Chris
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Posts posted by Chris
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On 10/5/2021 at 6:16 PM, Patrick_G said:
There will soon be a new puffer in the family, but I’d love to talk brackish basics. @Zenzoand @Chris, I know you folks have brackish tanks with Green Spotted Puffers, and I think others also have brackish tanks.
Since it’s possible the fish will be living in fresh water when I get it I’m not sure how to cycle the tank. Should I cycle with fresh water and then slowly raise the salinity? Will that affect the cycle? Or should I cycle with a low salinity and then somehow acclimate the fish?
Welcome to the salty side 😎
Every store I've ever bought a brackish fish from has kept them in freshwater (or full salt, for some of the species that prefer saltier brackish, like adult Monos and GSPs), so it's likely the fish you'll be buying is living in freshwater. Check with the store, though!
What kind of puffer are we talking about? Different species will have different requirements - Figure 8's, for example, are usually best kept at lower SG's (roughly 1.004), and can be acclimated to that SG on day one from freshwater via a 1-2 hour drip acclimation. Green Spotted Puffers, on the other hand, are usually born in freshwater and move to saltier water as they get older. I keep mine in nearly full salt (1.018-ish), but I think Zenzo keeps his at a lower SG. Current knowledge suggests anything in the mid-brackish to full marine conditions are fine for large GSPs, and I've found that to be accurate.
For cycling a tank for something like a Figure 8 (who you'll probably want to acclimate into brackish water on day one, IMO), you'll probably just cycle the tank at the desired SG - 1.004. With my current Figure 8, I actually introduced him into a freshwater tank filled with salt-tolerant livebearers, and increased the SG by .002 the first week, and .001 for two weeks after that to get 1.004. I've read that any faster than that can disrupt the freshwater Nitrogen Cycle. This treated a minor ich infection, and didn't disrupt my freshwater cycle.
For a GSP, it all depends on the size of the fish at the time of purchase. If he's under 2", I'd cycle a freshwater tank and keep him in that until he's 3" or so, and then begin bringing the SG up by about .001 every week or two until you get to at least 1.008. If he's going to be larger than that, I'd probably cycle at 1.004 or so, drip acclimate him to that, and increase it by roughly .001 a week to your desired SG. With my current GSP, is bought him around 3" and acclimated him to 1.008 overnight. He did just fine!
Luckily, brackish fish are almost all incredibly hardy, so this isn't as much of an exact science as it is whatever works best for you. The above is just how I've done it in the past. I'm sure Zenzo will have plenty of good advice to offer, and hopefully others can chime in too!
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I can't believe I read through the entire thread and didn't see anyone else from Kentucky! Richmond, KY here - about an hour away from Churchill Downs, 30 minutes from UK, two hours from Fort Knox, and two hours away from the Cumberland Gap.
Sadly, I'm about 36 hours away from the Co-Op... I'll make that drive one day!
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I set up a 10 gallon tank to throw plant trimmings into - no equipment other than a kit light I ripped out of a hood. I figure I'm probably a month or two out from a couple new tanks, so saving the trimmings might make more sense so I'm not buying more plants down the road.
Definitely gonna have to get some Crypt Pink Flamingo and Florida Sunset, though! I've been eyeing those for a while.
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On 10/4/2021 at 8:26 PM, eatyourpeas said:
They are so fun! I am jealous that yours eat dry foods. Mine won’t acknowledge anything that is not live, and if they do is just to give me attitude.
Eh, I'm sure they'd give me quite the tongue-lashing (fin-lashing? Laser eyes? 🤔) if I gave them dried foods often! They just get the dried mealworms every now and then - the only puffer I have that'll take flake and pellets is actually the Figure 8. He'll inhale little bits whenever I feed the other fish dried stuff.
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On 10/4/2021 at 1:24 PM, eatyourpeas said:
The king of his tank, H.R.H. Nicodemus, showing his breakfast belly, of course!
The 1.5" killing machine is off to find more food (as if he needs it!).
That is a very colorful DP! Love the algae/moss on the driftwood, as well. I love to see all the little epiphytes and such that tend to pop up in these tanks.
I fed the Green Spotted Puffer and the Figure 8 some dried mealworms today. I do this every week or two for variation in their diet, and also because the worms have a crazy hard shell that I'd like to think helps keep their beaks ground down.
