The Puffer Forum

My t.occelatus are doing well, it's been about 3 months. I have stumbled on an idea that I think makes a big difference.

Near as I can find out most of the wild sightings of this fish are centered around Shanghai which would put them in the "not very tropical" category. I noticed that the spazzy behavior I had associated them with when I was keeping the tank at 78 degrees was much worse when I was treating them for ich at 85. That's not unexpected but it did get me thinking, I pulled the heater out of the tank, I get temps from 70-74 as my apartement is half below ground and rather stable temp wise. The behavoir change is amazing, thay act much more like you would expect out of a SAP, still very active but not to the point where it seems unusual.

I don't have serious agression problems between the 2, there is a little bit of displaying and dancing so I wouldn't call them friends but niether has a mark on them.

So has anyone else tried this? Could someone with Ebert's book post what he has to say on the subject?

Also, I should say that while I am pretty sure that what I am doing makes a difference I should note that the fish still at the store I work at are all doing well. We have lost about 5 of them and still have quite a few left, they are doing well but do tend to fight. Of the customers who have purchased them I am only aware of one fatality.

Most of the fatalities start around 3 months. Not trying to scare you, just recalling from other posts.
Theres no warnings if I remember what others said, just at somewhere between 3-9 months they all pass on.
Lets hope you figure it out!!!

Ebert lists the temp as 18*C – 22*C (64*F – 77*F).

So...maybe, being kept at tropical temps has effectively burnt them out.
I wonder if you're onto something there.
Pami.

would a 90g be sufficient for one of these puppies? The LFS near me has two tanks full of them. They are only about 3 inches long atm.

I would imagine a solo in a 90g would be happy for quite some time. That should accomadate up to a 10" (Personal opinion mind you) puffer. I don't know how big they get either.

I think a 55 sould be okay, I've never seen a report of one larger than 6 inches.

They are beautiful fish , we went on a fish shop trawl today and saw two beauties and a lovely brick red congo too!!! oh for more tanks lol !!
Sue

I can't keep a tank that cool. Which may explain part of my poor history with these fish. Our house is 72-74F 365. My coolest tanks run 78F or higher, most are higher. To aim for the middle of Ebert's suggested range is outside my possibilities - which is why I gave up goldfish after we moved here.

Hey at my new job lfs there has been a fugu that they had in fw till my puffhead wife told and showed me her puff book that they were brackish he is doing much better than he was and eats and eats all the time. He is about 5" long and beatyful he also likes to burry himself in the gravel
do they all do that ?
I wish I could take him home but have no room and asumed he would last long but been kickin for about 4 months now there
Now I am currious at what his temp is at I will see today when I get back from lunch!

Never seen them for sale here

But I have heard they are common around Japan waters. I also have a hunch that they prefer temperate water (marine salinity). But, it's jsut a hunch form desktop research -- I've never kept one myself. I posted about this on this forum a few months ago.

I see a chiller in your future?

The LFS near me has two tanks full of them.

What a shame. The wild population is dwindling, only to see them going to their deaths!

That's wierd Jhong, most of the info I can find on these guys puts them in China, quite a few sightings around Shanghi as a matter of fact, check fishbase. Maybe you should go get a net and take a sick day.

I really hope I'll never need a chiller, we'll see next summer. I never expected to be successful with them so they live in my old sump with an HOB on it, if they keep doing well I'm going to have to do something about that.

midgetwaiter wrote: Maybe you should go get a net and take a sick day.

I'll need a sick day if I go poking around in THOSE waters!