LTygress

My only issue with any of them is that Prime is very concentrated and if *EVER* confused with the others in terms of dosage, an overdose could cause more harm than good. People like to say "dump in more Prime!" when something happens in a tank, and it can turn deadly. The chemicals in Prime are a lot like nitrates - they're harmless *in small amounts* only. But I'm a fan of drip acclimation for another reason. PH shock and ammonia shock aren't the only issues out there. The American EPA tracks seven main contaminants in tap water. The contaminants range from nitrates (which we all know) to arsenic (yes, poison) and even uranium. Yes, that's right, uranium. I said what I said. These contaminants are found naturally across the world, although in varying degrees. The EPA does not require these to be completely absent from your drinking water though! They only require that the levels fall below a certain threshold! So there's still a good possibility that your drinking water has all seven contaminants in trace amounts. Yes, you might be drinking radioactive products - in super tiny trace amounts that can't be detected. But out in nature where there are no water purifiers? These contaminants are not really tracked out there like they are for "tap" water. And if you're on well water, they probably aren't tested at all. But fish have adapted to LIVE in these waters around the world. Maybe they were born and bred in an Asian fish farm where the tap water isn't monitored at all. Maybe they are bred in Florida where the ponds full of fish go through a "PH Shock" every morning. Here in America, they actually did a survey about 7 years ago (I would need to look up the article again) and found incredibly high levels of ANTIDEPRESSANTS in a lot of our tap water! So much of the population is on antidepressants, and we aren't metabolizing all of it in our bodies. So when we go to the bathroom, a lot of those antidepressants just come right back out, and end up in the local water sources. And scientists have not yet made any changes to remove this from the water on a regular basis before... it gets filtered and makes it back to your faucet. How many other things are in our water that we DON'T monitor? But again, the fish out there have learned to survive with some of this. Whatever is in that water that we DON'T trace, is what they have adapted to. And those chemicals and dissolved solids may affect all kinds of things about a fish. Osmotic pressure (which is *BASICALLY* the pressure inside of a fish's body versus the water pressure outside of it) is a big one that most people don't pay attention to. It's part of why saltwater and freshwater fish can't survive long periods in the wrong water - the osmotic pressure is very different. I know nitrates can affect osmotic pressure, but I haven't studied the other seven contaminants at length (yet). So whatever parameters the fish are familiar with, it's better to slowly acclimate them away from those parameters. They may be a soft-water fish, but have adapted to high amounts of calcium in the water (which contributes to higher PH, but isn't the sole reason for high PH). Or maybe they are normally a hard water fish adapted to tannins - which tends to lower PH. It doesn't mean they need a lower PH though, it means they have adapted to the actual presence of the tannins! So you may keep the water in a low PH, but that sudden removal of tannins from their environment still shocks them. The problem is, a lot of studies have been done on fish but a LOT of information is still out there that we haven't checked. Sure, we know our Temperature, Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, GH, KH, Calcium (although usually only saltwater fish keepers will track that), salinity, etc. But the things that we fish keepers do NOT monitor is what we may have to worry about. I mean, we all known uranium is dangerous and has been known to "mutate" genes, but what does it do to a healthy fish when *suddenly* added or removed from the water? Who has tested this? Anyone? Can you find the results of that test? And what happens if that uranium is suddenly removed, but replaced with arsenic instead? Never enough to kill the fish, just enough to change *something* in the fish. Most of us don't know these answers, or the testing just hasn't been done. So when someone quotes one part of science like "the PH rises rapidly and creates ammonia" it's still a very narrow outlook on *EVERYTHING* in the water that could be changing between the bag and the tank. So to play it safe, I would rather use drip acclimation to ensure that my fish can adapt a little slower to the changes in the water, than to just plop them in to a new environment where absolutely nothing is the same as it once was. And so far, the drip method is the ONLY method of acclimation that has ever worked for my imports of fricking altum angelfish. Those things are tough to acclimate in any form!

They got their first water change today and I took all of the slate out except one piece used as a baffle for the powerhead. There are also three more arriving right now - I am at the airport cargo counter as I type this. So I have a total of 8 now - great group for getting some breeders. Out of the others at home it looks like I have at least two females and a male. The sponge filters and lights have arrived for the rack that contains breeding tanks. These sponge filters also fit the powerhead in their current tank, so I may use that to "seed" them. I want to see the puffers actively courting before moving them to those breeding tanks, so I can see which ones are best paired together.