If you turn the volume up, you can hear the crunch in this one!
Notice how much more shy the Figure 8 is than the Green Spotted. I swear, I've seen molly fry chase the F8 off from food before. Such a gentle little blob.
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I don't think so, especially if the tank is heavily planted. Your water parameters would tell us more - but I'm sure it'd likely be fine.
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On 10/3/2021 at 2:36 PM, MAC said:
I've seen online people having success with tankmates and I don't doubt it can be successful and I've considered trying it. But for me in a 20 long I really didn't want to risk putting fish in and having it not work and then have to go around and catch out something like danios out.
In a larger tank with more room and things I'd be more likely to try.
Ah, I didn't consider the tank size. That is a very good point! I can't wait to set up a tank for these guys. Do you have any advice to offer that may not have made it onto care sheets for them, or that may set them apart from other species of puffer? Or have you found them to be very similar to Indian DP's in care?
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On 10/3/2021 at 2:06 PM, Patrick_G said:
That’s something to look into. Especially since I know Aquarium Coop stock them occasionally.
@Chris, we’re talking about Carinotetraodon irrubesco right?
Yes, although C. Borneensis and C. Lorteti are similar enough to be included in the discussion too, if you ever ran across them!
On 10/3/2021 at 2:26 PM, MAC said:Red eye puffers (Carinotetraodon irrubesco) are really neat. I've had a pair in a 20l for about a year now. They live with a small colony of cull neo shrimp, take vibrabites, and have on occasion shown courtship behavior. Haven't tried them with other fish tankmates though, I think eventually they would pick at them over time in such a small tank. But if you see them, in a shop I recommend.
Interesting - I've seen several people keeping them with small, fast fish (small tetras, peaceful barbs, small danios) and cories. Would you still not try it?
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@Beardedbillygoat1975I should add, that as a dwarf species, Red-Eyed Puffers have no issues with beak growth, just like Indian DP's (or so I've heard). Lots of the less common species will have to be ordered online, unfortunately, and most are wild-caught and seasonal.
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On 10/3/2021 at 1:38 PM, Beardedbillygoat1975 said:
@Patrick_GSA puffers- The fact you can keep them with other fish, they aren’t brackish and stay relatively small has put them on my list of must haves for the last year. Their teeth and the need to get them grinding them down regularly is only thing that scares me a bit.
SA's are about the worst for having overgrown teeth, but in general, it's not too big of a deal. A proper diet is really all you need - plenty of shelled foods. I scrape the majority of the meat off of clams on the half shell when I feed so that the puffer has to really scrape the shell, then I feed the meat after it's done scraping. It keeps their beaks pretty well trimmed. My Figure 8 seems to be an anomaly when it comes to beak growth, but I'm thinking that's just because of his individual feeding habits.
Maybe look into Red-Eye Red-Tail Puffers - they stay much smaller (they're a dwarf species), but live fairly peacefully in pairs (1:1 M:F ratio) and do great with tank mates, from what I've heard. Cool little guys.
On 10/3/2021 at 1:38 PM, eatyourpeas said:I still see them in your future! 🐡🐡🐡🐡🐡🐡
I lost me Betta today and am seriously considering getting another pea puffer for that tank... 😵
Sorry for your loss 😞 But, do it!
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On 10/3/2021 at 12:20 PM, Patrick_G said:
Here’s a shakey video of the Amazon’s at Aquarium Coop yesterday.
Pros: they’ve already been de-wormed and medicated, and they look super happy and super cute.
Cons: I’ll need a school of six at $34 each, they might eat all my shrimp and I’d have to give away some fish to make room. They have a reputation for excessive glass surfing.It's worth it! Amazons are probably the puffers I enjoyed the least out of all that I've owned, but still... they're puffers!
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They're like baseball cards! Gotta fill up the tanks like we used to fill up our binders, lol.
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I don't intentionally fast my fish, but I do miss a day of feedings every now and then. Or, if I realize I've overfed a certain tank, I may skip a day or two to try and avoid bloat/water quality issues.
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So, it seems that this forum has become a little bit of a bastion for puffer keepers - especially of the freshwater variety, which is awesome! There's not been such a resource on care since ThePufferForum became dilapidated. I've gravitated towards puffers over the years, and have kept quite a few of the common species, although there are many (many, many, many) more I'd like to keep. They're like chips, you can't just have one!
