The Puffer Forum

I have been pufferless for the last few years but I am about to realize my fahaking fahaka dreams.

I know it been done a ton but I'm gonna plot my progress here so I have it all in one place. Any questions and commnets would be awesome and I will be asking a few questions along the way.

Hardware

180g tank 6'x2'x2'

Rena XP-XL rated at 450gph Should I get another one?

1 300 watt heater in a great plastic protective cover (I add another)

Tahitian moon sand How deep should the sand bed be?

I will post pics when everything is clean and set up.

Todays random question. Is it possible to have too many snails in a tank. I have started a 20g snail breeder, but I was wondering after my fishless cycle, I am going to plant the tank and wait a couple of months while I procure my fahaka. Can I put tons of snails and shrimp in the tank? Will the puffer over eat if food is available 24/7 in his tank?

Tank builds are always liked here. Multi filtration is key, aim for 10x turnover per hour. Two heaters are a great idea just incase one fails. Please remember you need to maintain the cycle whilst you obtain the fahaka. Most importantly remember pics once you get him

I went ahead and got another Rena XP-XL so filtration is 900 gph without media and 380 with media.

120lbs of tahitian moon sand
a few crypts and two ruby swords. I will add some vals at the back and sides when I find some good ones.

I have not been able to find pure ammonia, so I am using the rotting fish food fishless cycle technique/ Luckily I'm in no hurry. I will do water tests and 50% water changes once a week.

Made a groovy cave in the middle out of driftwood. The piece in the middle at the front can be removed for when fish gets big.

Here's pics

Tank


Shelter

Good job, the fahaka will remove any plants that it does not like. I had a deep corner of substrate for mine to bury in, he was very protective of this corner and it was a nightmare to clean as he wanted to eat my hand all the time when it was in his space but he liked it lol. Keep the pics coming especially on his arrival, can you run a filter on another tank to give a boost of bacteria for when he is added? If he is a small fish in a big tank that would likely be fine if you mix in a little used media to begin with.

How deep is the sand-bed?? Both of my fahakas love to burrow down into the sand..

SAnd bed is about 2" I am going to add another 40lbs I think. I have other tanks I can take media from when the time comes. I am not in a hurry so I am hoping to let the plants grow in well before introducing a hopefully pretty small fish. I just thought a good ground cover of crypts would make hunting food more challenging. I have left the front and front corners clear of plants for burying but I like the idea of a deep burying spot, I have to make the two corners especially deep.

Looking forward to this.. Let us know when you get the fahaka in.

One week in and did my first water test. there is a little ammonia, not enough for my test kit to accurately measure. No Nitrite or nitrate. I think I need to up the ammonia source. Any suggestions would be helpful as I still can't find any pure ammonia

Started up my snail breeding and shrimp breeding tanks.

20 gallon long, HOB filter, heater, LED light fixture, bunch of shells on the bottom (can't seem to do bare bottom tanks, always gotta put something in to make them pretty.LOL)
Cherry shrimp and apple snails( I know the apple snails are a poor food source but I have a client who can't seem to stop them, so I remove them and add to all my tanks to keep her numbers down)



7 gallon tank HOB filter, LED light, shells again for substrate.
20 ramshorn snails



I am picking up a wack of pond snails tomorrow, can they go into either of these tanks or should I set up another and keep them all separate?

I will be adding cuttle bone to both tanks in the next couple of days.

For the ammonia did you check hardware stores?

http://www.acehardware.com/product/inde ... Id=1307957

someone commented below that you can pick up a smaller bottle in-store.

June 24/13

Added a large frozen jumbo shrimp awhile ago to increase the ammonia output.

Tested the water today
NH3 <.25
NO2 .25
NO3 .20

June 29/13

Re-aquascaped today broke free of my obsession with symmetry.

Whole tank


Left side
Vallisneria Gigantea in the back.
Cryptocoryne wendtii in the front.



The driftwood hide in the middle.
Anubias nana on the driftwood.


The right side.
Echinodorus 'Rubin' in the middle.
Microsorum pteropus all along the back wall


July 3/13
Water test today
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 .20

Cycled

Added another frozen jumbo shrimp to keep things going.

Asked my The Awesome Harold at my LFS to start looking for Pustalatus if we don't find a reliable source for one at a reasonable price by mid augaust we will go with a baby fahaka. Very excited wanna get one NOW! but have to be patient don't have nearly enough snails and shrimp for food yet and want the plants to get well established.

Hey Gang:

Well the big day has arrived.

Tank has been cycled for weeks,

Today after a 50% WC
NH3 0
NO2 0
NO3 <.05
Ph 7.8

Plants have grown in well. Inhabitants consist of a 15ish ghost shrimp, couple of apple snails, bunch of pond snails.
Full tank shot


Left side


Middle with large hide


Right side


And the moment we have all been waiting for

coming in at a gargantuan 1.5 inches "Bellatrix" (I know a HP reference is a little lame but I thought it was the perfect name. Evil and a little creepy looking but strangely attractive.)





Picked her up on Monday afternoon at PJ's pet centre - not a place I usually shop but there seems to be an influx of fahakas in Toronto area shops. I heard of at least three that had more than 20 babies in a tank. The place I went had a 13" adult for sale for $100. Someone bought it Sunday so I didn't get to see it.

Drip acclimated for about and hour. the store tank Ph was at 7.6, Bella chased a few ghosties around and then found her first snail and she has been ridding the tank of them ever since.

Very nice, healthy looking fahaka

Nice tank! I love the name bellatrix!

August 19th Bella eating snails

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WTyYyjVRBI

IPs?

Why are her eyes white?