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Poufington
Puffer Fry
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2020 6:55 pm
Location (country): United States

Hello Puffer Fans!

Post by Poufington »

hi thanks for being here, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the library. I've been here for about a whole day now reading posts in the Brackish water Puffer catalog and reading links posted therein for more depth. I am NOT a fish enthusiast, nor experienced in fish-keeping. However im a sap for cute faces and when my little Poufington appeared in my home I was unwilling to kill it or return it to petco. It was purchased to eat snails for my gf's tank and she was told it was a dwarf, freshwater puffer. Soooo...
I have determined that it is indeed a GSP about 1 inch maybe a lil bigger, nice bright spot on the head, very responsive, happy looking white tummy. I have moved it into a.... rushed, 40gallon brackish tank at about 1.004 SG. Refractometer is hard to read. 80⁰F. I use the API master test kit, have 7.4PH, Ammonia 0.25 (like I said rushed tank) Nitrate 0.0, Nitrite 0.0. Aquaeon HOB filter rated for 75 gallon tank, located tank center.
Thats all the tank parameters I can currently test for and no I do not have argonite substrate. I do have sand, black and white because just white was blinding me. Currently it has been about 5 days since I put him in the tank after about a 30 min drip acclamation where he went from a 15 gallon community tank thats overpopulated to a 5 gallon bucket of slightly warmer tap water to the 40 gallon brackish tank. Totally wrong and rushed again I know...
I did a 20% water change after noticing Ammonia at .25 and added Aquaeon Ammonia and Nitrate Neutralizer. Today I learned that weekly water changes are required for brackish water and that full marine tanks with live rock have less water change requirements. How fast can I turn this fish fully marine? I am reading that many people have successfully kept them fully marine for most of their life.
Currently I am feeding it 1/4 of a cube of frozen brine shrimp every 12 hours. It refused the frozen krill cube and took the bloodworns much slower. He will chase all the little brine shrimp down in about 20 min from 1/4 cube and after an hour I only have to net out 1 or 2 floaters. Do I need to totally thaw and rinse the frozen foods?
I have a new 5 gallon tank that I am currently cycling to breed shrimp and ramshorn snails. gonna take a month to setup and up to another 2 before food comes out of it. Is it OK to feed just brine shrimp during this time? After they grow will the shrimp and snails be enough or is yet wider variety needed? I know I can feed class and such once he is bigger but currently he is 1 inch.
I am learning little Poufington's behaviors and patterns. I panicked when he went and slept. Now I think it's the cutest. He surfs the glass very often currently and I realize I need many more decorations and toys. Please suggest some of them for me. I am hopeful that as my terrible fishkeeping is unveiled here you will all guide me to give this puff the best life I can.
Poufington
Puffer Fry
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2020 6:55 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Hello Puffer Fans!

Post by Poufington »

Trying to post pics of my setup
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Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Hello Puffer Fans!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Welcome! He looks very healthy. You're doing great so far... I would desist in adding ammonia-remover & add more bacteria. Tetra Safestart if a good product. Do an 80% WC (you can just use FW) & add it directly to your filter. I wouldn't be concerned with BW until your tank is stable for at least 3 weeks. If you want to go full SW (1.020), you'd need CURED live rock at 1 1/2-2lbs per gal & a protein skimmer.

Brine shrimp (even live) is barely any nutrition, as they are 98% water. Read our feeding article in the Library.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
Poufington
Puffer Fry
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Oct 10, 2020 6:55 pm
Location (country): United States

Re: Hello Puffer Fans!

Post by Poufington »

Thank you I will go read that article. He seems disinterested in the brine tonight. I will offer bloodworns in the morning. I should thaw these in water and feed rinsed bloodworms?
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles
Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
Location: Chicago
Contact:

Re: Hello Puffer Fans!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Yes, always feed thawed foods. I usually add some Vita-Chem to the thawing water.

library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

library/feeding/problems-feeding-your-puffer/
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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