Planning on a Puffer

[drhf]

Hi,

I'm new to this hobby and need some advice. I plan on buying this aquarium (or of similar size, please feel free to suggest another) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143L-LARGE-TR ... 2098wt_905 Or 140 litres.

I would prefer to get a Freshwater Puffer to start with. I want a Puffer that is very personable with loads of character. I will also be breeding its food (Ramshorns Snails etc) in a separate tank.

I have seen the Congo Puffer and I love them... only I'm worried that it will just hid all the time, and be inactive.

Also I like the Monotrete Abei, however, it's nocturnal.

Basically, can you recommend an energetic puffer to me. It will be the only fish in the tank (I would puffer of about 6" in length, or as big as the tank can handle whilst keeping the fish happy). I don't mind if it takes a lot of time to care for them... I work at home.

Anyway, your help will be very appreciated.

Dave

[sevenyearnight]

Welcome to the Puffer Forum Dave!

Most of the freshwater puffers are lurker/ ambush hunters, so it's hit or miss on activity levels, but most lay around a lot.
You could get a few dwarf puffers, they are fresh water and active.
If you were ok with light brackish 1.003 - 1.005 SG, you could get a figure 8 puffer, and they are super cute and active.
And you could possible have some adorable little brackish gobies with him.

Do you have any other fish?

[sevenyearnight]

I'm not good with metric to imperial, but that tanks looks good. It has a good footprint, and it holds 35+ gallons?
Not sure if the filtration is adequate.

[Pufftastic]

My conversion skills are sketchy, but if, as sevenyearnight says, the tank is about 35 US gallons, that leaves you with some good options for a fun puffer. If you absolutely positively have to stay freshwater, then I second the idea of a handful of dwarf puffers. They're super-friendly and very very active, and while they only grow to 1" apiece, they have a way of just filling a tank with their personality.

If you went with a Congo puffer, you're right -- they're primarily lurkers and probably wouldn't be the most entertaining fish to watch. Some folks love them (they're cute!), but if near-constant activity is what you're after, then they're probably a poor choice. Same with Palembangs.

Being willing to go brackish opens up an entirely different set of options. One or two F8s would be very happy in a tank that size, and they have personality plus.

[bertie 83]

+ 1 to all above. A filter upgrade would definitely be in order.

[Srkoe]

I adore my Congo's! Mine are very active but they are both still very young...not sure if it has anything to do with their behavior. I also have a great little turgidus...he stays in his cave a lot but always pokes his head put to great me and beg for food. Actually no that I have added an airstone to his tank he spends most of his time cuddling up on it...weird...it's like his girlfriend or something! Lol!

[drhf]

Thanks for the replies,

I have kept a cold water tank before but never a tropical or brackish. Is it hard to keep a brackish tank? I guess you just mix in the marine salt, however, does it require special cycling bacteria or will tropical media contain bacteria suitable for low salt concentrations? I guess I'm kind of scared of mixing salt for some reason!!

I guess a figure 8 would be good, but it is very small (6cm). How about a Green Spotted Puffer? If I'm going Brackish I may as well go full marine after a few years anyway. Besides, I enjoy researching and fiddling with things.

I still like the Congo though... I still have a while to choose

Research Early, Fail Late

[bertie 83]

If you cycle as tropicall and raise sg no more than .002 per week its fine. You will need a hydrometer to measure. If you choose a gsp you could go marine sooner. I want a congo sooooooooo bad though. Hmmm decisions eh.

[sevenyearnight]

Well a Figure 8 can get up to 4", but usually around 3", I think that's about 8 cm or so. That's really not that tiny. A GSP would be a choice too, but at a possible adult size of 7", that tank may need to get an upgrade at some point.

Mixing brackish water isn't very difficult, there is a brackish water mixing article in The Puffer Library, and there is a lot of information online. This does require addition equipment. You'll need a water vessel to mix your salt and water in as it will need at least overnight to mix, a powerhead/utility pump to mix the salt, and a hydrometer or refractometer to measure the salinity. If you go with a Figure 8, then you will need to use aragonite substrate, this will stabilize your water conditions that are necessary for their well being as the low amount of marine salt won't contain the minerals like full strength salt water will.

[Reaperpilot2014]

GSPs are lots of fun and a bundle of personality. They are probably the energetic fish you are looking for. Abei actually do seem to stay fairly active as long as you are in the room. They know you feed them.
Congo puffers are a lot of fun to watch and take care of, and the level of activity depends on the individual. Mine only burrowed in the sand when he was hungry or when I did water changes.

[sevenyearnight]

Technically, if you want to get a GSP, then you could set your tank up as marine from the get go and drip acclimate the puffer when you get him or her. Since you mentioned marine was an option now, I would suggest that over raising the salinity .02 a week. That is normally done if you already have your tank established as freshwater, and the .02 raise a week is so you don't disrupt your beneficial bacteria colonies, but you can keep a GSP in marine SG right away.

[Reaperpilot2014]

I always thought GSPs needed to start in high-end brackish, but could be acclimated to full marine as they matured. Can you really put them in marine from the getgo? If so then that's something cool I've learned, but never known since I began my puffer hobby. My GSP, Demon, was my first.

[sevenyearnight]

Yeah, there's a thread on it some where. I didn't even know they could live in marine until last year. The last time I kept puffers was 1998 or so, so I was initially going by what I knew of them back then, and they were sold as brackish. I had mine for less than a year and took them back to the LFS because I was moving across a few states.

[goldielocke76]

Well a Figure 8 can get up to 4", but usually around 3", I think that's about 8 cm or so. That's really not that tiny. A GSP would be a choice too, but at a possible adult size of 7", that tank may need to get an upgrade at some point.

Mixing brackish water isn't very difficult, there is a brackish water mixing article in The Puffer Library, and there is a lot of information online. This does require addition equipment. You'll need a water vessel to mix your salt and water in as it will need at least overnight to mix, a powerhead/utility pump to mix the salt, and a hydrometer or refractometer to measure the salinity. If you go with a Figure 8, then you will need to use aragonite substrate, this will stabilize your water conditions that are necessary for their well being as the low amount of marine salt won't contain the minerals like full strength salt water will.

Can you please link it? I searched the library using "mixing brackish water" and nothing came up. Tried a few others and I still don't see it. Not sure what I am doing wrong?

[Terrance]

My congo stays immobile most of the time. Then he will swim around the tank begging for food when hungry (which is every other day). My turgidus is now 3.5inch big and hangs around the tank when im present. I cant wait until he does that at full sized 6inch. I feel like my dwarf is too small.