The Puffer Forum

t1gerbee wrote:I'd never knowingly buy a wild fish as i don't like the idea.
Now ive got one by mistake im desperate to make it work so his life doesn't get cut short by human interference....
so i'm just trying to correct all the human mistakes/lies under which i was sold him..

The way I look at it, the fish are caught and in the store already, likely in poor conditions, regardless of whether or not we buy them... the best thing at that point is for someone to buy them who will give them a good home and treat them as they deserve to be treated.

i'm sorry but i can't agree.

If you buy the fish, you encourage the capture and transportation of more wild fish..

that's supply and demand.

if you don't buy the fish, and others didn't as well then there will be no more demand and the fish would be worthless to the market....so will be left alone in the wild.

You buy 'rescue' one fish and the shop wll just place an order the replace that fish. Anothe wild fish gets ripped from its home,

there are fish on the critical endangered species list because of just this industry.

But that's my opinion and i certainly don't want to upset people here who may see it differently.
Especially as i am gratefully recieving their help with my now non-wild fish.

Hate to tell you but almost all puffers are wild caught, including Figure 8s.

I know that now..

When I questioned the LFS they assured me he wasn't, but as i now know that there is no proven incidences of breeding in aquaria.. then i know he was lying, along with telling me he was freshwater! (If there was an RSPCA for fish i'd get the place closed down!)

I am aware he is wild, but would never have bought him had i known that at the time, for reasons stated above...

but now I have him, it's my responsibility to make sure his captive life is longa nd not miserable!


Anyway, puffy looking a bit brighter now, he spends alot less time pacing and explores more... he also eats very well, loves freeze dried river shrimp.. great to hear him crunching them!!!

still got a dark grey tummy though so will continue daily 50% water changes, and hope paul's anti-parasite meds arrive soon!

My puffer is looing alot better now, got his white belly back now, (although he does go dark when you flick the main light on) but white again as soon as you only put low level lights on.

I've slowly increased salinity to 1.005 and have done 50% daily water changes for the last week... it was the last increase to 1.005 that made his white come out properly!

Have bought my master test kit now, but it's freshwater, do i need a saltwater ammonia kit as well?

what size tank do you suggest for a full grown figure 8? Although he's not pacing he still spends alot of time running around the glass, (as well as sometimes exporing the bottom)...

if i get him a bigger tank will he spend less time up at the glass or is that just standard puffer behaviour?

now he's all well and happy i shall get a picture up of him... he's rapidly become my favourite fish out of my three tanks... but maybe that's cos i'm proud of making him better.. especially as i've never had salt or brackish tanks before.

ps... will continue to do water daily changes, don't you worry!

Msster test kit has colour charts to show both fresh and saltwater levels. For low end brackish stick to the freswater colour charts.
A single F8 is fine in a 15 gallon tank. There is no guarantee that pacing will stop though whatever size tank it is in.

Glad he's doing better.

thanks Hilly,


as long as he's displaying normal behaviour than i'm happy.


May get a bigger tank and some bumble bee gobies or...

was considering another fig8 but i've worked so hard to get him better that i'd hate to end up with two fighting or the other one killing him...


will do nothing for another month or so, give him time to chill...


and me too!

That's good to hear he's doing better!

Read up on quarentining new fish, you don't want to introduce any new fish to his tank and bring in more parasites or diseases now that he's finally healthy.

The best thing you can do for the pacing (other than clean water of course) is lots of decor. Stuff it with fake plants, etc.

thanks for the advice myaj...


I have the tank stuffed back to front with live java fern at the moment as he's painfully shy... he gets brave then freaks himself out and runs away again.. especially when my boyfriend walks past (he's better with me because i feed him!)

Frank is the same way, I'm beginning to wonder if its a Figure 8 thing!

Then again, this is a ceylon isn't it?

this is indeed a ceylon...


I've moved him into a 25 Gallon tank last night as he seemed a little stresses out by the size of his 15 Gallon..

and that seems to have calmed him down, his colours look fab, including an illusive white belly (!) and he's stopped pacing all together now and just cruises around checking out the new space.

it's so nice to finally see him well and happy. I'm so proud.


He still flips if you walk past the tank in the dark, (its in our bedroom) You can hear him splash as he hits the top of the water in fright... hopefully he'll learn soon, but he's been throigh alot so it may take a while.


Anyway, hopefully with good maintanence he'll stay fit and healthy now, so i no longer need this hospital thread.


Nice to have a happy ending for once, especially as it's my first puffer and first salt water fish!


Thanks everyone for all your help, i'm sure he would have died otherwise.


xxxxxxxxxx

Great job!

t1gerbee wrote: He still flips if you walk past the tank in the dark, (its in our bedroom) You can hear him splash as he hits the top of the water in fright... hopefully he'll learn soon, but he's been throigh alot so it may take a while.

Soon, he'll be jumping in excitement trying to get you to feed him. That's what ours do.