The Puffer Forum

I just wanted to thank everyone for their support, but my shakey f8 passed on tonight. He was swimming around begging for food before I left for dinner and when I went to feed him when I got home, he was floating. All my water parameters were perfect, and his appetite was always great. He just never seemed very active except at meal time. I had taken some pictures to post, that showed a lump in his stomach with a ridge extending from each side of the lump. Could that have been signs of some type of internal parasite? I was already so attached to the little guy. I was still trying to find the perfect name and had started his photo album on photobucket.

Okay, regroup....now I have a 29 gallon tank that I just started turning brackish, very low end, and a refractometer arriving in the next couple of days. I had bought a heater, pump and a 18 gallon tub to premix my water for weekly changes this afternoon. And I have a 5 gallon snail tank......

If I add a little flake food each day, should I be able to keep the tank going. One of the lfs usually get puffers in every Thursday. They generally get 8-10 different species. I still really like the F-8 and since the nursery is definitely ready, that's probably how I will go.

One LFS had some leopard puffers that they said are freshwater from Africa. They are about 2" long and some have almost fluorescent green on them, but it's like it's fading, with very small patches on top of their body. We tried looking them up in the aqualog, but still were not sure of the type. I thought they might be the T. Schoutedeni, but their
shape is more like a green spotted puffer.
I know without a picture, it's hard to speculate, but anyone care to make a guess........

Thanks again everyone......

Y.

Here's the picture showing the lump.

I have found that many LFSs mislabel a GSP as a leopard, so it is very possible it is just a GSP.

I'm very sorry you lost your puffer.

As for the puffers at your LFS, T.schoutedeni hasn't been seen on the continent for years and years. If it is, it will be uber expensive. Most likely GSP's.

The lump doesn't look "right" - too far forward to be stomach and too far aft to be a typical goiter. If you still have the fish, a simple dissection would reveal if it was a nematode - they are pretty large (coiled). Without a scalpel, you could use an exacto knife or a single edge razor blade. A magnifying glass would be sufficient magnification for such large parasites.

As far as keeping your tank cycled--you'd be best to use plain ammonia & raise the titer to 5 daily, Before adding your fish, do a 90% water change & you're good to go.

Sorry for your loss...

The puffers are selling for a $1.99 and they probably have 15 or 20. I don't want to buy something that needs to go full marine, or is too big for my current tank. I'll try to get photos.

Y.

Yes I agree : Shoutedeni or Fluviatilis (leopard). A fluviatilis is more "long" than a GSP that is more fat... I don't know how to say it ! :-/




French behmara

You are incorrect. They are shaped exactally the same. If you are using Puffernet for a reference--don't.

lol , why, they're wrong ??

Very bad information, and out of date.