New tank, debating on fish/plants...

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

So I got the filter in (the cheap one from eBay) and it has been running for about 2 weeks. This thing is amazing! Insanely quiet, cleans great, and puts out a serious current! I couldn't have asked for more from a $300 filter. I am slowly getting more plants. The wood has started to grow a lot of algae on it, which is not really what I was goin for, but I think I will get some java or peacock moss to cover it with maybe. I am also going to be buying a lot more java ferns to put around the driftwood.

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I have pretty much decided that I am going to stick with freshwater. So here is the big decision (cue dramatic music)... I went to my LFS and they had some DPs... A swarm of them and I wanted them all! But I must resist until the tank is fully set up. ALSO!!!!!! They had some hairy puffers there!!! $6 each!!! I have never seen one and these were pretty active in the tank; they were housed with Figure 8s and GSPs... right next to the ciclids. So now I have narrowed it down to 2: DPs or the Hairy Puffers. I have read the Pufferpedia on both and see that they are able to be housed in my setup.

Now for questions:
-Can I house 2 Hairy Puffers in my 45 gallon tank?
-Can I house 1 Hairy Puffer with some DPs?
-What tankmates can I put in with the Hairy Puffer, if any?

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated.

[Lil' Swimz$]

I've never kept one, but I'd say only one, most lurker puffs are pretty mean, and would eat a tiny DP. I'd go for the DP's, personally, if you plant it well, they'll use the hidies of the wood and plants more then a lurker, who'd need bare spots to dig, and probably not explore the wood as much. Great driftwood! Where'dja get it?

[Pufferpunk]

I agree, keep the baileyi as a singleton. They pretty much just lay around, looking like a turd.

Do you know how to sex the DPs? I think you'd be a lot happier with them.

[sevenyearnight]

"They pretty much just lay around, looking like a turd" heard.

[JRC3]

I don't remember but have SAPs been mentioned.

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

Thanks, the wood was originally a piece meant for very large reptile tanks (I had to cut it down considerably to fit it in the tank). I screwed it down to a large, thin piece of rock to act as an anchor. It works great and I am VERY happy with it. When I get the rest of the plants it will be perfect. If you are ever looking for driftwood, I would recommend to check out the reptile section, they always have more intricate pieces and they are usually much cheaper.

I do know how to sex DPs, kinda... Which ones have the creases behind the eyes? Is there any other way to sex them besides that? These ones at the pet store are so small, less than 1/2", so I may have to bring a magnifying glass to sex them lol.

I have always loved the "idea" of SAPs but I have never found them or even heard of them as being available locally. Also, the idea of having to trim beaks scares me to death...

I thought the hairies would be more active like they were at the store. Bummer. Oh well. So it looks like DPs then. Unless some others become available, then I will, of course, start second guessing myself.

[Lil' Swimz$]

Unfortunetly, you can't sex juvie DP's, so if your LFS sells young puffs, then you may just have to get a few and grow them out, returning or switching out some.

Adult males will have the eye creases, along with a stripe down their bellies, they'll also have a more orangey-red color to their fins and stomachs, and their bodies are more a solid color then a female.


Adult females have a more rounder body, have a white belly and a yellow body with black spots.


(Pictures taken from ThePufferPedia)

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

This is awesome info! Thank you very much.

[Pufferpunk]

library/puffers-in-focus/dwarfpuffercare/
library/puffers-in-focus/sexing-carinotetraodon-travancoricus-the-dwarf-puffer/

[landon]

i have 2 cats and a tank with a glass top too. i would suggest this one thing if the glass is more than a 1/4" thick you should be ok if it is 1/4" or less i would put something over the glassbecause my cat broke right through the glass once and now i have cheap plastic tv trays to protect the glass.

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

So I went and finally got some more plants! I got a 5"x5" Java Fern mat which, after I split them all up, gave me the perfect amount of plants for the tank (a lot more than what it looked like originally). I put a marimo ball in there too, just for fun.

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I also picked up some Java Moss and attached it with some thread to the driftwood... hopefully it comes in good, I do know that I will have lots of trimming to do in the future, supposedly this stuff grows and spreads like wild fire. I got some ramhorns and pond snails from the LFS too so I decided to throw them in there until I get my little 5 gallon snail breeding tank back up and running.

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In about a week the goldfish will be leaving and then I will be picking up the DPs (10) that same day. Before then, I will be putting in 1 or 2 Farlowellas (Twig catfish) along with 6 Ottos and 2-3 Kuhli Loaches.

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

So I just stepped on one half of my gloss top on my tank and cracked it all the way across... I am SOOOO mad right now!! Going to superglue it together tonight and see if that fixes it...

Oh yea, and I just checked last night, water parameters are PERFECT! Water is still a bit cloudy looking though... not quite sure how to get rid of this, could be from constantly messing with the tank (water changes, putting in plants, etc.) or it could be something else... Suggestions?

[Pufferpunk]

That tank looks unbelievably cool! Have you decided what you're gonna put in it?

[fugu99]

Youve done a gorgeous job! Given me some ideas too. I didnt know you could attach the Java Moss with thread. Its been driving me crazy because the guy at the pet store said just to toss it in the tank. Which led to it floating around, getting caught on everything, and I cant understand why my platy tank is now insufferably cloudy green. I managed to get it to settle in a corner, too bad I dont have more nice decor to tie the Java Moss to... plus the moss isnt really very happy in my puffer tank. Its been turning brown... I was thinking it wasnt getting enough light. Weve been having a rather off schedule since my fiance had his surgery, will turn to a regular light schedule now. My watersprite went through a death/rebirth phase, lovely new green growth... but I still think my tank is drab. Almost got a bumblebee goby, but the lady at the store couldnt find it in the tank... drat it. Going back to see if they get any more in. A gentleman at the local store said I should stock Rainbows and Monos with my puffers... Im set on Gobys of course, Knight Gobies if I can find them...

Anyway your tank looks so great... dont break it! haha... sorry, but be more careful! I did that, I was changing the gravel to substrate in my 14 gal. and it slipped on the edge of the tub and, well... CRACK. So we had to run out to the store and of course, out of like 3 stores nearby nobody was stocking 14 gal... thus our 10 gal. came home. Fortunately it was the same length and width just smaller in height and the hood from the 14 fit it. Whew. Thought I was going to lose all my fish that night. Almost cried.

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

PP: Thank you! I think I have decided to go with 8-10 DPs, 6 or so Ottos, 2-3 Kuhli Loaches and 1-2 Farlowellas (Twig Catfish). I have not seen Farlowellas in very many tanks and I think because of their long, slender, and heavily armored bodies they would do great in this tank. And they look cool which is also a plus. I am kinda iffy on putting in Kuhli Loaches though; I don't want to have anything in the tank that will try to "compete" with the puffers for snails..

fugu: If you attach the java moss to something it will start coming in green again; it just needs something to root to and it will be just fine. And if you think your tank looks bland, just throw more plants in there until you like it... Thats pretty much how I do mine. Rainbows and monos get way too big; I would not recommend them. I would say stick with the gobies. Because Knight Gobies are bigger, you may have a little more problem with them getting nipped, but you ay not, either way they are pretty cool. BBGs are always a good choice. Plus they are pretty funny to watch (they look like little grumpy people and like to cling to weird places). I ended up going to Animal Jungle yesterday to get all of my plants but they didn't have ANY of the fish I wanted... But Care-A-Lot has a swarm of DPs I am going to be picking up soon...