My Green Spotted Puffer:
My Figure 8 Puffer:
My Dwarf Puffer:
My Valentini Puffer:
I've had other species, including the Blue Spotted Toby, a Dogface (short-term, holding it for a friend), a Porcupine (short-term, for the same friend), Amazon Puffers, a Hairy Puffer, and an Avocado Puffer. Next on my list are the Redeye Redtail Puffers and Schoutedeni Puffer!
Share your pics and videos of your puffers here!
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On 10/3/2021 at 1:50 AM, xXInkedPhoenixX said:
What a fun tank that is! I hear you about the silk plants. I have some fake plants for other purposes, and used to use them to add color and/or fill in while my plants are growing in. You can find really nice realistic looking flowers/plants in home decor and craft shops so I've never understood why the aquarium trade isn't better at them! I have to see it, hold it, touch it (I have to verify it's soft and won't hurt the fish friends- it's amazing what passes as aquarium safe).
It's all about prices, I think. Interestingly enough, I'd say there's not actually a ton of people who'd be willing to pay more for nice silk plants, since most people who care that much would probably be more interested in growing live ones anyway. It may not make sense business-wise, at least for big-box stores. I'd love to see someone take up that gauntlet, though! I think there's a niche to fill.
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Alright, so it's 1 AM and I can't sleep, so why not upload some pics and talk about the tank?
I guess I forgot to mention that the puffer had a minor eye infection shortly after coming into this tank. It started with just a bit of a haze over one eye on Sunday, and quickly turned into both eyes being rather cloudy by Monday. So, I dosed Erythromycin once, and it was cleared up by Wednesday. All good now!
You can see a bit of the cloudiness in this pic:
You can also see that his beak is getting a little long - this particular puffer seems to have a faster growing beak than any other I've had. Makes me wonder if some are more genetically prone to beak issues. I'm going to feed some more snails, and I'm also scraping most of the meat off of clams now (so he has to scrape the little bits off) and feeding the meat after he cleans the shell. Hopefully that's enough, and I don't have to play dentist on the little guy.
The BBGs are doing really well in this tank - maybe better than they were in the 36. I am SO glad I've never had issues getting these guys to eat. They take everything except dry!
I'd like to find some nicer silk plants, but so far I haven't found any that really wow'd me. Apparently some of the Imagitarium (Petco) branded stuff is pretty nice, but the nearest petco is 45 minutes away. I may make a trip out there sometime to look.
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On 10/3/2021 at 12:13 AM, Odd Duck said:
@Patrick_G Bad Pea Daddy is as almost long as a good sized adult oto and at least 3-4 times the mass of an oto. That’s just part of the reason I won’t be putting any otos into the 29 G that’s going to be the new puffer home.
They can turn into little chunks, that's for sure! I guess that's a good size comparison - my DP is roughly the same size as my ottos, and all have been in the tank for almost two years.
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On 10/3/2021 at 12:02 AM, Patrick_G said:
@Chris, is that an Amazon Puffer or a huge Pea Puffer with your Otos?
I think the pic makes him look a little bigger than he is! In reality he's just over 1.25" or so. I've had him for almost two years, and he was wild caught, so I assume he's nearly maxed out!
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On 10/2/2021 at 4:25 PM, Intuos said:
Did some tank maintenance today on my betta tank and added some more plants to my 34g.
Starting to get a nice boom in the bladder snail population to feed my assassins in the 34g.
Also got to see all my ottos at once 🙂.
Your tanks look awesome! Love them!
On 10/2/2021 at 5:25 PM, Odd Duck said:I have 6 in my 100 gallon. I can see 3 at most at any given time. 2 right this minute. I see 2-3 in my 20 G long with my pea puffers, should be 5. I suspect pea puffers harassing them. Pea puffers don’t deserve otos for friends and won’t have them anymore when I transfer peas to the 29 G.
Edit to clarify that otos are too sweet for murder beans and will still either live, but more comfortably, in the 20 G long without the puffers or I may attempt to catch them again and move them in with buddies in the 100 G. If I happen to catch any otos while catching puffers for their move, that will likely make my decision for me. Otos that get caught will go into the 100 G with nanofish, cories, and small plecos. Either way, they will never be hassled again, the sweet babies.
