The Puffer Forum

I have a 29 gallon FW aquarium, with a 2 1/2" deep pool filter sand substrate, a emperor 200 filter, and a visitherm heater. It is planted with 6 bunches of anachris( any ideas on how long these plants take to root down? only about half of mine have so far), and 1 Indica something or other. I use RO water treated with apropriate amounts of RO Right and KH booster. and i am currently using rotting krill and snail crap to cycle the tank.


My question is if a Auriglobus modestus would be suitable for such a tank?Will it shred my plants?

The tank was origanally set-up for a miurus or suvatti, but i cant find any , and there has been a full grown Auriglobus Modestus at my LFS for about 6 months( 25$ and NG), im debating about getting him/her. At the LFS he is on a diet of goldfish( shudder ) and black worms. and his teeth are way overgrown, so i would have to trim his teeth imideiatley after getting him/her.
Is trimming puffer teeth really that hard? im mostly worried about accidentally killing the puffer! :32: that probably wouldnt happen, but i tend to worry way too much.

thanks,


-John

All of the species in that genus are generally kept or suggested to be kept in planted tanks. Most puffers beyond DPs do a bit of plant damage IME, but they are not herbivores that consume plants.

I have an A.modestus that I just put in my moderately planted tank about a week ago. There are perfectly round holes on a few of the sword plant leaves. I assume these are the spots where snails used to be. Sort of the smoking crater.

I did notice some more holes after the little guy cleared all of the snails from the tank. But I chalk it up to stragglers and a bit of over-zealous hunting in the dark.

Ted

I wouldn't imagine mine doing much damage to live plants, although I only have plastic ones. I suggest finding out about using that much sand w/plants though. How were you planning on stiring all that up?

I usually stir the areas around the plants, but not under them. I beleive i read somewhere that the constant root growth would prevent me from having to stir under the plants. the tank is only light to moderately planted.


-John

Personally, I will never again use sand in planted tank. Been there, had foul substrates, will not again. Many folks on the web boost sand for planted tanks, but none of the plant gurus that I know personally do so, and some of those changed out sand after some number of months after trying it - exactly as I did long ago.

Yes, plant roots do transport oxygen to the roots, but plants with heavy root systems also develop over time non-trivial masses of dead roots, which can very easily go anoxic.

I think ill stay on the safe side and move the plants to my 6 gallon tank( itll be a jungle in there with so many plants!), and get fake plants. They dont look as nice, but i really dont want to end up with a dead A.Modestus!


Im still wondering, is trimming there teeth very difficult? The puff im lookingnat buying already has way overgrown teeth so i would have to trim them imediately.



-John

Not if you follow my easy, step-by-step instructions!