puffer help

[davew]

hi all
i was originally going to get some dwarf puffers for my tank untill i spotted some green spotted puffers in my local fish shop, they seemed to know what they were talking about ,(the fish were kept in brackish water) but i was told that i could keep 2 in my 17 gallon tank which i know now that is not the case.
so i don't really want to take these guys back as i really like them so i'm planning on upgrading my tank to a 60 gallon but i can't afford it yet untill i get my bonus from work which won't be untill june , will they be ok in this tank size untill then, they are about an inch and a half long at the moment.
i've another question about feeding i've been giving them frozen bloodworm which they take no problem but how much do i give them ,they are greedy little devils and seem like they will eat till they burst....lol
alos i've heard about giving them snails to keep there teeth right i don't really have a good enough supply is they any thing else that i can buy that will do

[Pufferpunk]

I don't suggest keeping more than 1 of them in a tank that size, even at 1.5". Is that tank cycled?

[davew]

i know it's not ideal and i'm trying to sort out a bigger tank asap i may be able to get one sonner if i go for s/h , and yes the tank is cycled.

[zombiefetus]

Welcome!
There's an article in the forum's library on what to feed puffers I have an article on GSP diet on my website too (link is in my signature).
Have you tried craigslist for a used tank? I don't know about the UK.. but I see 55+ gallon tanks here in the US all the time for really decent prices (I bought a 55gallon a while back for $15, and got a free 60 gallon a month later). Just keep an eye out for good deals and hopefully you'll find something!
Good luck with your puffers! And post some pictures!

[Myaj]

Three months in a 17 gallon tank.. that would be pushing it.. you'd have to really keep up on water changes (several every week) and watch out for any aggression.

Is setting up a big rubbermaid tub a temporary option? Obviously not a good idea if you have pets or small children.

[LilGreenPuffer]

The best plan would really be to take them back for now. I know you really like these guys, but you'll really like DPs too! I adore my little girl. Just yesterday, she made the funniest face during a water change, turning her big eyes up and opening her mouth like a worried person expecting something to fall from the sky, and it cracked me up.

Are you 1,000% sure that you will be getting this bigger tank? Is there any chance that you might need the work bonus for something else unexpected? Aside from that, there's the time... Three months is a long time for such close quarters.

If you do decide to keep them, here's the feeding/diet articles. DPs should be fed differently - they don't have dental problems, so you can feed them exclusively on frozen foods like bloodworms, mysis shrimp, tubifex, etc., although they also enjoy live blackworms and snails - these are probably the very best foods for them, actually. But frozen is great too.
library/category/feeding/

[davew]

well the 3months wait for a bigger tank is the worst case scenario if one come up the right size secondhand i'll most likely buy it , i forgot to say in my first post that i've got 2 filters running in there, the standard juwel unit and also a eheim aqua ball 180 ,thats for the links on feeding i'll have a read of them

[LilGreenPuffer]

Two filters won't help decrease the amount of waste and hormones they're producing.

[davew]

Two filters won't help decrease the amount of waste and hormones they're producing.

maybe not but surely running two filters is better than one, i've just checked my water the puffers have been in there for 5 days now, ammonia=0 ,nitrite=0, nitrates=10

[zombiefetus]

Two is better than one. But you'll still want to do big water changes at least twice a week.

[davew]

the puffers are still doing fine and there new home arrives tomorrow a new 63 gallon tank i've spent a bit more than i was originally planning as the tank is new but i didn't fancy risking a second hand tank as it's upstairs and i don't want to risk any leaks.
i've got two filters running in the 17 gallon and i'm going to take the media from them both and put it in the new external filter ,is there anything else i need to do or should they be fine to swap over

[Pufferpunk]

Aren't you going to use the sane substrate? Good bacteria in there too.

[davew]

well i've got some new argonite substrate that i would like to use ,do you think i should use the old substrate for now and change it later when things have settled down a bit, i would rather use the new substrate now if possible but if it's likely to be a problem i could leave it.