The Puffer Forum

Do you guys know what is the usual temperament of this fish is? When I first got him he seemed really friendly and swam around the tank, but now he seems to stay in his tree cave and hides. When I do see him out he quickly goes back into his cave when he sees me. I've only had him since December 29, so he's probably just getting use to his new home, but I would have thought he would become more friendlier the longer I have him, not shyer. In the pic's I posted was when he was acting friendlier, now he just looks at me from his cave, sometimes even moving so he's out of sight. I hardly see him out any more.
But I still love him, just hope he will start moving around more so that I can see him.

Pufferpunk wrote:

I do lots of water changes, at least 50% a week but more right now because my brown puffer is in a smaller tank than he should be in until his larger tank is fully cycled. So I have been doing small water changes pretty much every day just as a precaution.

You're doing a great job for a new fishkeeper! I personally don't age water. I add Prime directly to the tank after removing the water I want to change out & fill with a hose, making sure the temp is the same.

Thanks I'm also glade to hear that you don't age the water, because I've never done it and just add amquel plus after every water change as well.

Those behavior characteristics were why I eventually got rid of mine. I like a puffer I can see. He was really cute though.

Pufferpunk wrote:Those behavior characteristics were why I eventually got rid of mine. I like a puffer I can see. He was really cute though.

You had a beautiful brown puffer How long did yours get?
I really hope that mine will be more active, and let me see him more because I too like a puffer I can see. I think I’ll have to get a cave similar to the one in your picture so if he is like that I can at least see him in the cave because right now he's really hard to see when he is in his tree cave. I'm sure it wouldn't be fair or nice to him if he didn't have a cave.

Has there been any sucess in keeping two brown puffers together? Also I haven't been able to find much info on them, are they hard to find?

By all means, leave him his cave! Maybe you can turn it so you can see him in there. As you can see in my pic, Beetlejuice loved his. Our Head Tech Admin, Myaj has him now. His new name is Bubba. I'm thinking he's about 4-5" by now. These puffers do not do well with any tankmates at all. I don't see them available often.

Yeah I wouldn't take away his cave, I was just thinking about getting one that I could see him better in. Either way he is a nice puffer.

How about an acrylic see through one?

Pufferpunk wrote:How about an acrylic see through one?

That would be cool, but I wonder if he would use it. I'll have to try it out if I can find one for sale

Easily built.

Aging depends on the conditions while aging - at tank temps for tropicals, with good circulation, it can be only hours before the water stabilizes. I generally let water age ~2 days or more. In an emergency i will use it sooner, but not on a routine basis. I am more than a little neurotic about water.

If the ph in his tank is 8.3 what should I do to lower it? That is the highest ph i've seen in my tanks, but i'm worried that it might be harmful to him as brown puffers like a lower ph. Should I take action to lower it and will he be ok in a ph around 8? I've also heard that drift wood is good at lowering the ph, should I get some?
He seems to be doing good, but he sure likes to stay in his cave and watch me.

Is that the pH of your tap water?

I just tested the ph of my tap and it looks to be about 7.8, the ph of my brown puffers tank looks to be about 8.2

Then you need to do more/larger water changes.

Will do then. I've been doing a wc every two days or even daily, guess I need to make sure to do it daily for sure now and a larger amount each time. Is that high of ph really bad for him?