LOOK WHO'S HERE!!! I ended up putting them in a 75G for now. It used to be an angelfish pairing tank, so that's what the slate is from. I just never bothered to remove it. Plunked a ton of pink ramshorn snails in after adding them and they all got fat really quick! Yes, the tank has some algae growth. Yes the tank has a ton of water spots on the outside (it's on the bottom of a stand with other tanks above it, so it catches all of the splashing). Yes the tank has some detritus and plant debris in it. But it's a VERY healthy tank, so I don't bother cleaning all of this stuff up! Well, except the water spots on the outside, but I didn't want to disturb the newly-added puffers with a giant cloth in their face on their very first day.

buceplant.com is a good one. Or if you send me a list of the ones you're looking for, I can check all of my own suppliers and see who has them (I don't use Segrest). You may still have to deal with submersed acclimation though, because that's just how the plant farmers work.

@Guppysnail already said it, but let me repeat it: Fenbendazole. Sold under several names actually, but the most common is Panacur for dogs. It MUST BE IN POWDER FORM to use it. But it doesn't dissolve easily, either. For a measuring tool, 1/8th teaspoon per 10 gallons. But once you plop the powder into the tank, it'll probably float around on the top as a little pocket in the shape of the spoon. Grab it with your fingers and squish it under the water so it breaks up. Guppysnail also gave a different treatment time. I've always done one dose, then a second dose 24 hours later, and that's it. As for your shrimp, the hydra *will* eat the baby shrimp, so if you are trying to raise more, it won't happen until the hydra are dead.

Almost all blackworms come with those leeches. And yes, they are leeches. What's worse is that those leeches will go down into the substrate of a tank and hide out there for ages, thriving and reproducing. Then you move a plant or piece of decor to another tank and suddenly the leeches have infected THAT tank too! I've had that problem for ages, and finally began to bleach out tanks as the creatures were moved out, and then bleach plants (lightly) and decor in between tanks, too. There's no easy way to get rid of them with chemicals either. The blackworms themselves will die off long before the leeches do. So you really are better just individually picking the blackworms out of the mix to start a colony with, or using the "single worm" method mentioned above.

Not too difficult. Grab two buckets. Put one on your kitchen counter and fill it with bleach and water (make it as strong as you want, really). Put the other on the floor. Start a siphon with the airline tubing from the bucket on the counter, and have it empty into the bucket on the floor. Once it's done, dip the airline tubing itself into that new bucket of bleach water to get the outside as well. Then discard the bleach water. Next, rinse both buckets, fill one with fresh tap water, and add some extra dechlorinator. How much extra doesn't really matter - it's only air running through the tube later, so it won't hurt your fish. Add more than extra if you want. Start a siphon again drawing the fresh water through the tubing into the second bucket again. When you're done, dip the tubing in the dechlorinated bucket again to treat the outside. And you're done.

I think I just gave you what you wanted to hear, but let me know if the other posts gets removed and I'll PM you the reply, instead.

The last time I heard about them, there was absolutely nothing good coming from anyone. VERY late ship-outs, bad quality, wrong items constantly sent, etc - no one said anything positive. This was back in 2018-ish, so COVID was no excuse. I don't know if they have cleaned up since then. BUT, I do know they order from the same exact wholesale facility as every other fish store in the country - Segrest Farms. (I somehow received an incorrect airway bill number from someone, and the airway bill was from Segrest Farms to AZ Gardens.) And Florida fish farms all tend to grow their plants above the water, so the plants can have a hard time adjusting to being submersed.

The first wholesaler that had the puffers still hasn't gotten any. But a wholesale "contact" of mine got some in (I don't think he's an official wholesaler - his stock isn't big enough for him to really be one, but he does discount fish for "retailers" to buy). I've ordered four, and he said he'll have them shipped out on Monday! They're coming via air cargo, so they'll be here that same day. I've got plenty of empty tanks now too. So I just need to decide which one to put them in. For now, I'll put them in a 55G tank for quarantine and weight-gain, and watch their interactions. There is a lot of water wisteria in the tank, which I have no problem with them destroying. Or they can hide in it. Their choice. Once I can distinguish males and females, I'll probably move pairs to one of my 25G tanks with tinted front glass (old retail rack - tinted to keep fish from being spooked by people). It is set up now with no substrate, but I intend to get some fine-grade black sand. That way if the eggs are released across the bottom of the tank, they'll be easy to spot on the black sand. I did get some subwassertang and put it in a neo shrimp tank. There was very little of it sent, so I really need to grow it out to have enough for the puffers to spawn. I got infusoria as well, and that culture seems to be doing good in a quart-size mason jar with organza cloth on top (held down by the jar's ring lid). And I'm not sure if it will help, but I have *plenty* of green water on hand as well to help "dim" the water, feed the infusoria, maybe give the puffers some to eat (if the parents tear up plants, maybe the fry like algae too?), or whatever else I can use it for. It's one of those things that won't really hurt to add, at least. And the vinegar eels, banana worms, walter worms, micro worms, grindal worms, daphnia, and now baby shrimp, are all going *very* strong and ready for little puftlets to grow bigger and eat bigger foods. So I feel like everything is ready... which probably means nothing is ready! LOL! I'll post photos of the newcomers when they have settled in!

