The Puffer Forum

Hi, i am new to this forum and am planning to get a figure 8. I have a 20 gallon long tank ( 30 x 12 x 12) stored in my basement. I just have some questions before i actaully start setting up...
1. Will the 20 gallon long tank be good enough for it?
2. Should i go for a 30 gallon power filter or for something powerfuller?
3. Should i go for sand (play sand or argonite) substrate or could i go bare bottom?
4. How big will it get?
5. What decor would you recommend?
6. What salinity would be best? Would i need a hydrometer? How about a protein skimmer?

Thanks!

Yes, a 20 would be good. You could even add a couple small gobies if you'd like.

Salinity is on the low side, generally 1.004-1.008 or so, which means no protein skimmer. Yes, you'd need some sort of hydrometer (make sure it starts at freshwater, 1.000 and not higher up on the scale) or refractometer, so you can mix up your salt correctly.

Marine salt.. like Instant Ocean. NOT "aquarium salt".

Substrate is up to you, the puffer won't care. Lots of decor, they like to explore.

For a filter, look for something that has a minimum 200gph (we suggest 10gph per gallon), they generally say filters can work for much larger tanks than they really do, so go by the gph and not the "rated for..."

There's a good article on Figure 8 puffers in our Library and more info under the Pufferpedia (both under the "Learn" tab in the header bar).

Ok, am I dreaming? 2 people in one day asking about a puffer BEFORE buying it? Kudos to you! Really though, please read that article.

I use sand substrate. I purchased it at a pool supply store, 50 pounds for 9 dollars. Both of my F8s sleep on top of it and I would imagine it's far less abrasive than some other substrates. I'm really happy with it and my plants actually grow. If you do go with sand, rinse, rinse, rinse and then rinse some more.

For decor I use rocks and terra cotta pots. The pots are inexpensive. I'll buy a couple big ones and break it into a few large pieces with a hammer. I then use a file to smooth down the sharp edges. I'll make mazes, caves, tunnels...then after 2-3 weeks I'll rearrange the tank sometimes even sooner if they seem to be getting board. My favorite piece of decor is a strawberry jar that I left intact. I widened the hole on the bottom then laid it on its side in the sand, partially buried. The puffers love it and go zooming in and out of all the holes. It's great to watch especially when they're on the hunt. I've planted vals, and have anacharis and watersprite floating on the surface. I'm getting ready to plant some Brazilian micro sword so we'll see how that goes.

Oh, and read the articles!

Strawberry jar's a great idea!

All right, so i bought a filter today. I have a 20 gallon long tank and since i heard F8s are messy, i decided to get a morepowerful filter. It is a Tetra Whisper EX45. It is for tanks that are 30-45 gallons and filters at a rate of 240 GPH. Would this be okay?

Also, just a side note question, how would one slowly raise the salinity from freshwater to brackish without damaging the fish and the biofilter? Would i just add like a tablespoon of marine salt to a bucket of water and put it in the tank about once every week or so?