FW puffer(s) for a 55 gal. tank?

[Ravenia]

Yay! Thank you RTR for the info! You made my day actually, as I was already contemplating how to break it to my husband that I am going to have to get yet another tank (and larger!). I currently have 12 tanks in use and have basically run out of room for more. I'm in the process of breaking down some of them just keeping enough going to house the puffers and the live food production (snails, shrimps, guppies... I'm phasing the guppies out though since Pufferpunk let me know it is not a good idea to feed them to puffers).

Thank you again RTR, I really look forward to receiving the T.
palembangens Puffers are truly addictive. I'm going to try hard to draw the line now with the puffers I have... 6 DPs, 1 T. cutcutia, 1 T. cochinchinensis, and now the T. palembangens.

[Woland]

I'm going to try hard to draw the line now with the puffers I have... 6 DPs, 1 T. cutcutia, 1 T. cochinchinensis, and now the T. palembangens.

Welcome to hell!
Had 15 puffers, yet I told myself the same story after I got my 16th; a Palembang.
Then I just had to have an additional Palembang.
Then came the two T. abei...
And suddenly there was this T. baileyi...

I must admit to have broken down completely.
There is a tank full of well sized Palembangs at the LFS.
And I have this 180 gallon to fill...

Oh my.
Have mercy...

[Ravenia]

LOL Woland! Thanks for the warning but now you have me thinking about what fun a person could have with a 180 gal. tank. LOL

BTW I've admired the pics (more than once) you posted of your Palembang, gorgeous fish and awesome photography!

Have a superb day!

[Woland]

Thank you...
Got somewhat mixed emotions on this day in particular,
but it got a bit brighter.
Shine on!

[RTR]

If I had the big tanks up, I would have gotten at least a trio of Palembang's to try for breeding. It should be do-able, and it would be great fun. Just imagine the batteries of tanks you would need to grow out the fry!

[Feathers&Fins]

Just imagine the batteries of tanks you would need to grow out the fry!

Holy cr*p!!!

[Ravenia]

Hey Woland, I hope that everything has evened out for you. I know the feeling when you speak of mixed emotions...been going through similar here the past few weeks.

BUT... (drumroll please!) ... the beautiful Palembang puffer arrived right on schedule yesterday (which happened to be my birthday, perfect timing!) and is simply BEEYUUUTIFUL! I love him/her already, what a stately and distinguished fish. I dropped a couple half inch snails in and s/he didn't seem very interested but probably (hopefully) is still getting used to his new home. I couldn't see the snails this morning in the tank (but it heavily planted so it would have been easy for them to be missed by me), so maybe the puffer got them. He's definitely not skinny.

If you have any Palembang-specific tips for me I would greatly appreciate them. I need to go looking for some other shellfish for this guy... what about live freshwater clams? I see they are plentiful on Aquabid right now. I have an overabundance of 3 diff. types of snails (pond, ramshorn, and young brigs ranging from 1/4 inch to 5/8 inch long). My other puffers are loving the snails but maybe the Palembang prefers other goodies?

Thanks again, I can't relay how nice it is for me to communicate with others who are experienced with these very awesome puffers.

[RTR]

My Palembang's is not very snail-oriented. I'm testing mine with Oive Nerites now - as pemanent inhabitants for glass algae control. There are common pond snails living in the tank already.

I use mainly pre-soaked largish FD krill (Tetra brand), frozen/thawed silversides, and shell-on cocktail shrimp from the grocery. I do give frozen/thawed crab and lobster legs the fish counter folks freeze and hold for me also, that were broken off in the live tanks. My fish is spoiled/trained to forcep feeding, but I did start with the shrimp or krill dangled on a thread.

[Ravenia]

hello RTR

Thank you for the tips, I have everything on hand with the exception of the silversides. Regarding the krill, do you find that the puffers prefer FD over the frozen/thawed? My other puffers are less interested in the FD and very interested in the thawed stuff, I have both varieties on hand, (as well as Frozen Bloodworms & Frozen Brine Shrimp).

What about homegrown feeder guppy babies for the Palembang? Or is that not such a good idea?

Also, I've read that fw puffers can handle a bit of salt, should I be putting a bit of aquarium salt in their tanks (Palembang, Dwarves, T. cutcutia, T. cochinchinensis) for 'medicinal/preventative' purposes (for lack of a better word)?

On another note, is it ok to continue in this thread even though the topic has been meandering from the thread subject/title? I don't want to practice poor BB ettiquette..

Questions, questions, questions!

[Woland]

Hi.

Before going any further with the "salt" bit, I suggest you read RTRs excellent article Salt of the Sea, Salt of the Earth.

As to feeding my Palembang...
I am one of those who feel that it is essential for a hunter to hunt...
That means; the occational Guppy might suddenly find itself in a tank with my Palembangs.
It usually doesnt last very long.

However; it is essential that the beast are made to accept dead food as soon as possible.
The main diet of my Palembangs are man-shrimp and musselmeat.
Both are accepted readily.

As to possible overgrowth of the beak, and the need to feed snails, I have no idea.
Palembangs are lurkers and feed mainly on fish.
RTR will have more educated opinions on the issue.

Good luck, and be sure to post pictures.

[RTR]

I do have available guppies in the tank, and they reproduce there. I suppose it would be considered emergency snack food. I have been keeping my guppy stock a long time, so I'm sure they are as healthy as an inbred guppy is likely to be. But my puff actually prefers The FD krill to all the others - personal choice item perhaps? I tried an alternate brand - to date it has not been accepted.

If I add live Ghost shrimp, they all go overnight, no matter how few or many I add (tested as possible vacation feeders, just like the guppies). Bad joke, I should have known better, but I had hope. Perhaps I should say that my puff prefers live Ghost shrimp, but I do not feed that very often (limited QT space right now, I took my former Ghost QT tank for another purpose).

I never add salt to FW without a strong reason, and that short-term. I have no native water parameter info on them, but I do consider them strictly FW fish.

I have had mine only 14 month so far, but there is no sign or symptom of tooth overgrowth. Smallish snails (common pond) are available to the fish, but are unlikely anything significant in its diet - breeding populations are rare in puffer tanks if they eat snails at all. I suspect that the guppies harass the snails more than the puffer does.

As Woland said, these fish are likely piscivores in the wild, with crustaceans a secondary food source. Lurking is not a snail-eater habit, that diet requires active hunting. These fish do have supper camouflage - not even a fish silhouette - if they only had cirri!