F8 Puffer Behavior

[tbrook27]

Hello, I'm rather new to owning fish. I have owned a figure 8 puffer for almost 3 months now. It's still only about an inch long. I have read that they sleep at the bottom of the tank. I had caught my puffer doing this a few times however now it mostly just hangs around at the bottom of the tank. I can't tell if its just lazy or if I am doing something wrong. It's breathing seemed a little stressed last night so I replaced the bubbler and immediately it was swimming all around the tank like normal. Today it's back to the same pattern of sitting on the floor of the tank. The fish doesn't seem to like light either and normally sits in the shade. I don't see any signs of illness or disease on the poor little thing.
I'd really appreciate any help on this subject.

[Pufferpunk]

How heavily decorated is his tank?

[tbrook27]

It was before just one big decoration that really took up the whole tank but had a lot of areas inside it to swim in. I never saw it go inside it just swim around and look at it occasionally. Once it started acting differently I assumed it was bored with that one and I put in a small ruin decoration with three plant decorations.

[By_a_coo]

Yeah.. they like a lot of oxygen.

I learnt F8's dont like bright light, could you post your tank set up? Some pics could help us? Is he eating well?

[tbrook27]

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug. ... /tbrook27/

I had a hard time uploading images in my reply so I just put them in the gallery on this site.
It is a small 5 gallon tank currently, but will be at recommended size in June. I have a very small pleco and guppy in with it.
My water levels are:
Nitrate 20
Nitrite 0
Hardness Hard
Chlorine 0
Alkalinity 120
PH 7.8
I have a bubbler and a heater at 80 degrees F today, it fluctuates between 80 and 75, not often over a good week or two.
I have a filter on high.
I've been keeping my light off considering it doesn't seem to enjoy it.
I've been feeding bloodworms and jumbo shrimp

[Pufferpunk]

It's odd that your heater isn't more stable than that. What size & brand is it?

[By_a_coo]

Do you not keep your F8 in bw?

Well, he's lookinhg fine to me, but 5G is too small for one F8. I tink 30G is perfect for your fish.
My F8 lives in a 45G long.

You can light your future tank, but you should use less than 20W.

In a 5G tank your puffer does not have space available to swim... that could be stressing him. They are lovely creatures and deserve the best we can offer.

Can you get a bigger tank before june?

At the beginning, I kept 2 F8s in a 20G. Some time later I upgraded the tank.
Today, 8 years later, I have just one of that couple of F8s in that 45G.

[Pufferpunk]

Please rehome the pleco & guppy, ASAP.

[tbrook27]

I will be getting a 30G tank at the beginning of June. I got the puffer without doing too much reading on it and did not know how big of a tank it truly needed even at such a young age. It does this weird thing like its hiccuping sometimes. Dorm won't let me get a larger tank but my roommate is getting a tank and will let me put my pleco and guppy in it within the next week or so. Thankyou for looking at my images, I'm glad to know my puffer isn't sick and just a bit sad and stressed. I'm hoping it won't be much longer until I can give it better living conditions.

[Pufferpunk]

Good to hear!