NEXT QUESTION! I know neo shrimp are also a good food for puffers, and I'm wondering how well it might work out if I put baby puffers in a shrimp tank. Has anyone done this? I am guessing the shrimp actually leave the baby puffers alone, since they are MUCH more prey than predator? I raised some with some rainbow belly pipefish and was told the pipefish might eat the shrimp eggs right off of their abdomen (and they did). If baby puffers do this, or even just eat the baby shrimp, that would help me keep up with feeding them as they grow bigger.

But the snails do not harm the eggs or freshly-hatched puffer fry? Or do you wait to add the snails until they have hatched? And if so, how long after they have hatched?

The original thread I found was actually from @Jack.of.all.aquariums back in 2020. He also referenced @Preston John in his posts as possibly being an earlier source? When I came here to post an updated thread (so I didn't resurrect theirs from the dead) I did see yours, but chose to make my own for the questions so it wouldn't get lost in your post. I do use pool filter sand as well, just haven't done so for a while. I prefer the darker colors because the discus and plecos seem to prefer it to be darker. Since the discus get that peppering with the dark substrate, I figured it may be making them more comfortable, like they are hiding better. But since you said the puffers seem to like the light sand better, I'll pick up a pack of it soonish. I do have a 30G replacement coming in this week too. 36" by 12" by 16" rough measurements. I had an old used one without the top trim (but not supposed to be a rimless tank) that did eventually start to leak after about 3 years. It's on the bottom of a 2-level stand, but the bottom part isn't tall enough to hold a full 40G and still leave me room to reach into the tank as needed. So I had to special order the 30G long from my wholesaler to replace the leaking one. It was either the entire replacement for about $60, or buy a replacement trim for $35 and pay $55 for the other company to ship it. Since I'm getting this 30G along with a replacement 125G and three different types of stones for decoration, the shipping will be much cheaper overall for each item. Currently I have L397 plecos in the 30G that is leaking. But since you suggested a 30G for the puffers, I'll split the L397's between two 20Gs and use the 30G for the puffers. Or I may still go with a 55G since I'll have a couple of those empty once the 125G arrives. And I just replied to someone in my last comment that I am too familiar with copepods. And they do like to take over a culture of anything water-borne! I'm using turkey basters today to try and get another pure daphnia culture going without those little buggers! It's my own fault though - the one time I didn't filter the green water in before adding it to the daphnia, and I got copepods all in it. I knew better too! As for the P. Palutris, I don't work with those because they aren't "nice" like Amazon puffers or Spotted Congo puffers. I definitely can not put them in with angelfish or discus. I do have the spotted congo in a tank with bulgarian green seal point angelfish, and they do have a few nips on their fins, but I know it's also from feeding time. Those bloodworm cubes get ripped to shreds by both species of fish, and the puffer will NOT accept someone stealing his share! Otherwise, he just "glass surfs" a lot, or browses the substrate for snails. I have seen a lot of photos of baby puffers in tanks with snails. I am assuming it's okay to raise the two together? The snails obviously won't bother something in the middle of the water column, but I know the puffers will eat them as they grow big enough. And I've got SO MANY pink ramshorns in so many tanks! I could easily add some into a puffer rearing tank to have food ready to go when they grow big enough to eat them. It's interesting to hear about the plants though - that he prefers to breed there. Or maybe the female will only release eggs there, but he drags her there to convince her to release them for him? Very good info! I've got tons of java moss too, but I really like the look of subwassertang anyway. As for buying the paramecium now, I have and raise all kinds of live food cultures for resale as part of my business. The one I'm working very hard on establishing right now is live bloodworms (using a butterfly enclosure to contain the midge flies). So by getting them now I'll have them when I get and breed the puffers, but I'll also be able to reproduce and sell cultures in the meantime. There is also time to experiment with them to make sure I don't screw up and crash the culture, and I can establish a system for raising and harvesting them. Thanks for the help everyone has provided so far. Keep sending information if you think of more!

