REQ: Suggestions to keep puffs from becoming bored

[gdsentropy]

Hello,

I have been gone for a while, since losing my Arothron Mappa (family and I still miss it), but now I am back.
Recently I moved, which allowed me to get rid of the restrictions placed upon the size of any one tank, since I own the place. Here are the current inhabitants along with tank size and setup:

250g bare bottom, Reef Octopus Ozone Reactor, Ozotech Poseidon O3 generator, Trigger Systems Ruby 36" sump, Vertex IN-180 skimmer (adding another once I get the LifeReefugium), 4x 1250gph powerheads (adding a few more and a controller soon), lots of rock in the sump, lots of ceramic bio rings in the sump overflow before return pump, 4x bags of marineland carbon above the bio rings, about 2lbs of Seachem Purigen.

1x Arothron Nigropunctatus, 6" age 6yr
1x Arothron Hispidus, 6" age 2yr (and growing...fast. yay! Is friends with the Nigropunctatus.)
1x Diodon Holocanthus, 4" age unknown
1x Tetraodon Nigroviridis, 3" age 6.5yr (he terrorizes the Hispidus, is friends with the Holocanthus)

And thats it.

The Nigroviridis and Holocanthus glass surf. So they are bored, it seems. The Holocanthus started this about 2wk after we got him, and he and the Nigroviridis make interlacing loops and braids together as they surf.

Right now there isn't a whole lot of stuff in the tank, mostly due to not having stuff to put in there, also to keep poo and uneaten food from remaining in the tank.

I do not want a bunch of rock in there because it just collects crap, literally. Other than the resin caves and such, what else can I do to distract them from the fact that they are in a little glass box? I feel bad...they know they are caged.

Maybe some puffer species are too smart to be kept? They seem to understand. :/

Thanks,
Ian

[Welch4]

Decoration for them to navigate through. It's unfortunate you don't want live rock in the display my gsp loves scanning the rock looking for critters to eat.

[gdsentropy]

Decoration for them to navigate through. It's unfortunate you don't want live rock in the display my gsp loves scanning the rock looking for critters to eat.

I experimented with it for a while, but the sustained current required to clean up after their 3 meals per day blew them around......they did not enjoy that.

I am considering utilizing macro algaes from http://live-plants.com/ (that guy rocks!) planted in 4" PVC set on a toilet flange. In this way, I could utilize the nutrient export mechanisms such things provide, and perhaps interest the puffers?

Ian

[Welch4]

Havent heard of liveplants.com. I normally get my macro from John at reef cleaners. A macro display can be very beautiful and complex.

[gdsentropy]

Havent heard of liveplants.com. I normally get my macro from John at reef cleaners. A macro display can be very beautiful and complex.

Are they like Inlandaquatics used to be, where you can order a big gnarly bag of worms and such?
I have been trying to find a worm vendor ever since Inland shutdown in the late 90's...

Do you think a sufficiently large quantity of macro planters could interest the puffs to swim between?

Ian

[Welch4]

Definitely do a quick Google search for macro algae tanks. You will of course need to do some searching for what types will fill and create good foreground midground and background layering for depth (this is more for year appeal the theirs) but as long as you have a complex layout with areas for them to explore you should have some happy puffs.

[TOPuffers]

I am still new to puffers, and have not ventured out past the freshwater -dwarf puffer stage, but I am reading about other puffers and this thread made me curious.

The list of puffers you gave included a Green Spotted Puffer. I am confused, or ignorant, or maybe both . Is a GSP freshwater, brackish, or marine? Or are they super adaptable and can tolerate different salinities?

If this is a dumb question, please let me know. Just curious about these cute little beasties ^_^

[Welch4]

They need brackish or marine conditions to live a full life. Alot of members will go to full salt water as the operating costs are cheaper in the long run. Less water changes are required for salt water with the proper filtration and salt is not cheap. Also live rock is fun to watch and you can play around with corals as long as you don't mind them disappearing if the puff gets curious.

[bigpuff]

Yep, Welch4, I'm experiencing this now! Originally thought "oh I'll keep them in brackish for a couple years first"...now I've started to buy salt I'm seriously considering going straight to marine as I gradually increase salinity.

[Hillehaus]

^this.

My advice would be to just get it over with and go full marine.

[gdsentropy]

^this.

My advice would be to just get it over with and go full marine.

I concur. I acclimated my GSP over a good period of time, changing salinity by no more than 0.001 at a time.

What would be very helpful to folks, is if someone had a link to a paper that shows at what stage in their life they move to salt and how fast, or their salt/brackish migration patterns. I know they figured outhow to breed GSP a few years ago.

There is a picture out there in google where this guy has his hand in a swarm of thousands of GSP fry. I think it links to the Florida place where they bred them.

GSP are awesome.

Ian

[Welch4]

^this.

My advice would be to just get it over with and go full marine.

I concur. I acclimated my GSP over a good period of time, changing salinity by no more than 0.001 at a time.

What would be very helpful to folks, is if someone had a link to a paper that shows at what stage in their life they move to salt and how fast, or their salt/brackish migration patterns. I know they figured outhow to breed GSP a few years ago.

There is a picture out there in google where this guy has his hand in a swarm of thousands of GSP fry. I think it links to the Florida place where they bred them.

GSP are awesome.

Ian

I want to say it was a Florida university and this was done through in vitro fertilization. The key thing with the study was that the sperm cells were only active in marine conditions. I'll try to dig through and find the link for this.

[bigpuff]

Only active under marine conditions, are you sure? I always assumed GSP's travelled back to freshwater to breed as the fry are found in freshwater. I assumed the fry then follow the flow downstream as they age into estuaries and eventually oceans. If the fry are produced in the ocean then how do they arrive in freshwater as that is upstream and against the flow?

Or am I wrong in assuming GSP fry are found in freshwater? I thought both them and F8's were but it could just be F8's.

[Welch4]

Unsure on the specifics of their distribution but yes quite sure the article about the breeding study showed activity only in full marine conditions. I think the post was reference a couple months back I'll find it when I get home.

[Pufferpunk]

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