New here and really new to puffers. I had been looking for dwarf puffers for a while and they were nowhere to be found the LFS got a shipment of figure 8puffers so I conceded defeat and came home to set up my very first brackish tank. A few days later i went back and picked up a pair of figure 8 puffers. They appeared to be different and i asked the salesgirl about their appearance and she said they just had different markings.
That answer satisfied me for a few days but this morning i was certain they were different.
After some research i believe i have a figure 8 puffer, and Ceylon puffer.
They are in a 5.5gal tank right now but i intend to move them to a 20gal within a few weeks.
The F8 puffer Tetraodon biocellatus is a highly variable species. You could look at many hundred and not see two alike.
I believe that the lower puffer in your photo is a F8. I base this upon the caudal ocellus (spot near the tail) - black spot bordered in yellow/green/gold color. I can't see enough of the upper fish to say (he's flexed his tail away). F8's often have dorsal markings similar to the Ceylon. Could you post some more pictures ?
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept: T lineatus T miurus A modestus T biocellatus C valentini C coranata C papuan C lorteti DPs suvattii burrfish T niphobles
Definitely a F8 & Ceylon. Does the F8 have a cloudy eye, or is that just the pic? Please return both of them, until you have cycled larger tanks to put them in. 15g for the F8 & eventually the Ceylon will need a 40g, as it grows to 7-8". I would not keep them together. In the meantime, read the F8 & GSP articles we have for you on these species in The Library. Also read the article on Cycling & New Tank Syndrome.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept: T lineatus T miurus A modestus T biocellatus C valentini C coranata C papuan C lorteti DPs suvattii burrfish T niphobles
Also, if you still want a DP for that 5 1/2g tank, check your local Petsmart. They almost always have them. You will still need a fully cycled tank to keep one in there.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
Yes, Paisley suffered from cloudy eye when i got her. it has since cleared up with daily doses of a homemade tea tree oil solution (melafix)
My 5.5 gal has been fully cycled, it housed betta fry for 4 months. I had only intended to leave them in there for 1 month tops.. I just filled my new 33gal with water tonight so i am going to cycle it as fast as i can so i can move these guys into something a little more spacious for the time being. I will be moving my community fish into the 33 and putting the puffers in the 20gal. Had i known that Diddy was going to get so big i would not have bought him, but now that i have him i luv him i just cant return him . He's about 2 inches now so he's still pretty small and easy to house for the time being.
Heres a better pic of him from the top. I added a corner box filter today (to supplement my overflow filter) and Diddy just LOVES playing in the bubbles. He launches himself into the bubbles then lets the bubbles carry him away. its quite comical.
Do you have too many community fish for the 20? The 33 would be much better for the 2 puffers. Please give them hiding places in case 1 starts to pick on the other. You may think they get along fine now, but they are unpredictable. I have 1 F8 and 1GSP (similar to your Ceylon) and I would never put them together. They each have a 30.
I would save the 5.5 for a quarantine tank.
If you go to the Marineland site, you can search for LFS in your area by zip code that might have FW Bio-spira for a quick cycle.
The fish look healthy. Don't forget to slowly bring up your salinity with your water changes. Use Marine Salt only. And do lots of good reading here!
Well, the things about F-8's and Ceylons is that they require different SG's.
The F-8 will be happy in a low brackish situation - something like 1.005 or so.
However, the Ceylon, like the GSP, will eventually do best in full SW...also, the Ceylon grows extremely quickly...so as to not stunt him, you need to move him pronto...
Unless you can devote 1 tank to the F-8, and 1 tank to the Ceylon, you best return one. These are 2 puffers that you cannot house together for any period of time and have the puffers best interests at heart.
If you knew you could get a 40 gal tank in the next few weeks, you could try to keep them together until your SG gets to 1.005 - then move the Ceylon to the cycled 40 and continue raising its salinity while keeping the F8 tank ~1.005. Its the ultimate salinity that differs with these two - they both have to start low.
Be aware, this is risky. You'll have to do lots of water changes. And be prepared with a tank divider at the first sign of aggression.
If this is too much of an expense, then yes, you should return the Ceylon and educate that LFS about housing these two together. Or, if you feel uncomfortable about confrontation, post the name of the LFS and I'm sure somebody else here will stop by and say something.
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept: T lineatus T miurus A modestus T biocellatus C valentini C coranata C papuan C lorteti DPs suvattii burrfish T niphobles
A small tank that has housed betta fry will not have nearly enough benefitial bacteria to handle the bioload you have added--even with 1 of those puffers. Test the water 2x/day & do huge (80-90%) water changes accordingly, as soon as ammonia or nitrites are above 0.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
I assume the move to the 20 or 33 is imminent - like sunday. The 5.5 is really much too small for the waste these guys will generate. It would be more humane to return the Ceylon than to allow his gills to burn from ammonia.
I think i can dedicate 10gal to the F8 and 20gal to the Ceylon. I can't give them the 33gal, i have a butterfly fish and a grass cutter catfish who have outgrown the 20. I will no doubtedly pick up something larger during the year, our annual Aquarium Society's big auction is in a couple of months, im sure i can snag something cheap.
I really do think Diddy has a better shot at a long life with me than with the pet store, if i did't believe that i would certainly take him back...
My Puffers: Puffers I have kept: T lineatus T miurus A modestus T biocellatus C valentini C coranata C papuan C lorteti DPs suvattii burrfish T niphobles
Pufferpunk wrote:If you don't do the water changes as I've instructed, they both could be dead within 24 hours.
lol, a tad over dramatic, no?? Like i said, new to these particular fish, not the hobby I've actually had these guys for over a week now and they are doing far better than when they arrived from the LFS.
Paisley suffered from serious cloudy eyes, both were starving with sunken in bellies and suffering some serious clamped and nipped fins.
My water changes aren't so drastic but every other day i do at least 50%
Both seem happy and healthy at this point so i must be doing something right
the LFS got a shipment of figure 8puffers so I conceded defeat and came home to set up my very first brackish tank. A few days later i went back and picked up a pair of figure 8 puffers. They appeared to be different and i asked the salesgirl about their appearance and she said they just had different markings. 
I've actually had these guys for over a week now and they are doing far better than when they arrived from the LFS. 
Some call it a product of a mis-spent youth, I call it Rock n Roll ! 