Brackish Puffer Articles in the Library

[Pufferpunk]

Green Spotted Puffers
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introduction-to-green-spotted-puffers/

Figure 8s
library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/

[Tforbes003]

good article the only thing i would say is that even when the GSP is smaller around 2" they seem to thrive and do much better in full marine vs brackish. i have been doing research for a little over a year pretty much everyday as well as going down to my LFS and having them set up a true brackish tank with GSP that are actually under 2" and comparing them to a full marine tank with the same number of fish same tank size and in every case we have seen and with my puffer i have at home, the colors are brighter they are happier exploring eat better and grow faster in the full marine. everyone i have talked to has said that full marine is the only way to go for them to stay happy. ive noticed that in brackish only they seem to get stressed more and in the full marine mine hardly get stressed or a black belly. since you have had yours for awhile now i was wondering if your ours in full marine or what your opinion is on the subject. im not trying to discredit anything your saying im simply stating my experience with them

thank you

[RTR]

Full marine in the current practice of FOWLR and skimmer and macroalgae refugium is both cheaper and easier to maintain long-term. In general, the tank that is better and more stabile will be healthier.

That certainly seems to apply fully to GSPs.

It does not necessarily apply equally to F-8s. I tend to doubt that it does. They are not at all the same as GSPs.

[Tforbes003]

i agree F8's dont do well in full marine situations. only the GSP tend do thrive in full marine.

[sgtmyers88]

So if full marine conditions are better for their health should I go ahead and convert to full marine since my salinity is already at 1.010? This is my first brackish/marine tank BTW so forgive my ignorance.

[Pufferpunk]

You can keep them in lower SG when juvies, to save $$$ on $alt or raise them by .002/week & then add live rock & a protein skimmer, after 1.018.

[sgtmyers88]

Ah ok.

This may be a silly question to ask but I actually have some "dead rock" in there right now that I bought from a marine aquarium shop, is there any way I can bring it back to life or to "seed" it?

[sgtmyers88]

PP do you still have your GSP's? I would love to see pics.

EDIT: I tried to look at your gallery but the link seems broken.

[Pufferpunk]

Lots of things are broken on this site right now. We need to upgrade.

I had to re-home my GSPs, when they outgrew the 55g.

Yes, you can seed dead rock with live fock.

[Radioactive]

As for live foods with Figure 8's it says crickets can be fed on Ocasion. What is considerred ocasionally and is it safe to get crickets from the large chain petstores? As much as I hate going to them my Smaller LFS that I usually go to does not cary them.

[RTR]

I feed SAPs and F-8s ~95% home-reared snails. Crickets only rarely for a different food treat. Keeping young crickets gut-loaded and healthy is a lot more work than the same nutrition and handling levels with snails. Both those species need very high crunch diets, significantly more than most other puffers. But both are easy w/very-high-crunch diets.

[Radioactive]

I bought a live cricket today and at first my F8 really didnt notice it on top of the water. Once he did and investigated he went nuts on it. As cool as this was it also gave me my first health related issue with him. Upon attacking the cricket and eating him he had swollowed air and started swimming crazy doing barrel rolls swimming upside down and doing all kids of crazy stuff. while panicking on the inside I hit these forums like a bat out of hell and read on how to burp him. I was forced to use a net underwater since i didnt have any gloves (buying some tomorrow). I held him in the net mouth facing twords ceiling and gently rubbed his belly. First some chunks of cricket came out then a few small air bubbles floated out. Once I released him he swam straight down to the bottom and within 1 minute he was back to buisness as usual. The Gobies loved the chunks of cricket he no longer had in his stomach lol. Now I know that feeding crickets on ocasion should be done directly underwater. I think its time to buy some feeding tongs of some sort. Just wanted to share with everyone.

[RTR]

Yup, holdimg food items submersed is good practice.

[Pufferpunk]

I used oranges to feed/hydrate my crickets.

[defool89]

Can i convert my fw tank into a brackish water tank by just adding salt? Or do i need a salt water ready aquarium?

I do apologize if that's a really dumb question, but i have no clue.