The Puffer Forum

Hi,

I ended up here because I was looking for a fish that was comparable in intelligence/interactive to the Oscar but smaller & I was told that the South American Puffers was the fish for me. Does anyone that has/had one agree with that..??

-pdm

Definitely!
SAPs are very hyperactive but also intelligent and interactive. They're extremely cute little buggers and have become one of my favourite puffers. They are generally peaceful towards each other, but your mileage may vary with respect to other tankmates. As with all puffers, aggression varies from individual to individual.

If you'd like to learn more, read this! http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/ ... uffer.html

Thanks for your post..!!

**Having intelligence comparable to the Oscar can they be taught to do tricks, eat out of your hand, etc also..??

**I was going to go pick up a tank and the S american puffer from the fish store today but the store guy on the phone told me I needed to get the tank set up first & put some fish in it for about 2 weeks first so bacteria will grow & he said the bacteria grows from having fish in the tank through thier poop. Now I am the farthest thing from a fish expert so I could totally be wrong in this but to me if that were true & for the puffers health I needed to wait two weeks for bacteria to grow then why is he telling me to put other fish in the tank to grow the bacteria? Why wouldnt the first set of fish i put in the tank to grow the bacteria die/get sick too without the pre-existing bacteria in the water. So he might not have known what he was talking about. c00l
-pdm

He's refering to 'cycling' the tank...if you have access to bio spira that can instant cycle it for you. serach the library and forums for 'tank cycling'

read here:

http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/ ... hless.html

Actually, he was right... It's called "cycling a tank" and it takes about 3 weeks. Puffers are very sensitive to toxins so that's why he'd have you cycle the tank with hardier fish.

There's a better way to do it, though. See if any shops around you stock "Bio-Spira". It's the only "instant cycle" product that has been shown to really work, so don't fall for any claims from pet store employees that say "ohhh, we don't have Bio-Spira, but use 'Cycle', it's the exact same thing." With Bio-Spira (the freshwater kind) you can add the fish straight away.

Ok I will check and see if i can find some.

You all have been very very helpful!! Thanks alot...

Now, can they learn tricks & stuff? Can you all tell me some stories of how your SAP has been "interactive" like an Oscar..??

Thanks,

-pdm

I don't know about 'tricks'... But by the way they interact with their environment (the more complex, the better) and their handlers, they look intelligent. They always come to the front glass to greet me and they love picking food from my hands, or tweezers, or whatever. The most fun I have with them is watching them hunt ghost shrimp, though. It's excellent.

Yes, the place that sells the SAP also sell the silicate sand & the bio spira as well so I will be good to go.

If I just get one SAP and dont put any other fish in the tank & it comes with the bio wheel filter system can I keep him in a 10 gallon set up?


-pdm

I would say 15 min for this super hyper fish.

Silicate sand? I don't like using sand in my tanks unless the fish demands it, which SAPs do not. It's tough to clean and can compact into anoxic areas easily. Even the name "silicate sand" makes me very nervous, as silicates are the number one cause of diatom algae.

For a SAP I would prefer something larger than a 10g, like a 20g long. In addition to being a bit messy, they really benefit from extra swimming space and strong current.... Something stronger than the stock bio-wheel for a tank combo, preferably. One of the Hagen Aquaclear filters, maybe, or a larger Penguin biowheel. Oversized filtration is a very good idea.

Ok, so i will just get regular fish tank gravel.

Will the regular filter system that comes in the aquarium kit be good for now until i can save up some more money as this is quickly adding up in price & i keep finding things i need to tack on. haha,

I figured 50.00 bucks plus the fish & i was good to go. This is DEF NOT the case at all. lol...

Silica sand is practically insoluble in less than geologic time. Those sandy aquifers rich in silicates are invariably geologically ancient water, as in thousands of years. The glass of the tank (same material, fused and melted) has close to the same solubility.

Don't fret the glass or the silica sand unless you are using WFI (water for injection) without any additives - which would of course do in your fish. Ultra-high purity water is strange stuff. Thankfully it is not easily made at home.

But on a more practical level, I do not use sand in tank either, unless I absolutely must. I hate the upkeep.

Ok, I have decided to wait & get the puffer in early january after I slowly buy all the stuff I need this month.

1) I am getting a 20 gallon set up. What kind of stuff should I buy for the aquarium, ie plants & ground decorations..??

2) What kind of live fish is small enough for the SAP to eat on occasion as a treat..??

None--fish are not a natural diet for a puffer. They eat small crustaceons like snails, plankton, worms. Also, be prepared to be trimming your puffer's teeth every 4-6 months, unless you can breed enough snails to feed daily. There is an article about these fish in our Library & on trimming teeth in the Hospital.