The Puffer Forum

Hi,
I'm still working on my husband about the new puffer tank, but I really don't understand the technical lingo for the filtration. What size filter do I need for the 2 dwarf puffers in the 10gal? My LPS sells the penguin bio-wheels. I have a 200 in my 35gal community tank. It says the 200 is suppose to be good for up to 60gal. So, anyway, if someone is familiar with these types please let me know.

Also, I've been looking & was wondering approx. how long would it take to cycle the 10gal tank so that it would be ready for the puffers? I'm sure it's on the forum, but don't have my bearings yet. I just want to know how much we'll have to spend to get this tank ready, that way I've got all the answers when my DH asks.

A heater for a 10gal tank should be fine, right. It's extra filtration they need, but their tank temp is reg for tropical tanks.

One more thing that I'm worried about is, where I live we usually loose power for about 24hrs. once a year. We have a wood stove, so we have heat. With my community tank we add warm water to keep the tank water up so our fish are just fine. I'm just concerned how these puffers would be b/c they seem to be more sensitive or should I say delicate from what I have been reading.

TIA!

I read a long thread a few years ago that was just people ripping on pengiuns because the bio wheel will stop if it isn't cleaned all the time. The consensus was that it's better to get an emperor or an aquaclear.

The only HOBs I have owned are aquaclears, so this isn't my personal experience.

The only reason you would want to get an over-rated heater is if your ambient room temp gets cold (typically an aquarium heater can raise the temp 10 deg. F above room temp, at it's maximum gallon rating) so if your room temp ever drops below say 65F you might want to look at a slightly larger heater. My heater of choice is the visi-therm stealth.

IME it takes 3 - 4 weeks to cycle a new tank. (with pure ammonia or a prawn). Maybe a bit less if the tank is seeded from an established aquarium. If you can get bio-spira, or move a filter from an established tank, you can pretty much skip the cycle period (just watch the water parameters closely, and be prepared for large frequent water changes if you have ammonia/nitrite spikes)

The power outages could be a problem. Some people run battery operated pumps to keep the water aerated, but I don't worry about it. I have yet to lose a fish in a power outage (even with temps dropping into the 60's). I think the bigger problem is that a 24hr outage will likely kill all the nitrifying bacteria in your filter. You need to watch for ammonia/nitrite levels after, and be prepared for large/frequent water changes.