The Puffer Forum

Ok, so I'm going to start off by saying, yes, I understand that my fish (Bruce Banfish) would do better in a larger tank. He's in a 10 gallon right now because I'm on limited money and cannot afford a larger one. There's a 45 gallon tank in my storage room, but for one puffer that's too much. Now, if you know where I can buy a 20-30 gallon tank for cheap (as in $25 or less) then please tell me.

Onward to what I need the most help with

~he likes to stay around the walls and the filter. He'll explore every so often, especially when I put brine shrimp in the tank, but other wise he stays on the sides. I have decorations of different sizes and colors, barrels to swim through, a bridge to swim under, and a fair amount of plants (fake because I don't know the first thing about taking care of live ones), and a bubble chest. I've heard that they'll play with a floating ping pong ball, but is there anything else I can do to entertain him?

~messy eater indeed! I saw warnings while researching this type of puffer but dang, Bruce! He's only an inch big but even so he's big enough to easily eat brine shrimp yet scraps of them go everywhere. I need a way to keep the water and gravel clean. I'd like to get a shrimp or an aquatic hermit crab, but I know that Bruce may eat them. I also know he probably won't play well with other fish, but is there anything I can do besides clean the gravel every few days?

Other than these few things I think I'm good. His salt level is at 1.007, no Nitrate or Nitrite, pH is at 7, temp at 75, and he's very fast moving and active. If you have any advice for anything else, please share. I really like this little guy but underestimated the work and money that goes into him. Had I known I wouldn't have gotten him. I'm looking for a job and thankfully had a lot of what I needed already thanks to my dad's old 45 gallon freshwater tank. With that my total cost so far has been about $100-$120 for what I needed after research. For an unemployed person that can be a lot, and is for me.

Anyway, thank you for even reading this and, as I said, if you have any tips I'd be happy to hear them.

Welcome to the forum. Your sg is too high, 1.003 -1.005. Also brine shrimp are not very nutritious for your little guy

FIrst...

On to you questions.....

A ten gallon will be “ok“ for a juvenile f8 for a few weeks...but you need to keep up with water changes...and you need to have it filled all the way. Looking at the picture you only have about 8 gallon of water. Please do up grade, if you have a choice go for a 20 gallon long. Try searching craigslist.

Next, I HATE the filter you have on there. Up grade that filter as well..

They do like a complex environment...but as long as you decorate properly you don't need to entertain him. Below is my Green Spotted Puffer tank (very similar to f8s as far as activity level). Mine rarely pace or appeared board. Personally I like a lot of places to hide and then open swimming spots. I also keep an open feeding area to make clean up of left overs easier.



NO tankmates to help with clean up! Crabs, shrimps, or snails are tasty to a puffer!

Brine shrimp is not a nutritional food for this puffer, he needs much more crunch to keep his teeth trim. You want to aim for at least 80% crunch food. Brine shrimp is as nutritional as cotton candy when compared to more appropriate foods.

Here is a feeding article, info and list
library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

Also once you upgrade the puffer, breed your own snails for food in the 10 Gallon.
library/feeding/basic-snail-breeding/

Here is some more info on your puffer
library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Biocellatus/

Lastly, if you have 0 nitrate then your tank is not cycled. Do you know what your ammonia is? If you have no nitrate you probably have ammonia. Please to more water changes. Purchase some Tetra safestart.

Here is info on how to cycle your tank in an emergency
library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/

Hope this helps!

Good post PC, I strongly agree.

We probably should ask what the water test method is - if it is not liquid-based, it is unlikely to be accurate at all.

I was also curious about the lack of nitrAte.

If you are using a liquid test kit be sure to thoroughly mix the nitrAte test solution bottles before adding to the test tube for testing. These need to be vigorously mixed for a minute or two. Especially the #2 test solution bottle. I do this by smacking the bottle bottoms against the palm of my other hand. If not mixed thoroughly they can and will give a low reading. I've tested and seen this myself. Also let the bottle sit for a few minutes before testing so the micro bubbles settle out of the solution.

BTW, This little paragraph now sits on my destop to be copypasta in threads because I see it so often. Nearly every time that is the problem on a cycled tank.


Aysvin, welcome. Is your fish named after the Bruce Banner charecter?

I totally forgot I signed up on this site. Sorry for not replying sooner.

Yes, Bruce is named after Bruce Banner. I figured that when/if he ever puffs up he'll be Hulking out.

As for the brine shrimp, I was only feeding them to him because I had extra thanks to my salamander larvae. I have blood worms that he eats and will be getting MTS in two days (I had to order them). I know their shells are generally hard, but I'm going to try to breed them in a 2.5 gallon tank I have and put one adult and mostly babies in with Bruce. Unless you guys think even the babies would be too hard for him.

The store I go to has the pest/pond snails but they have one specific guy who harvests them and the employee I talked to wasn't sure if the store owner would let me have some. I'll ask for those first before I get the MTS since ordering through the store doesn't cost anything unless I buy them. How long can the pond snails last in the brackish water?

I've heard different opinions as to how high the SG should be. It varies from the 1.003-1.005 mentioned all the way up to 1.008

When I say I can't afford a larger tank I mean I CAN'T AFFORD A LARGER TANK. Even on ebay, craigslist, aquabids, wherever they're too much for me right now. His tank is still cycling so I change out 3-5 gallons everyday. When I manage to get the money for a new tank I'll get a new filter. I'd have to anyway since it only goes up to 10 gallons.

The ammonia test method is API and it comes in a 2 step liquid chemical process. I've gotten it down to 1.0 and will keep doing water changes once or twice a day.

I know this situation isn't ideal. There was more to this than I first expected but I'm working on fixing it, it will just take a while since I'm unemployed and job hunting. Until I get work I can't buy anything more than a few snails to try and breed. Bruce isn't my priority. He's important, but I have myself and my cat to take care of first.

I also have freeze dried krill somewhere. I misplaced the container.

I also got dried bacteria cultures to help with the cycling. I put a little in each day and the levels are slowly getting to where they need to be.

I should probably look for that krill now.