This link helped me A LOT! Not only did it give me a source for them, but it gave me individual species names, so I could look them up and see the differences! You linked me specifically to Aurelia, but I see there is also Bursaria, Caudatum, Multimicronucleatum, and Tetraurelia from there. I looked them up elsewhere and here they are again, listed in order of size from smallest to largest: P. Bursaria P. Tetraurelia P. Aurelia P. Caudatum P. Multimicronucleatum So now I'm going to order all five of those, and raise them so I can feed them in that order, or offer them up to other tiny young fish, if needed. And I do have plenty of established tanks where I could probably get them, but almost every tank or water-borne culture I have (except vinegar eels) has copepods in it. Even the daphnia got them by mistake when I poured green water into their jars from outside, without pouring it through a filter first. So that's not a good source for paramecium. But these "pure" ones will probably work! (Half oy my property is actually a lake as well, so I'm sure there are plenty of goodies in there, but too many possible creatures to eat the paramecium as well.)

There is no trade forum here, so I have to ask - does anyone have a paramecium culture they can send me a part of? I'll pay shipping of course, plus a fee for the culture itself. Now the story(?) I am making a new post because I will eventually have a breeding "journal" to share, so I figured I would keep it all in one place. I have one congo spotted puffer at the moment. I got him from a wholesale facility (I'm a fully licensed fish seller) when they were sent the wrong fish, and the wholesaler marked it *way* down to get rid of it. Talk about a steal - I got him for just $65! They had two, but I was only able to nab one of them. He's in a 75G with four angelfish, three Syn. Brichardi, and a full grown L014 pleco right now. Anyway, I know they were easy to breed in the 1960's when getting wild fish from the Congo river was simple. Now that area is engulfed in pure chaos and war and no one wants to risk venturing into there to collect them. Meanwhile, no one really focused on breeding them in captive before that time. That's why they are rare and expensive now. But I LOVE taking on those challenges of populating the hobby with hard-to-find fish. I'm working on ornate bush fish at the moment (Microctenopoma Ansorgii) (nothing yet), Cherax Pulcher crayfish (a few broods), Cauliflower Sabertails (working on eliminating the potential deadly livebearer virus from my breeders), L387 plecos (one brood so far), zebra plecos (still growing hopeful breeders), and just received some adult Alestopetersius Brichardi... okay a lot of breeding projects going on. I have 36 tanks so far, and many more planned in a couple of years when I get an entire building put up just for my fish. Congo Spotted Puffers are my next planned breeding project now though. I just purchased some Subwassertang for them as well after reading the most recent thread. I do need the paramecium though. I think? But how do microworms and vinegar eels compare in size to paramecium? I not only have those cultures already (as well as walter worms and banana worms - both of which are smaller than microworms), but I even sell them to others because I have so much. I've actually got several of my culture cups in the dishwasher right now cleaning them up before splitting and starting fresh cultures. If these would work in place of paramecium, I'll just go with that. although since I'm selling them, I may as well get some paramecium anyway and start offering those too, since supply of starter cultures out there seems to be very limited! So, the one congo spotted puffer I got is full grown and I've had him maybe a month now. From what I can see, it's looking female. Not entirely sure yet, and I probably still need more time to add some weight on it. The wholesaler does not have anymore, but I have requested that they special order four more for me so I can look into breeding them - at their "normal" price though, but it may be worth it. They said they have to wait until they need many more fish from that supplier so it may take a few months. That's PERFECT because it gives me time to plan. Right now I have a 125G and 30G long coming in next week in which I plan to empty discus from a few different tanks to put in the 125G, leaving a few various-sized tanks empty. I was reading that it's best to breed these guys in a 30G as well? Or should they get an entire 55G to themselves? Is a smaller tank better - like a 20G? Or is that too tight? And for substrate, I have many options. My most-used substrate is black diamond blasting sand from a store called Tractor Supply. I get the medium grade for most tanks. But I'm thinking I will need to see and catch these eggs, so maybe a fine grade (which compacts down to almost a solid base) is better? It wouldn't hide the eggs very well then, which would let me collect them easier. I don't like using bare glass bottoms - even when painted - because the reflection really seems to affect fish in a different way. (Did you know a bare bottom tank is usually when and why discus show no peppering? When you have substrate and no bottom reflection, they often develop that peppering - like a camouflage response.) ANYWAY, so I want to get the paramecium rolling now before I even get the remaining puffers. I want to get the right sized tank, plus the right substrate and set-up. I've got amazon swords, mermaid weed, and lemon bacopa growing out of my ears, so planting it will be easy. I want the subwassertang for the fry, of course. I'll be moving the one guy in by himself for now - and maybe some cheap ember tetras to pick on if he wants and ungodly numbers of pink ramshorn snails. Once I get the rest I will remove all other fish and it will be a species tank just for the breeding puffers.