Puffer, puffer, puffest

[alg8er]

HI People, and any Puffers that can read! I've been keeping fish for 1/2 century. Just about every type of fish and a few non-fish. Alligators to octopus to guppy. But never a puffer! I'm finally getting a fish room started, and will be breaking up my 180 gallon inhabitants to replace them with a fahaka. It will be a while, so I'm researching and planning. I've been raising crayfish for my turtles for years so I have a start. All suggestions, comments, and advice are welcome!

[hadla]

Welcome just curious why you're doing fresh? But then, most of my tanks are salt lol

[alg8er]

Been there, done that. I want to set up all my tanks with constant drip. I have ro for my discus, a blend for acaras, and the waste to turtles. My only drain is my sump pit that waters my garden and lawn. Introducing salt water into that drain would be a problem. Plus I just don't want to open that can of Worms! I'll want an octopus again, and it's too much work.

[hadla]

Oh ok I love octopuses! Just wish they'd live longer :/

[hadla]

Ooooo just noticed alligators!!! I'm from Louisiana and would love to hear your experience! The babies are sooo cute!

[Pufferpunk]

Just lost my 19 year old fahaka. He loved his big 180!

[alg8er]

Knew a guy that knew a guy from FL. that owned a gator farm. He would give me a baby, I would raise it, handle it so it was manageable, and when it hit about 5' I'd trade it for another baby. He got "tame" gators, and I had fun.

[alg8er]

I was hoping the 180 would be big enough.

[alg8er]

The octopus I had was a common Florida. I got lucky and got a male. He lived for 3 years. My 180 was in wall reef with a huge filter and I plumbed in a pair of 100 gallon tanks. One had the octopus and the other had a Hawaiian dragon moray. City added something to the water to coat the pipes because of lead. Red algae killed the reef and the reef dying killed the moray. The octopus had died the year before. That was in the '80s.

[hadla]

Oh wow! That is awesome! I'd love to meet a "tame" gator

[alg8er]

Like any other animal, they had their personalities. The best would struggle a few seconds after I picked them up, then calm down. The worst lunged out of the water trying to bite me every time. I had a very good friend that owned a pet store, and I helped him out a lot. They had an exotic animal zoo. I always joked with him that we'd been bitten by just about every animal you could imagine, but never a gator. The meanest animal we ever came across, ever, was a rabbit!

[hadla]

Like any other animal, they had their personalities. The best would struggle a few seconds after I picked them up, then calm down. The worst lunged out of the water trying to bite me every time. I had a very good friend that owned a pet store, and I helped him out a lot. They had an exotic animal zoo. I always joked with him that we'd been bitten by just about every animal you could imagine, but never a gator. The meanest animal we ever came across, ever, was a rabbit!

Ha! That is too funny! I remember seeing something on tv about a man who has a pet alligator that like knows him and has never tried to hurt him.

[alg8er]

I've raised 5, and I wouldn't trust a single one. They don't see it as biting the hand that feeds them, the hand that feeds them is food.

[hadla]

I've raised 5, and I wouldn't trust a single one. They don't see it as biting the hand that feeds them, the hand that feeds them is food.

Yeah, they're too much of a wild animal to be sure that they won't hurt you :/