King Kong Puffer????

[joeyg2100]

Ok I ordered an arrowhead puffer from an online store, and they had run out of them. They offered to switch it with a King Kong puffer. Is this a good trade. I tried to look for info on this fish and really couldn't find any info on them. Could anyone help me out with this fish

[Pufferpunk]

KingKong, aka Dragon puffer, humpback puffer, T palembangensus. Look it up at http://www.pufferlist.com

[Rocker]

Absolutely gorgeous puffers. I would do the trade.

[joeyg2100]

Ok I did do the exchange. It will be here on Friday. I can't wait this tank has been bare for about a month now, so I went out and bought some plants yesterday. It looks great. Now I just need the fish. I will try and get some pictures of it. Thanks

[lisalisa]

How are you keeping the tank cycled?

[joeyg2100]

Adding ammonia.

[Peregrine]

Add some flake fish food as well..there are other microbes other than the denitrifying bacteria that need to be feed as well

[Fella]

Add some flake fish food as well..there are other microbes other than the denitrifying bacteria that need to be feed as well

Such as?

I've never heard of anyone needing anything more than ammonia to cycle a tank.

[Phaedrus]

To first cycle the tank, all you need (and want) is ammonia. But for an established tank that has no fish in it being fed anymore, there are other micro organisms in the water column and in the substrate/filter media that cannot feed off of ammonia alone. Using flake food provides all these other decomposing critters food, and will also supply the needed ammonia from their decomposition work. You can thank RTR for bringing this one to our attention.

[Peregrine]

I assumed the tank was cycled, not cycling...and yes, thx to RTR for that tid-bit

[Fella]

I've never heard of this before. Where can I find out more about it?

[Phaedrus]

I guess you'd have to ask RTR for more specifics.

[RTR]

Briefly, we are first and most concerned with the nitrification bacteria which detoxify ammonia through nitrite to nitrate. Great so far as that goes, but those two bacterial species are a tiny fraction of the bacterial balance of a tank. The heterotrophic bacteria are numerically the most numerous. Coupled with the saprophytes, they break down everything else (other than ammonia and nitrite).

Newly set tanks tend to lack a blance of these bugs, and so are prone to cloudy water outbreaks and such until the many, many types of bateria and infusoria reach a stable point, which is what we call a "mature" tank. That maturity can take 3-6 months to come into balance, after which the tank (with upkeep) can operate indefinitely with no upset of nitrification OR cloudiness.

If a tank goes unoccupied, we can keep the nitrification cycle intact by feeding those bugs. Why not feed the others as well, and keep the whole biological balance of the tank intact?

I run a lot of tanks, and try to have at least one operating "vacant" tank. If I don't need the tank for extra snails, I can keep it going by alternating days adding ammonia and (usually flake as it breaks down fast) fish food.

HTH

[Fella]

Yes, I agree in part. It was the use of the word "need" that caught me out. I understand why you would, but unless you are keeping exceptionally delicate fish which need mature tanks, it's not totally 100% necessary is it? It is obviously better to keep the tank mature than not though, obviously.

Thanks for the clarification.

[RTR]

To me there is no justification for stressing a new fish if I can easily avoid it. Adjujsting to a new captive environment, new foods, new caretaker is enough without having to go through green or grey water, possibly reduced O2 from such, extra filter cleaning and all the water quality issues associated with blooms. Any hassle for either me of the fish which I can avoid, I do avoid. I don't subject new fish to unoxidized nitrogen metabolites, why should they have to put up with the others?

Everybody has to set their own tank care standards.