How to maintain my new F8

[joseche]

yes !, I am a new to puffers and I just got my F8 !!!, sorry for that but here is my newbie question:

I have a 20G planted with flying fox, cardenals and black neons, I 'used' to have Pomacea bridgesii there too, but since I got the puffer I took the adults to another place... since it was hitting on them !!, so finally my question is:

is it possible to have another tank for the adult snails to have them breed and them move the newborns to the tank where I have the F8 ?, or maybe to rephrase it: how much will my F8 need to be in good shape ?

thanks.

[Myaj]

First off, your puffer needs a brackish tank and the other fish won't like brackish.. so that's not a good mix.

As far as the snails, most of us breed snails in another tank and throw in a few to feed the puffers.. how many depends on the fish's size, you'll have to get a feel for it.

[joseche]

hm...

SIZE: my puffer is about 1 inch, how much will it need to be healthy ?

WATER: can it be healthy in freshwater ?, I know the ideal will be brackish but they sold it as a freshwater so I got it

[Myaj]

There are theories that they can be healthy in freshwater IF it is very hard "liquid rock" water, not soft water. The salt seems to be more for buffering than for actual salinity, but they definately do better with it.

I don't know what you mean by how much will it need to be healthy? How much what? Food? Tank size?

[joseche]

ups sorry, yes, healthy in regards to food, how many snails per week !, there is only one snail (adult) in the tank, I don't want to overfeed or have it angry since it will start hitting on the other fishes, right ?

[Myaj]

That depends on how big your puffer is and how big the snails are. We like to feed them until they have a rounded belly.

There's other things you can feed them too, not just snails. Earthworms, crickets, shrimp (live or frozen, raw "people" shrimp), mussles, clams, bloodworms, blackworms, etc.

[joseche]

I got him one big apple snail, but it has been 2 days and the puffer can't kill him(the snail trenches), so, I guess I'll have to buy some people shrimps, is this normal ?, should I wait until the puffer gets to kill the snail ?

[lilacamy931]

There are theories that they can be healthy in freshwater IF it is very hard "liquid rock" water, not soft water. The salt seems to be more for buffering than for actual salinity, but they definately do better with it.

I don't know what you mean by how much will it need to be healthy? How much what? Food? Tank size?

Hey Myaj - what sort of composition is liquid rock water when it is about, is it to do with PH? Just curious as to what this regarded?

[LilGreenPuffer]

I got him one big apple snail, but it has been 2 days and the puffer can't kill him(the snail trenches), so, I guess I'll have to buy some people shrimps, is this normal ?, should I wait until the puffer gets to kill the snail ?

Folks use people shrimp all the time. Just be sure that they're raw. Shell on is best, but shell off is okay, too. Other raw seafood is also great, like crab legs. Frozen is fine, too.

[splitadams]

apple snails are huge, theyre called apple snails because they almost get to the size of an apple,
even if he did manage to open him it'll most likey be way too much food for him
your best feeding him trumpet snails (Crushed because they have a very hard shell),
pond snails or ramshorn snails which you dont need to crush, and other foods which were previously mentioned by myaj

when i feed ziggy snails i usually feed him about 5-6 small ramshorns
or a crayfish thats no bigger then a quarter of his size or he ends up looking disgustingly full
even then sometimes i have to fish out half of his meal with a net before he finnishes it
and hes about 8cm, when he was about 1inch i used to feed him 1 small ramshorn a day and that kept his belly nice and fat