece of driftwood with some java ferns attached to it. Would these plants be safe with my fahaka?
Lastly, I have a couple questions about feeding. I know everyone says that fahakas require a meal of mollusks and crustaceans, but I still find this to be slightly vague. What would one reccomend to feed, specifically, to a fahaka as it grows with age, and how frequently should one feed?
I know I should set-up a tank and try to breed ramshorn snails, but this is simply not an option for me, and I'd rather be able to feed whole frozen shrimp or something similar to my fahaka. Essentially, I need to know what types of crustaceans are fair game to the fahaka, and at what age these types of food are suitable.
Second lastly, how frequent should water changes be with my fahaka in a 120+ gallon tank, and what quantity of water?
I know I need to invest in a couple of water test kits to ensure that my tank is fully cycled and that the water is suitable, because I've lost way too many fish because of the bacteria in the tank being unable to support the amount of fish in the tank.
I know I have a lot of questions, but I really want to have a truely happy fahaka, and I really want to get all of this right the first time around.
Thanks for all your help : ) !
