The Puffer Forum

I've got a hydrometer and I quite like it, but I can definitely vouch for refractometers too. I used to use a portable refractometer in my estuarine field research all the time, and they're pretty spot on.
Heheheh, they're fun to use, too! :3

Ouchies @ the tank breaks. I'd be so panic-stricken if that ever happened to me. And for that reason I (third??) the wet/dry shop vac! Those things are a lifesaver. I can't attest to using them for fish tanks, but I can say that they are handy when your basement leaks in the middle of February after...

toxic gases... oh how lovely! </sarcasm> I found out from my BF that his town does hazardous materials pickup days, so I was just going to toss all my chems in a glass bottle, dilute, and put it out with the box of old paint. Guess I can't do that anymore without a ventilator hood. :( Looks like it'...

So, I was testing my water for ammonia, nitrate, etc. for the first time yesterday when I realized that I didn't know what to do with my chemical water after I was done. As you know, some of those chemicals are corrosive, and I'm afraid to dump it down the drain and ruin my pipes. I'm on a municipal...

I'm always wary about getting anything live shipped to me. Especially after UPS threw a parcel containing concert tickets into my driveway one snowy evening and my father almost snowblowed it to shreds! Unfortunately, I live in the smallest state in the US, and sometimes the only way for me to get w...

I have gone nuts for live plants. Nothing special just the easy to grow low light don't need much attention plants. But I would love to do an awesome planted tank with the bottom covered in grass. :D I just don't care for the co2 thing. Unless your tank is gigantic, you can buy or make your own CO2...

My 2 F8's are Asagi (light brown) and Ohan (yellow spot). Named in JPN because I couldn't think of any non-boring non-gender specific english names for them. Collectively, they're called the Poofers or Little Puffs.
The BF likes to call them Jigglypuff. @_@

O.O I hope Asagi my F8 doesn't explode! He is... grossly overweight after this last feeding. I've got a problem where my puffs don't eat the same. Asagi is a quick fat pig that eats everything. Ohan is a slow, somewhat picky eater. And this is the result: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v47/Aerin/...

I *finally* was able to get my tests done: temp: 74 deg. F (23.3 C) ph: 7 ammonia: 0 ppm nitrite: 0 mg/l nitrate: 5 mg/l After a water change and some Prime, the cloudiness went away, but now I'm worried about that nitrate (should I be at that level?). At this point in time, what should I do? Just l...

Thank you both for responding! Dadof4 Yes, I did use marine salt in my tank. (i knew about the salt...) I couldn't get to my LFS today, so I'm going to PetSmart tomorrow to get a master test kit (look like I can only get test strips on my current budget), and I'll report back with the results as soo...

So, I'm spazzing right now because my brackish puffer tank is now very cloudy when it was just clear two days ago, and I wondering what I did wrong (if anything), if it's bad for my puffs, and if I can get rid of it. So you get the whole background, here's the whole story: I recently inherited a 4 y...