The Puffer Forum

So I just set up a fifty five gallon tank, and while it cycles I have to find out what pufferI plan on doing. It is a 55, and has two large filters on it that are made to filter sixty gallons each. I'm looking at figure eights or south Americans. Doing light brackish is no problem if I do the F8s. I am going to use holey rock and already have a bunch of plants to go in the tank. I, understand that SAP need snails pretty much daily, and was wondering if the snails would hide in the rock and breed or just get taken out by the puffers? I'm using sand, and I'm not really planning on adding other fish unless I have space left over and they won't be picked on to much. I'm letting the tank cycle for a while, but want to go ahead and figure out what I want. Any advice would be helpful! Thanks!

How are you cycling the tank? Even with a daily crunch diet saps tend to need dentistry. Brackish water also kills most plants so it's a tricky one. When you add big snails to a tank, if not instantly eaten you can pretty much guarantee baby snails will appear. You are much better off setting up a snail breeder, then you can control how many they eat etc

SAP's NEVER stop swimming. Never quit moving at a frantic pace...

F-8s are light brackish water fish. SAPs are FW fish. Which are you planning to run?

I am only using fake plants, so that isn't a problem. I wanted to avoid setting up another tank unless I absolutely have too, although I did plan on feeding then a lot of different things. if I really need to I can probably figure something out. How often do figure eights need snails? It doesn't really matter if I need to do brackish or fresh, I can do either. I only have sand in the tank right now, and I'm cycling it with a method I picked up from my brother, who has had all sorts of tanks for years. It takes a while, but its pretty much just letting a dead shrimp to sit in the water for a month or more, and just test the water along the way until its right. Not sure if anyone has ever heard of doing this, but he has done it quite a few times and it seems to work as long as you monitor it. I don't plan on rushing it at all, But I just want to go ahead and find out what puffer would be best.

It really is a personal preference man. I don't think you will find a "better" choice between the two. You are talking about 2 different setups, each with their own unique pros and cons. It is ultimately up to the individual owner to decide the "best" puffer for their own personality.

The dead shrimp cylcling has been around forever, or very nearly so. It does work, but is unpredictable and develops a bunch of masty bacteria along the way, but they generally fade out about as fast as the developed.

Many hobbyists -definitely including me - will not put up with a tank that stinks. I would have issues with my wife even if not with myself on that one.

Multi-tank hobbyists rarely have to cycle new setups as a separate procedure. They just keep spare filters on operating tanks, then they are always available with only minor adjustments for specific bioloads. The only "trick" is that their operating tanks hjave to be disease-free.