Search found 6108 matches

by RTR
Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:20 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: What do your puffers do all day?
Replies: 28
Views: 3869

Re: What do your puffers do all day?

Puffers are rarely schoolers unless in large river main channels during the dry season or in sizable estuaries. They are very bright and intelligent and learn quickly for fish. IMHO & IME, they are rarely-to never barren-tank fish. If in properly decorated tanks, even singletons will be outgoing...
by RTR
Sat Aug 16, 2014 7:56 am
Forum: Brackish Puffers
Topic: How do you keep YOUR tank clean?
Replies: 2
Views: 644

Re: How do you keep YOUR tank clean?

1. "Do you remove decorations when you change the water?" -Not in most tanks. Normally that is only done in fry-rearing tanks which are unplanted. 2. "Do you vacuum the substrate and/or use a net to catch bits?" -Most tanks are planted, and/or have extensive wood- and/or rock-wor...
by RTR
Fri Aug 15, 2014 8:00 am
Forum: Hospital
Topic: pale f8, lethargic, help please!!
Replies: 31
Views: 5575

Re: pale f8?

I would suspect that your water is quite hard. But if they are using test strips and not liquid reagents, the testing is not likely to be very accurate. If you are on a public utility, you can get a profile from your water utility which is at least accurate on what leaves their plant. You might give...
by RTR
Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:51 am
Forum: Brackish Tanks
Topic: Figure 8 in marine tank acclimation
Replies: 2
Views: 953

Re: Figure 8 in marine tank acclimation

+1 to Pufferpunk's comments.
by RTR
Fri Aug 15, 2014 6:46 am
Forum: Freshwater Puffers
Topic: hairy puffer with tankmates... maybe?
Replies: 8
Views: 4071

Re: hairy puffer with tankmates... maybe?

Piscivorous (if they really are - most puffers are invert eaters by choice, fish eaters if that is all that is offered) puffers do not "need" tankmates. They need good water quality and visually complex set-up. I hope you plan on extended QT for any "temporary" tankmates. Puffers...
by RTR
Thu Aug 14, 2014 8:17 am
Forum: Tricks of the Trade/Equipment Queries
Topic: sponge filter for snail breeding
Replies: 9
Views: 2227

Re: sponge filter for snail breeding

You will have to hand-sort, but that will be a forever task. If you have enough buckets and tanks just sort as well as you can and once they start breeding, set another container with 3-8 adults of each species and develop pure containers of each to use as your future breeding stock of each type. Ev...
by RTR
Thu Aug 14, 2014 7:25 am
Forum: Meet and Greet
Topic: Old member, New username
Replies: 6
Views: 917

Re: Old member, New username

Welcome back, and good luck with the new (to you) tank. As puffer-keepers we are generally reliant on wild-caught fish, and those may be only seasonally available or otherwise reliant on local conditions. Your area however is close to one of the country's major import areas, so you should have bette...
by RTR
Thu Aug 14, 2014 6:53 am
Forum: Marine Tanks
Topic: Just wondering how many people here have a mantis shrimp :)
Replies: 2
Views: 936

Re: Just wondering how many people here have a mantis shrimp

Many, many years ago I kept a mantis for some time. They are fascinating for a time, but I did trade it off in less than a year.
by RTR
Thu Aug 14, 2014 6:49 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Is my cycle stalled...
Replies: 9
Views: 972

Re: Is my cycle stalled...

Test strips are not reliable. If they have had air exposure for any length of time, they are a waste of time.
by RTR
Wed Aug 13, 2014 7:59 am
Forum: Tricks of the Trade/Equipment Queries
Topic: sponge filter for snail breeding
Replies: 9
Views: 2227

Re: sponge filter for snail breeding

I use fluorescent lighting indoors for snails - My outdoor growing season is too short to provide me with all the snails I have needed, and buckets in full sun can overheat badly in hot summers. For reliability and safety, indoors year-round is safer and more predictable for me. My aquatic plant sup...
by RTR
Tue Aug 12, 2014 9:14 am
Forum: Giant Puffer Species
Topic: Fahaka questions
Replies: 47
Views: 7910

Re: Fahaka questions

Fitting multiple tanks or fish rooms into pre-existing houses is depressingly risky and/or expensive.
by RTR
Tue Aug 12, 2014 8:54 am
Forum: Tricks of the Trade/Equipment Queries
Topic: sponge filter for snail breeding
Replies: 9
Views: 2227

Re: sponge filter for snail breeding

I'm afraid I have to disagree again. Snails are a good puffer food for various reasons, bur the underlying premise is always that you are what your prey eats. Carnivores, piscivores, etc. rely on their prey to provide them with the nutrients which they do eat directly themselves. Marine puffers do c...
by RTR
Mon Aug 11, 2014 7:11 am
Forum: Tricks of the Trade/Equipment Queries
Topic: sponge filter for snail breeding
Replies: 9
Views: 2227

Re: sponge filter for snail breeding

As with all tanks, filter sizes or numbers should be related to tank size. Browse the web and/or local shops for scale ideas. Snail breeding tanks IMHO should be pretty basic. There is nothing wrong with air-driven sponges so long as the tanks have cover glasses to minimize spray, evaporation, and n...
by RTR
Mon Aug 11, 2014 6:51 am
Forum: Giant Puffer Species
Topic: Fahaka questions
Replies: 47
Views: 7910

Re: Fahaka questions

Big fish and small rooms or houses are tricky, to put it mildly.

Also, with big tanks, not all structures offer adequate support. That is another potential hazard. If you even think about a big tank, call in a structural engineer first thing.
by RTR
Sun Aug 10, 2014 7:15 am
Forum: General Discussion
Topic: Lost Puffer
Replies: 11
Views: 1874

Re: Lost Puffer

Planning in detail is a chore until you develop the habit. Then it becomes the most effective and efficient way to set up tanks. I do admit that I have been known to over-engineer tanks, but for fish which are effectively wet puppies for 15+ years that is not always a bad thing to do. GSPs definitel...