The Puffer Forum

Posted: **Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:30 pm**

Hello all.

I just joined the forums and have already done a ton of reading.

I was in my Pet Store last week to get cat food and saw the most interesting looking fish. Upon further inspection they turned out to be Figure 8 and Leopard Puffers (I assume Leopard Puffers is another name for Green Spotted Puffers?). Needless to say, I became very interested in started doing some reading, which lead me here.

For a bit of background information - I am 29, married and have a 16 month old and 2 cats. I work in IT and am quite busy. I have never personally owned a fish tank, although we had beta fish when I was a kid. My mom is obsessed with Fish Tanks, but has all Fresh Water.

Needless to say, I am looking at getting either F8 or GSP. Currently, I have no equipment of any sort and will need to purchase everything. If anyone has any pointers/guides/etc, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Anyways, from what I've read, I would need a minimum of a 30 Gallon Tank (looking to start with only 1 Puffer). I did find this and thought that maybe it would be good to start with and then grow from there:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0035H366U?tag=2011-fb-01-20
Any thoughts?

I know I can get a tank off craigslist or something, but I'm unsure of what else would be needed if it only comes with a Tank and Lid.

I tried to go to the Library and Puffpedia but they both seem to be currently down.

Any advice/tips/help/suggestion is greatly appreciated.

Posted: **Fri Nov 04, 2011 3:53 pm**

hey when the pufferpedia and library are working they are a really great resource. i have 2 GSP's and have had dwarfs in the past. I'm not the #1 person to talk to on the subject but do have a small amount of experience. your best bet, and if you dont feel like spending a fortune, would be to go on kijiji or craigslist and find a used i would say 40g minimum. i started mine in a ten than to a 20 than to a 40 and its a huge pain, i still need to get them into a bigger tank eventually. than a filter that i really trust, i run on my 40, 65, and my friend runs one on his 55 and 35, is the aquaclear 300. ive bought one for $20.00 (steal) and another for $40.00 (still a steal) both used. they are really great at moving water and all the parts are cheap and easily replaced given something fails. the trick is to give your puffer ample space, and whenever possible, put him in his adult home right from the start. the extra water of a bigger tank will also really help with his enormous bioload. maybe thats not best and someone can correct me on whatever, but thats how i would go about it.

Posted: **Fri Nov 04, 2011 4:18 pm**

If you get a single F8, anything from about 20 gallons on up will do nicely. GSPs should really be in at least a 55 gallon.

F8s live in low brackish water (low salinity), while GSPs need higher salinity and eventually full saltwater.

Puffers need a lot of filtration, as they are voracious, messy eaters and your water quality can reflect that if you're not careful. I personally like to have filtration on my tank (I prefer canister filters, but a lot of people like HOBs, or hang-on-back, style filters) that can process the entire tank volume about 10 times per hour. Every filter will tell you how many gph (gallons per hour) they pump. So, for a 20 gallon tank, I'd want a filter or filters that process 200 gph. 55 gallon, 550 gph. Etc.

So, to get started with a puff, you'll need at minimum:

Tank
Tank stand or suitable (sturdy) furniture
Hood/lid for tank (these guys can be jumpers!)
Lights if you're keeping live plants. Optional if not, but makes watching your puffer way more fun.
Filter or filters
Some kind of substrate (to cover the bottom of the tank). Gravel is OK, but for F8s, a thin layer of aragonite sand works well to keep the water's pH high, which in turn raises the water's hardness, which apparently is good for them.
Water conditioner/dechlorinator
Marine (saltwater) mix (not regular aquarium salt)
Refractometer or hydrometer to measure the tank's salinity (inexpensive ones on eBay)
Decor for the tank so your puff can stay busy and have lots to explore
Stuff to feed the puffer (there are great feeding articles on here -- no flakes or pellets, they won't eat 'em!)

GREAT deals on used tanks on Craigslist -- I never buy new anymore. Hope that gives you a good starting point! Welcome to the world of puffers -- they're really fun fish. And good on you for doing your research BEFORE getting the fish!

Posted: **Sat Nov 05, 2011 9:25 am**

Thanks for all of the input. I really appreciate it.

So would it be safe to assume that F8's are easier to take care of (or better for a starter)?

I really like the way the GSP look though

.

Also, can we discuss feeding? I've read on what they eat, but I guess what I haven't seen much of is how often they need to be fed.

Also, how about cleaning the tank. I read somewhere that it is good to do a 25-50% refresh (forget what it is called) at least once to twice a week?

Posted: **Sat Nov 05, 2011 12:50 pm**

Our most pertinent articles are being loaded onto a forum page. The F8 & GSP ones are up. The GSP wold prefer a 55g tank. Be sure you study up on fishless cycling.

Posted: **Sat Nov 05, 2011 2:05 pm**

runningboy01 wrote:Thanks for all of the input. I really appreciate it.

So would it be safe to assume that F8's are easier to take care of (or better for a starter)? id agree with this, they are very low brackish water vs GSp that end up full marine

I really like the way the GSP look though .

Also, can we discuss feeding? I've read on what they eat, but I guess what I haven't seen much of is how often they need to be fed.every day with 1 day off as babies as they grow you can start feeding them a little bit less

Also, how about cleaning the tank. I read somewhere that it is good to do a 25-50% refresh (forget what it is called) at least once to twice a week?50% water change with vacuuming the substrate weekly is best

Posted: **Sat Nov 05, 2011 2:15 pm**

Yes 50% weekly water changes are essential for your puffers help, vacuum substrate at the same time

Posted: **Sat Nov 05, 2011 7:36 pm**

Thanks again for all of the input.

I wonder, would it be better to go with a Freshwater puffer (not that I'd even know where to find/buy one) to start with as I've never done a brackish tank before? If so, which freshwater would you recommend and how does this affect tank size?

Posted: **Sat Nov 05, 2011 7:51 pm**

This is totally your choice. A29g will leave you with little choice. Dwarf puffers are the only sensible choice for that size.

Posted: **Sat Nov 05, 2011 8:58 pm**

Thanks! I thought about starting with the tank I linked earlier, however it sounds like I should start larger if i can. As such, I would like to try and start with a 50 gallon if possible.

Posted: **Sun Nov 06, 2011 5:29 pm**

Ok. So I was looking at the local pet store and here are some puffers that were for sale. The first batch they had labeled as South American Puffers (yet the employee called them figure 8 ):

The next batch I found was labeled as GSP:

This batch was labeled as Figure 8 and Leopard Puffers:

Can anyone confirm or deny any of the above?

Posted: **Sun Nov 06, 2011 5:44 pm**

1st group: South American Puffers
2nd group: Green Spotted Puffers
3rd group: Figure 8 Puffers

Posted: **Sun Nov 06, 2011 7:21 pm**

those f8's look like a reasonable size. south americans are nice. i like their big eyes. but i dont want to keep up with their teeth. i have enough trouble with my gsp's. i would say fig 8 is the easiest to keep of the 3. or SA. GSP's get the biggest, and require a shift to marine.

Posted: **Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:02 pm**

Tank photography tip: NO flash.

Posted: **Sun Nov 06, 2011 11:09 pm**

Yeah, I meant to turn off flash. Only had my phone with me. I had it in one hand and my daughter in the other LOL.

I really like GSP but having never owned anything before, I fear that i may mess up. Although, I imagine it is a bit of time before they have to go full marine?

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