Rescued Figure 8 Puffer

[solothedrunk]

I stumbled upon this site when researching my Figure 8 puffer purchased from Petco and sold as a Freshwater puffer. He was housed in a small tank with another Figure 8 and a school of black molly's. I actually picked him because unlike the other puffer he was chasing the molly's around and squaring off against them. That little exchange alone told me how aggressive he might be. Upon reading this site it seems I saved the little guy from said Petco. I plan on building him a nice Brackish habitat but was wondering if a 15G to 20G would be ideal for him, since I will just have him in it with MAYBE (and that's a big maybe) a bumblebee goby or 2 with him.

What are the thoughts before I head out to a large aquarium store to fill out the rest of my supplies. So far I have:

1) Marine Salt from Instant Ocean
2) A Nitrate and Amonia Tester
3) A Chlorine and Chlorimite clearer
4) A large net to move the guy
5) A 16 lbs bag of Nature's Ocean Bio Activ Live Aroganite for his first tank so it's ready faster

From reading this forum it seems that I could add some plant life with driftwood and a refractometer it seems would be better than the hydrometer I bought.

So I'm missing an adequate heater for him and I was thinking of getting a small canister filter for him since he'll be in a 20G tank.

Anyone have any opinions other than tank size? I'm afraid if I got bigger I will go crazy and start with Salt water sooner than I would like.

[skphew2]

I am new too but form waht I undersand dont net the puffer as he may puff up and die as a result they need to be moved in water.

I am in the process of getting the bits and bobs together for my brackish tank, I plan to keep a single figure of 8 with maybe (big maybe) some gobies, snails etc. What I have got so far is a 90ltr tank, 100w heater, test kit, marine salt, dechlorinator, I will be getting a refractometer eventually but for now a hydrometer will do. I plan to over filter the tank too as puffers are messy little buggers lol.

A 15 - 20G will be fine for him, regular 30/50% water changes are needed and good filtration. Make sure the tank is already cycled as puffers dont have scales so are alot more delicate to toxins.

Regards
Sean

[Hilly]

Welcome to the site.

If you can do a 20g tank that would be preferable over the 15g although a 15g for one is the recommended minimum tank size.

LIve Aragonite will make a mess of the tank parameters more than anything else as its designed for marine and I never believe how these things can be live when they're vacuum packed in a bag sat on a shelf. If you are going to use it in this type of tank, I would give it a thorough rinsing out.

If you already have the fish in an established tank easiest thing to do i shift the filter over to the new tank, if you havent got him yet a fishless cycle is the recommended choice for getting the tank ready, this can take some time to do though.

[pufferpuggirl]

I would just add that you need a test kit that tests for ammonia, nitrate and NITRITE, and do not get the dip stick kind, get the type that uses test tubes to test the water. Those sticks never give you accurate readings. I would personally get something like Seachem's Prime as a water conditioner, as it works wonders and you don't have to use loads of it.
I would also say that Figure 8 puffers do not need a high salinity, and forgive me if I got this wrong, but it sounded like you were thinking about going to saltwater. I don't believe a Figure 8 would survive in a marine aquarium, but that's just my thoughts.

[Brandon8521]

I dont think he is planning on saltwater since he said brackish tank.

But remember they dont tolerate alot of salt just around 1.004. The refractometer isnt that important since your dealing with brackish. A instant ocean hydromter would do the job perfectly. I think that arogonite would be perfect but dont count on it being live rinse the crap out of it. And when you think its rinsed rinse it again. It will do nothing but add ammonia to the tank. What is the fish in now?

[Pufferpunk]

I'm confused--where is he now???

Please read: library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/

[Brandon8521]

Thats what im trying to figure out.

[purplecandle]

you can still use the net..just not in the typical way one would net a fish. I use the net to usher puffs into a container (that is already under water) and then quickly pull the container up..

However, I have also (with small speedy puffs) used the net to catch them- remaining under water..holding the net to the glass to keep the puff in..and then from behind brought a container up to the back of the net and then pulled the net and the container out ..puff remains in net but still submerged in water in the container...then once all is out of the tank..let the puff swim out of net into the container.

[mrgreen]

Over filtration. I have a 50 on my 30 with F8s.

How will you cycle the new tank? Dr Tims? Used filter media? And where is he now??

I didn't have much luck with plants that deal well with salt. The puffs don't care if they're plastic or cloth.

[solothedrunk]

Everyone is asking where I have him now, unfortunately he was an impulse buy and that is a very rookie mistake I keep reading. I have him in a crappy 1 G freshwater under gravel filtered tank; I have done a water change for him once already and will do another this weekend. The tank I am going to put him in is going to go through a fishless cycle. It's brand new, everything for the little guy (Juggerpuff, cause he's tough and unstopable by a pack of mollys) is brand new.

Upon reading I feel like an idiot and will do my best to keep him alive and thriving; so far he is doing okay albeit a bit bored and seems to go for the freeze dried baby shrimp with a particular gusto. I have all the testers already (with the exception of a Nitrite tester which I will get tomorrow) here is a list of everything I have for him so far (if anyone here thinks I need something else please do not hesitate to add it to my to get list):

20 Gallon Tank with Hood and light
Ammonia Test kit
Nitrate Test Kit
100 Watt Tetra HT30 Submersible heater
In tank thermometer
Aqua Clear powerhead for his salt mixing
2 Buckets 1 for water change one for salt mixing I know through my reading that he like lightly brackish water an SG of 1.005 max.
Instant Ocean Hydrometer to test salinity
Mag Float magnet to scrape algae off
Instant Ocean Sea Salt
The Bio Active Reef Substrate
Microbe Lift Aquatic Stress Relief bottle that clears Chlorine and Chlorimides
Microbe Lift Nite-Out 2 nitrate and ammonia reduction
Microbe life vitamin supplement
Aqua clear 30 Gallon Air pump
Marine Land Bio Wheel Power Filter Emperor 280 rated for a 50 gallon tank

Need to Get:
Nitrite Tester
Article on how to do a fishless Brackish water cycle

[mrgreen]

He's going to do very poorly in a 1-gallon tank without daily water changes. Test the water- especially ammonia- right away. A fishless cycle is going to take a month! He can't live in that itty bitty tank that long. You must get Dr Tim's (fresh water version) and start out at very low brackish, bringing up by 0.002 per week. That, or used filter media from a trusted source.

[Brandon8521]

Like MrGreen stated the one gallon is a mush t change ASAP if you already have the 20 then goahead and get it running dont wait any longer. The night-out is a shot in the dark it worked for me and hasnt for others. But i must stress set it up ASAP even if it isnt cycled it will be better then the 1gal he is in now. Dont even worry about the salt right IMO. Order the DrTims since that is the most proven instant cycle stuff out there if you can.

The sooner you get him in the 20 gal the better chances he has. Also is the bio-active substrate claim to have live bacteria? If so rinse it really well b4 adding it to the tank since nothing is really alive in it. The bacteria cant stay alive in a sealed bag sitting on a shelf. Rinsing it will get rid of anything dead and help to prevent further ammonia buildup.

Also follow PP's instructions on reading the emergency cycle procedures. While the 20 is establishing itself your more then likely going to have to do 50$ water changes daily to keep him alive. And depending on how long he had been in the 1gal it may be benificial to transfer over the substrate since it might already have some of the benificial bacteria already in it.

[Pufferpunk]

Please forget about the fishless cycle, do a 100% WC on the 20g & put that puffer in there RIGHT NOW!

[solothedrunk]

I worked on his tank for most of the night. I will be moving him to it today and will be doing dailies to make sure he is okay, will keep you all posted.

[Pufferpunk]