Info wanted about my Figure of Eight Puffers!!!

[sophie]

How big a tank do you have for your fish then just out of interest?

[taureandragon76]

Right now mine are in a 20g tank but in a couple of months I am moving them into a 40g tank just so they got lots of room. I have read many people having success with keeping them with BBG's but you never know, what works for one person may not work for another.

Is your spare filter on an established tank? If so then ya put it on, it would definitely speed up the process on the cycle. When I first bought mine I put them in a freshwater setup with a cup of aquarium salt added to the tank cause that is what my lfs said to do, then after research I found this to be wrong and promptly went out and got ocean salt and slowly did the switchover. Keep in mind with me I am a noob myself when it comes to puffers, I have only had mine for like 3 weeks.

Mine get along great with my BBG's, when I first put the puffers in they kinda nipped and everything that moved. I believe this was just pure curiousity on their part cause now they pretty much ignore the BBG's. The Goby's have gotten pretty smart too cause when I feed the puffers they kinda lurk on the sidelines and snatch up any of the food that gets loose.

The main thing I think to do is just take your time getting your tank cycled and what not and monitor your nitrite and ammonia levels just too make sure. As I said earlier even when adding bio from another established tank I have still in the past ended up having a mini cycle which caused me to loose all the fish I had in there

[taureandragon76]

I would say within a week the tank should be good to go if you cycle using the method I suggested just monitor those levels closely. I setup a 20g for a friend at the beginning of the week with this method and it has now in the process of a mini cycle, I had her bring me some water to test and the ammonia was at 1.0ppm which is pretty high. Basically by doing the method I suggested you just get that cycle going faster, it has worked faster for me than any other method I have tried

[sophie]

taureanddragon76 cheers for the imput the filter is spare and sponge is placed inside top of my big filter as hospital tank is no longer running well ill try mine with pals and if they dont get on they can go in the tropical tank

[Boxermom]

I hate to disagree with your advice, taureandragon76, but I wouldn't recommend doing what you are suggesting. The water in a cycled tank contains almost no bacteria. Its not freefloating, it lives on surfaces. Using the actual filter media from a cycled tank will work, as will transferring some substrate, plants, decor, etc., but not just squeezing the filter media into it and using water from a cycled tank.

[taureandragon76]

If your able to transfer a used sponge and or other media yes that will work better, but I do have to say that I have done the method I suggested on 4 of my own tanks and know quite a few others that do the same, usually within a week the tank is ready to go. I think with cycling tanks everyone has their own tried and true methods that work for them, its just a matter of preference and how much patience you have or don't have. Also Boxermom don't hate to disagree that is what these forums are all about is open mature discussions, this is what has drawn me to different forums. In closing I will say that my method has worked for me and I know others that even add fish right away with no problems, most of these fish would be African Cichlids which is what alot of people I know keep, now I am not sure if the success is cause its been done with cichlids as they are not as sensitive to water parameters as much as other fish can be. It's up to the original poster to do their research and choose the method that best suites their needs, and IMO the best way to really cycle a tank is to take your time and go slow with probably a couple of prawns and let them do their thing as this is probably the best method without any chance of ill effects.

Sorry if I rambled here a little I can tend to do that from time to time
Aaron

[my name is mike]

just to chime in on tank mates ... i have not had success keeping mollies with f8s --- first, my larger figure 8 (2.5") took out 2 mollies, so i transfered my third survivor to my little figure 8 tank (1.25") and even the little guy couldnt tolerate him, and killed him in about a months time. it seems like the mollies bug the puffers so much, following them around like dogs, that eventually the puffers snap

but i have had success with BBGs. i currently have 5 with the little puffer

[spoot]

As for the squeezing the filter media helping a cycle, it may work just from all the bacteria that gets rubs off or comes off with the detritus stuck to the filter while agitating the media. Given the new bio load is small enough initially, the small amount of bacteria would be able to keep up. Hoowever, just transferring water would be much different though as for the reason boxermom has given.

[susiejames101]

Been told Bio-Spira can only be bought from the US and I'm in the UK heard about the Ammonia before where can I get it from and is there a particularly type that is best for Brackish.
The Bio-Spira is it a biological filter additive containing live bacteria as in UK we can get something called Stress Zyme does anyone know if this is similar.

I bought my biospira from Boots , it is just pure ammonia, no additives in it, and I think I am right in saying one test you can do is to shake it and if it froths, it may have somehting in it, I cycled two tanks in about 2 weeks but I did use some filter media from another tank to get things going. In my local LFS the F8's were kept in freshwater so I cycloed mine using freshwater and once the fish were settled and relaxed, gradually increased the salinity each time I did a watwr change.
If you know any one who is travelling to the US, you could ask them to buy some Biospira for you, my mson brought some back in his suitcase and it worked brilliantly, where as the packet I ordered online from the US which took a few days to arrive, must have died on route and was no good at all, I nearly lost a fish and was doing multiple water changes for weeks!!The stress zyme is absolutely useless and will casue more harm than good to your tank
Good luck
Sue

[Boxermom]

Biospira is not ammonia, they are two very different things.

[sophie]

Well now have my tank and puffers on order should be able to pick them up in about 2-2half weeks so going to start cycling tank tomorrow.
I've had my sponge from my filter sitting in the top of my large filter in my current tank that is a fresh tank but as the puffers are in fresh where I'm getting them from so I will start off with fresh then slowly acclimatize them to brackish over the first few water changes.
I'm going to use some water from my tank and the sponge that should have some bacteria in it. Then I'll use the prawn method to cycle it.
Also I have been offered some snails which breed like crazy so I'm going to get some of those and try to breed them in a seprate tank for food I was breeding them in my freshwater tank but my daughters goldfish finds them tasty and has eaten most of them.
Have decided to get Bumble Bee Gobies for tank pals will get them first to let them settle into the territory first then when there settled in will get my puffs.
Wish me luck will let you know how I get on!!!
Cheers for all your help and advice hope no problems arise will let you know if there is I'm sure someone will be able to point me in the right direction (hopefully I won't need to).

[sophie]

Well cycled my tank got all the levels flat on 0 went to get my puffs only to find out that the wholesalers hadn't sent my fishys got to wait a further 2 weeks now before they could be in again so I've moved a couple of platys over from our community tank to keep the tank ticking over till my puffs finely get here getting impatient for them now !!!

[Pufferpunk]

Keep adding ammonia to the tank then.

[sophie]

I'm so annoyed still haven't got my fishys the wholesaler keeps not sending them in the order Ill find out the day after tomorrow if they have come in on this next order or not.
Have your fingers crossed for me I'm getting so impatient now it seems to be taking forever to get them home!

[Redspotter]

Hoping for you the puffers will be in the next order.
I know how you feel my LFS keeps telling me every week they are coming, but nothing. It seems at the moment they are hard to get hold of.
I luckily got my first yesterday, was sold to somebody as snail-eater, but had started eating tails. He's so cute