The Puffer Forum

I was thinking of using a spare 20g high that I have in my garage and setting it up as a figure eight puffer tank. Here is what I was thinking of using:

20 gallon high( 24"Lx12"Wx16"H)
AquaClear 30: 1 sponge, 2 biomax. Do you think I need to run a carbon?
50watt submersible heater
24" strip light
Digital or glass thermometer
1" fine sandbed or Flourite substrate( Will use from my planted tank I took down)
Various rocks and a few plastic plants

Here are the questions I have:

1.) Tap water + Water dechlorinator + Marine salt = Brackish water correct?

2.) How many Figure Eight puffers could I keep in a 20g high? and can I keep tankmates with the puffer such as bumblebee gobies, or Knight Gobies?

3.) What Specific Gravity should I aim for?

4.) What are a variety of foods that I can feed Figure Eight puffer?

5.) Should I use a Freshwater test kit or saltwater test kit? or does it really matter.

6.) Is a water change for a brackish tank similar to a saltwater tanks? like take tap water, add dechlorinator, marine salt, and mix for 24hrs then test SG before adding to the tank?

7.) Would a AquaClear 30 be enough filtration for a 20g high?

Sorry for all the questions but I would like to set the tank up correctly, and know how to care for the puffer.

check out the library on this site its got all the answers one could need. I think it all sounds good and you have the right idea, but Im no expert and I have and had tons of questions.
happy fish keeping!
Georgia

Carbon shouldn't be necesary.

1) correct. Be sure to get a hydrometer or refractometer to measure salinity. You'll want to match the salinity that the fish are in at the LFS, and then slowly altering the salinity to be in the 1.004 to 1.008 range.

2) you can keep 1 F8 in that tank. Long is better than high for swiming room. Be sure to add lots of tall plants to give a lot of cover all the way up. That will help keep him from getting bored.

3) see question 1.

4) see here: http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/puffer/food.html

5) at such a low salinity, fw should still work, but i've heard of crappy test kits not working in any BW conditions. Also, most SW test kits will also work in FW. Whereas most FW kits wont work in SW. It's a good idea to get a good quality kit, and then cross check with the LFS to make sure it's accurate.

6) yes, you got it.

7) puffers are very messy fish, and like a lot of current. an AC30 probably isn't enough.

Questions are always welcome.

Other links:

http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/ ... uffer.html
http://www.pufferlist.com/puffer/brackp ... ?puffid=13

AQ 30 should be fine for 1 puffer in a 20g. Try stacking it: sponge (on bottom), 1" filter floss (cheap-at a sewing machine store, for "polishing" the water crystal clear) & BioMax on top.

I'd feel more comfortable with a AC50 that is rated for 30-50 gallon tanks, but a AC30 with good water change schedule and maintenance would be ok for a single F8.

Maybe add a powerhead or seperate internal filter or something for added flow.

Due to the tall style, I'd add a power head aimed near the bottom portion of the tank, to keep debris from settling too easily.