The Puffer Forum

Hello, my name is Blaine Weaver but you can all call me Weaver. Last week I got my first Puffer Fish and despite having little knowledge of fishing keeping other than what I learned as a child. I did my homework and brought him home, luckly for me I have an extremely knowledgeable fish store where I got all my products.

As I said in my title I brought home a Golden putter and named him Spartacus. He is living pretty in a 30 US Gallon tank with a few jave ferns, java moss and some floating plants that the clerk at the store give me for free. He has been a good fish so far, he is alone in the tank and loves to hunt snails at night and aside from the stress induced ich scare when we brought him home he has been very healthy.

One question I have is, How much do we feel the little guy. I have heard so many rules on how often. I was told to watch his belly to see when it is small and feed him then which is what I have been doing. But this method has lead to us feeding him twice a day (Frozen Brine Shrimp - I'm buying bloodworms tonight after reading something said on this forum).

I have another 5 US Gallon tank which I keep four little Zebra Denio's and a snail farm. which seems to be taking off slowly but it has only been going for a week now. I'm sure it just needs more time.

Well thank you for this database of puffer knowledge. It was very hard to find feedback about how to care for little Spartacus, but I'm sure with your help he will thrive.

- Weaver

So this is a modestus puffer? Post a pic so we can ID.

This isn't my fish because I'm currently away from my home computer. But it is the same type.

Yeah, probably a modestus or silus. I wanted to see a pic of your fish, since you said it was skinny.

He is around that size. other pictures I have seen of the silus had huge bellys on them.

I have pictures, but im on a company computer right now...

Here's my modestus:

Here is my little guy in the home I built for him.

I had two 30g filters going last night because I bought some special filter product but I didn't want to exchange it with my normal carbon filter. Poor Spartacus had a stressful night with the water changes, wood going in his tank and the current from the added filter. I learned my lesson. I will have to try another way to use that Purigen ultimate filtration stuff. lol

I love my Fish Store, they see me coming and run to get me a free bag of snails. I have gotten three bags of snails from them for free sense I got my tank ready for Spartacus and I never had to pay for one of them.

Very cute looking puff

I would set up a small 5g tank for those snails, that way you can watch them for disease. You would hate to transfer something to your puffer

Snails are going to have to be a huge part of your puffer's diet. This species is known for overgrown teeth. Get familiar with the dentistry article in our Library in the Hospital section.

Forget that "special filter product" & get Tetra's Safestart. Add it directly to your filter. Don't let the store sell you anything else!

Sounds like the special filter product is Purigen. That's fine to add to your tank however you don't need the carbon so if you want to use it let it replace the carbon. Purigen isn't the best for a planted tank as it will remove nutrients from the water column.

I can't remember if you mentioned it or not but how did you cycle this tank?

Is that java fern?

Neither Purigen nor carbon is necessary for FW.

My puffer reacted to hiding under the filter when I added the Purigen. So I think that's a good sign that I should discontinue using it.

I cycled the tank by filling it with the new rock and gravel then I took an old filter and added some gravel from my aunts tank to help get some bacteria in the water. Then after a week I got two java ferns and four zebra danio's to test the water. Then after watching the water and fish for another week I moved the zebras out and the puffer in.

I do have a 5 gallons where keep the zebras and a healthy supply of snails that have been in there for a week now. I just got some algae wafers yesterday to help boost there food supply in the tank.

But I'm happy to say I give my little puffer 1/4 of a mussel after I cleaned it under freshwater. Little Spartacus now looks more like PP puffers. Those brine shrimp never filled him up like that. Lol

Yep, brine shrimp's a waste.

Too right, although I have noticed he is more active when I don't feed him that much. But I guess I haven't found that happy medium yet.



I have another question. Is keeping fish in the snail breeding tank wise?

the fish looks good dude

i saw the G. Puffs after i got my GSP
dont get me wrong, lamaldis awesome, but i always liked the G. Puffers after i read about htem