Figure 8 puffer tank set up and care?

[viviana]

Hi! I recently posted about setting up an aquarium for a few DPs, but since have changed my mind and decided on a F8 puffer instead. The set up is as follows: 20 gallon long tank, 2 filters (an aquaclear 70 and a sponge filter), a 100 watt eheim jager heater (set to 78), and some live plants and driftwood (I know the driftwood has pH lowering properties but I had a high pH to start with (was trying to lower for DPs), I know F8s like 7.6-8.0 pH?). The tank is almost cycled, but I used freshwater because I was expecting DPs, so one of my questions is: should I finish cycling it and then start slowly increasing the SG over the next few weeks? Or should I get the F8 and do that with him in the tank? Should I increase by .001 or .002 a week? .007 is okay for F8s?

Also, I started a MTS colony for the DPs. Can the F8 eat those too? I was considering getting some live cherry shrimp to feed as well? I'm planning on buying other snails (pond, ramshorns) and I also have some frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp. What else should I feed the F8? Can I still have live snails as the staple diet?

A lot of questions, sorry! I'm still in the researching stage and I wanted more opinions. Thank you in advance!

[Pufferpunk]

Start by reading this: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... ocus/fig8/

[Blinkey]

Hi,
Good choice in getting a fig 8, you won't be disappointed

I think you should continue cycling as you are (with FW). I assume the store is keeping the fig 8 in FW (as most do), so once it is cycled you could put him in that. Over the next few weeks you could then raise the SG to 1.005 by increasing with .002 increments each week. This would allow your beneficial bacteria to acclimate and prevent a crash with your biofiltration.
This is similar to what I did.

MTS would be too hard for fig 8s, unless you partially crushed their shells... but even then you should seriously consider starting a ramshorn or common pondsnail colony. You could purchase a bag of raw seafood mix (without any additives). I recently got one from my supermarket's frozen food isle, and my puffer goes absolutely berserk for the baby mussels XD
Snails will make a great stable and should be, owing to their beak-wearing quality.
Always good to ask questions.

[Boku88]

I keep mts with mine as they have successfully served two purposes

1. Something for my F8s to nibble on (They are quite smart attacking tiny ones and flipping the big ones and attacking when the snail comes out of its shell)
2. Because i keep my F8s with fine sand the sand tend to turn yellow from little scraps so the mts are there to clean and stir the sand alongside my ghost shrimps (the survivors that somehow coexist with the F8s because the F8s completely lost interest in them)

As for other snail species such as pond/bladder and this unknown tiny apple snail look alike, I attach a breeding box to the tank so that the snails will breed in the box and allow the tiny ones to escape and drop into the F8s tank.

[Hillehaus]

that's a good idea.

[Pufferpunk]

MTS have been know to chip/break puffer's teeth.