The Puffer Forum

Hello everyone... I am new to this forum and very thankful there is a puffer forum. I bit of background, I have been keeping reef tanks and freshwater tank (cichlids) for several years... however, I want to change my freshwater setup as breeding and keeping chichlids is too easy and want something different and cooler... thus a puffer!

After doing some research, I decided I wanted to setup a F8 aquarium. I am looking for a small foot print as it is going in my home office... here are some thoughts:
- Single F8
- Bumblebee gobies
- Olive snails


I am trying to decide between get a new 14 gal Biocube or just reusing my old 30 gal cichlid tank... any suggestions? would you recommend one F8 or 2?

15g is the minimum recommended for a single F8, so if you want more inhabitants than that, go with the 30g.
library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/

So if i go 30 gal... is there another puffer, in your experience, that would have more personality than an F8? GSP, SAP, Fahaka (hehe)?

Dude, you know a 30 g isn't appropriate for a fahaka. That's just goofy. Figure 8 puffers are wonderful, beautiful fish. You will love them.

haha... I know... that is with I quantified it with a (hehe)... very cool and aggressive fish but not for a 30g... realistically looking at GSP, SAP, or F8...

SAPs don't have much personality IME. My F8 is full of personality and that 30gal is probably too small for a GSP.

Would you recommend 1 or 2 F8s in a 30? I have read that it us fine to do multiples early on but they do better alone as adults.

Ultimately the fish will do better if kept alone however a 30gal is large enough for 2 so it is up to you. You could keep 2 healthy in there long term. I think they're more social when they're kept alone though. Hopefully someone who has kept them in a pair will share their experiences I only have experience with a singleton.

Thank you for all the information. Looks like a 30 gal planted aquarium with foam backdrop, cave, and singleton F8 it is!

I know about the hehes, hence the goofy comment. I know you said you had been researching.
I mean, everyone knows they get so lonely and would need at least a group of 5 which would be perfect in a 30 g (I kid, I kid!)

As you are new to site I will warn you that I am very conservative on housing fish. Plus I think that I can say that I have as much if not more experience with F-8s than anyone else I know or have heard about.

That said, to me 15 is the bare minimum for an F-8, period. 2 square feet, nominal 15 gallons, and nothing else. A 20-long would be minimum and I would not use it myself, for the f-8, gobies and snails. If you want the little gobies and snails, a 15 is not nearly big enough. If you want 2 F-8s, a 30-long is not big enough to me - that is 3 square feet, only half again the 15's footprint. I would go with a 40-long, which should do for the two puffers (maybe) plus some BBGs and Nerites. The "maybe" is because there is no guarantee of long-term compatibility with co-housing any puffers. Post-puberty,any of them may become hyperdominant and require solitary housing.

The PufferPedia give absolute minimum housing. That is for a bare-bones operation. If I am setting a tank which should run for 15-20 or more years, I really do not need or want it to be bare bones. I would prefer that it be at least middle of the road if not luxury living.

HTH

In the 30g I would say a single F8 and a gang of at least 5 BBGs would be perfect...And a few ghost shrimp too.

I have nerites but I have yet to try them in the F8 tank...I think I know the result.


Good luck.


Here are a few vids from a 29g to a 46g with my F8 and BBGs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu6_2n2vzRY

I will be converting my freshwater cichlid tank over to brackish... any recommendations on:
- keeping argonite sand bed?
- using RO water vs tap water?

I used tap water for cichlids - although our water is good, it is harder with all the limestone around... perfect for cichlids, but was not sure about F8s... any experiences or suggestions?

Use an aragonite substance and use your tap water F8's do best in water with high TDS.

ive got 3 f8s in a 29 gallon for a couple years now and they have been together from the beginning and they all get along great and the 29g seems to be enough room. i wouldnt go any less than that but i think what i have is good enough. ill post some pics soon