The Puffer Forum

Hi All...

After making about 100 calls to not so local fish shops i found one that has some Figure 8 Puffers in stock.

Only draw back is they have white spot!!!

They are treating with protozin. Do you think it would be ok to get them? I have no other fish in the tank.

Any thoughts?

Leave them until they are healed, it's too much risk otherwise.

Nice to see someone else from Wiltshire on here!

Dose anyone else agree?

They are just so hard to find. i've been looking for about 2 months.

Where in wilts you from? I'm in Devizes.

Both my figure 8 came in with white spot. Treated with heat and marine sale (hey, they were going to go brackish anyway, right?). One didn't make it because it ended up, quite likely, with gill flukes, too. The other has been here a year.

I'd go check them out. I've heard of several cases of ich that were really jus the puffer's spines and the person was confused. Light ich should clear up easily with the gradual move to BW, upping the temps to mid/high 80s and daily vacuum/water change (be sure and get the gravel).

Eric

I'd go check em out but I wouldn't buy em until they are rid of it. Depending on the fish shop how about a small deposit to secure them when they have recovered with the understanding that the deposit is refundable if they die.

How much are they wanting for these F8's Neil?

Cheers guys.

The only day i have to get them is Sunday. I am not here a weekends for about 3 weeks after this. So you can see my situation.

I think they wanted about £5-6 for them. They said that they would not be selling them until next week when they have treated them, but if i was putting them into an empty tank and treated them i could take them away on Sunday.

At the end of the day mate, its your money. If you buy them and they dont make it and you can live with the financial loss then get them.

I hope this trip is shorter than your last excursion out for puffers. Imagine that drive again in this heat

Ha, you remember!!!

Well they both died under very strange circumstances!!

Its not too far, about 45 mins each way, so i can live with that. I know that with fresh water you use aquarium salt, but would marine salt do the trick as they are brackish anyway.

Protozin.... 1/2 the dose?

I think i will chance it. The cost is not a problem for me.. and i don’t think i will have this opportunity to find them again!!

Everything you ned to know.

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9

Melafix to treat any skin damage and Pimafix if they develop bacterial infections

Not sure about the salt question. If they are in freshwater at the shop then I would be adding salt when you get them home as their immune systems seem to be a lot stronger in brackish water. and it would be marine salt.

I have that one bookmarked

I have some red sea salt that i was going to use for my Ceylons.

Just another question... my Nitrate seems to be a little high at the moment (tap water is high) is there anything i can buy to reduce this?

Nitrate is generally high in the UK anyway. Only way around it is RO water. I have used tetra easy balance to reduce it. But don't do as they suggest and never water change, just add it weekly when you water change. Worked for me.

There are a few wholesalers in the uk offering f8's at the moment. I also have 2 i am debating on letting go so if you fancy a rather large road trip you can have them. If not I can bring them next time I am in the area.

I come from a village near pewsey called easton royal, but I moved away to kent. I miss the 'shire a lot...

After making about 100 calls to not so local fish shops i found one that has some Figure 8 Puffers in stock.

Are you 100% sure they are actually f8? Ive only ever once seen figure 8s in the UK, but the vast majority were badly identified ceylons.
The guy at my lfs said they (f8s) are really hard to get in for some reason at the moment.

they are available through Holland at the moment.

Mad.. I am from Kent and now work in Pewsey!!!!!

I am going to have a look tomorrow (Sun) and see what they are like. I did go into a shop in Northampton today and they had Figure 8 on the list, but they looked like GSP's to me...

Oh, BTW George, how old are you? My wife might know you!

Some place near mine has "spotted puffers" available at £5 each. They look very much like figure of 8s to me yellowy with brownish spots on them and a white underbelly?