The Puffer Forum

Just out of curiosity, how fast do F8's grow? Is it true that they grow based on the size of their tank?

I have one F8 in a 15 gallon brackish tank. When i got him, i was misinformed about the size of the tank that i should keep him in, so he spent a few months in a smaller (about 3 gallons) tank. Could this have stunt his growth?! I really hope not

He was about an inch long when i got him 6 months ago, and he may have grown a tiny bit but i can't really tell...

Anyone know about roughly how fast F8's grow?
Oh and I've been finding conflicting information about their size too; some people claim up to 6cm (or about 3") and other places said up to 6". I'm confused!

Thanks!

Their max size is 3", not counting the tail. The places that claim Figure Eights grow to 6" may be mixing up their puffer species. It's quite common for Figure Eights (T. Biocellatus) to get mixed up with T. Nigrovirdis and T. Fluviatilis (GSPs and Ceylons).

Puffers generally grow the fastest when they are young, which is why it is so important to have a properly sized tank before purchasing; even if the puff seems tiny. It's a possibility he could have been stunted, but 6 months is not a long enough amount of time to judge that. These guys don't just catapult from 1" to 3" in a few months.

It is a common myth that fish grow only as big as the tank you give them. It's quite convenient for people to think that fish are magical creatures that may grow 3' in the wild, but if they really want one they can stick it in a 10 gallon and it will stay 5"... The reason fish don't grow to their full potential size in tanks that are too small for them is because they are being stunted and die prematurely. Fish should always grow to the size the grow in the wild, or maybe even bigger because they have a constant food supply, clean water, and no predators. I feel that myth is perpetuated by pet stores to increase their sales...

I can't tell you anything definite about growth rate, but I can tell you my own Figure Eight that I have owned about 1 1/2 years (housed in a 15 gallon or larger, at 1.005-8 SG) was 1.5" when I got her, and now she is about 2.5". It's important to keep in mind that water conditions and water quality also affect the health and therefore the growth of puffs, as well as how complex their tank decor is.

Cool, thanks! I'm a bit relieved that i may not have stunted his growth!

Btw, is more complex decor better? Will complexity of tank help the growth? The way i have my 15G is pretty complex, with lots of places to hide and line-of-site cuts and all that. I think there's a good variety of plastic plants and fake coral with some bright colors and lively greens. I remember thinking that if i were a fish, I'd like to live there (that was how i arranged my tank -> put myself in the puffer's place ) I'm just worried that too much stuff in the tank takes away swimming space... What do you think?

Oh and you called your puffer a "she". I default mine to a "he" but i have no idea what the gender is (hence his unisex name "Pugu" after the Japanese "fugu") Is there a way to tell the gender? Does gender affect size? (like how some females are bigger than the males of a species, or vice-versa?)

Complexity is good...keeps them interested. You can have too much decoration...but as long as he is acting content...no sulking or pacing...I would assume he is

wish962 wrote: Oh and you called your puffer a "she". I default mine to a "he" but i have no idea what the gender is (hence his unisex name "Pugu" after the Japanese "fugu") Is there a way to tell the gender? Does gender affect size? (like how some females are bigger than the males of a species, or vice-versa?)

No real way to sex an F8...short of dissection...or at least as far as I know at present.

Like Peregrine said, complexity is good, and as long as he can move around with ease (not constantly having to wedge through tight spaces) he should be doing well.

The reason I call my puff a 'she' is because a few months ago I think she spawned some eggs in my tank. She did so after being introduced to a new Figure Eight and being moved to a larger 35 gallon. I tried to keep the eggs from being eaten and transferred them into a 15 gallon, but never got any fry out of them.

Short of that, I have know way of knowing her true gender. Before that I called her a him.

Egg dump or actual deposition is the way most of us find females on the unisex appearing puffs. It is about all we have.