I've been lucky - my current DP doesn't bother my ottos or shrimp. I've had some in the past that were true terrors, though!
I did a lot today - water changes on all of my tanks, rescaped a tank, and stole some plants and shrimp from my mom. I got her a 29 gallon kit from Petsmart for Christmas 2019, and she's got a pretty decent tank now. Balloon mollies, guppies, and Limia Nigrofasciata, and cherry shrimp that were all bred in my tanks, and then a small school of Odessa Barbs all live pretty peacefully in there. She's got a buttload of Anubias and Java Fern, as well as some Crypts and Ludwigia. She doses Easy Green and Root Tabs whenever she feels like it, rarely changes water, and feeds daily... and her water tests great every time I think to test it. Goes to show what an established, stabilized, complete ecosystem can do, even for someone who isn't super nermy like the rest of us.
I got rid of my RCS a few months ago, so I stole some back from my mom now that she's bred the dozen I gave her into a hundred. 6 went into a little bin with a sponge filter and a bunch of mulm from an established tank to breed, and 3 went into my dwarf puffer tank to breed and make shrimplets for food. He's never bothered adults, but I'd like him to have some things to hunt in there!
I managed to get two feedings in today on all of my tanks, so I've got tons of nice, rounded bellies. I need to start hatching out baby brine again, but I've gravitated more towards larger fish that have no interest in it... I may just start freezing whatever I can't feed into cubes.
Bumblebee Gobies eating some frozen brine:
Nanaue got some bloodworms tonight, so he's been hunting around the substrate for ones he missed. He's not nearly as skittish as he was!
My Green Spotted Puffer has finally lost his stress coloration from the tank move, and seems to be doing well in his new home.
And the ottos love green beans. Excuse the mess - I just rescaped this tank today, and I haven't had a chance to get all the rotted wood off the substrate yet! And I let the paint run when I painted the back of the tank 🤦♂️
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On 10/2/2021 at 1:47 PM, SWilson said:
Nanaue is so beautiful!
Thanks! He knows he is, unfortunately. He's only been with me a week and he's already spoiled rotten 🙄
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On 10/2/2021 at 1:58 AM, Torrey said:
I believe that Carolina (can't remember 2nd half of the name) sells blackworms, and I know that they see amphopods.
I love life foods that can replicate in the tank.🥰
Yeah, I've actually heard of them! The only thing that keeps me from ordering online from anywhere is storage. I live in a tiny apartment, with a teeny tiny fridge, so setting something like that up would be a no-go for now!
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So, I'm learning that Nanaue hates shellfish. I've tried to feed him little bits of raw table shrimp, mysis, brine, and I just now tried some clam, and he immediately rejects it every time! He'll take a bite, and then launch it across the tank with his mouth, lol. He'll take bloodworms okay, and seemed to be a little more fond of the dried insects this morning than he was yesterday - there was no hesitation before it was engulfed into oblivion.
Funnily enough, so far he's only really gotten excited for pellets. I guess when the fish is manmade and captive-bred that makes a little more sense, but still - I find it interesting.I added a moss ball, a Crypt Lucens, and a piece of Java Fern Windelov to see if he'd leave new plants alone now that he's settled in. So far, so good!
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That's terrifying. But I'd 100% buy a bunch, breed them, and keep them on my desk for giggles if they bred true!
I agree that a deformity is more likely than the shell just unrolling. Ramshorn shells are so thin I can't imagine it being manipulated without falling apart.
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I haven't had luck getting my pea puffers to take repashy - my pea puffers have always been far pickier than any other species I've kept, freshwater, brackish, or marine. I guess they probably have a more specialized diet in the wild, due to their size - but that's just a guess.
I've feed my Green Spotted Puffers, Figure 8's, Amazons, Tobies, Dogfaces, and Porcs Repashy before, just for a change in diet. They all took it, although they didn't really hunt it like they do other foods. They'd take a bite or two, swallow, and move on.
Brackish Basics
in General Discussion
Posted
I personally didn't have much luck with plants. The Anubias and Java Ferns didn't die, but they certainly didn't look happy. Marimo did fine, and certain Crypts did okay. I ended up finding a little baby Crypt Wendtii that had grown in behind the scape whenever I moved the tank, so it seems they're one of the few plants I've found to actually grow in brackish - although, I think that may have been my own noobiness to the whole salty-plants thing, too!