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mountaintoppufferkeeper

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Everything posted by mountaintoppufferkeeper

  1. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    Disclaimer I have never done this and am a super newbie on the larval stage. My limited understanding is that they are minimally developed "almost fry" and not quite eggs that float on or suspend in the current. Some good studies are out there on this species and topic. The gist is the Colomesus asellus, and I would assume any Colomesus puffer, has a spawning process similar to the saltwater puffers with the larval stage of development. In their case it appears they use rising water larval drift during the rainy season to disperse larvae into the flood plains and along the banks of the river. Im not well versed in what seems to be a saltwater process in freshwater. I believe : the first hurdle in the aquarium would be to collect the ichthyoplankton/larvae and not filter it out of the tank. My assumption would be to run a larvae trap from salt water and no filtration whatever night spawning would occur to make it work. the second to concentrate them to feed microscopic foods for a period while still maintaining water parameters. Once develop into fry and can start to eat more reliably raise them with the regular puffer challenges of food available vs puffers in need of that food. references: colomesus asellus breeding - Google Scholar Transport of larval fish in the Amazon - Araujo‐Lima - 1998 - Journal of Fish Biology - Wiley Online Library Natural selection in the water: freshwater invasion and adaptation by water colour in the Amazonian pufferfish - COOKE - 2012 - Journal of Evolutionary Biology - Wiley Online Library Drift of Colomesus asellus (Teleostei : Tetraodontidae) larvae in the Amazon river- fdi:43866- Horizon (ird.fr)
  2. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    I would expect that as well. It would be a cool project with the larval stage challenges involved.
  3. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    I have not tried the amazon puffers the faster growth of the teeth and the planktonic larval stage is not something I have set up for yet but never say never on that one. Yes, the hairy puffer colony they do well with plants but the subwassertang takes off in that tank to the point that I have generally pulled a gallon ziplock bag worth out of that 75 every two weeks. the benefit for me is they can bite it and it just makes more with no visible damage vs most plants where you can see the bite and damage. The hairys are with anubias, Brazilian pennywort (that I run as a floater), and subwassertang. Those seem to be the best options up here on the mountain
  4. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    The hairy puffers are probably better at growing it than anyone
  5. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    Puffer proof in all the tanks so far 🙂 my favorite for most situations
  6. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    Lol the puffers farm it up here ... so much of it in a few tanks it carpets for me
  7. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    The project has officially begun now. Egg collection was nearly impossible I was not really ready for it first round so grabbed the subwassertang and put it i to a german breeding ring floating in an empty 60 breeder. Still learning and the initial 6 or more will be invaluable to me to get better for the next group. Adjustments to wild group tank to follow for the next try and hopefully get more eggs to start. Day 0 March 24 2023 at 134 pm up here Today day 5 March 29th 2023 at 530pm to 615 pm @Preston John they are amazingly small in person. Way smaller than the palustris fry were. 5 days to free swimming at 9,100 feet seems like the altitude doesnt change the development so far. Day 6 30MAR23 0432/432am Thats a normal sized subwassertang leaf for scale. That leaf above is a brazilian pennywort leaf. Some portion of the now 7 counted fry are eating based off the belly. Day 6 30MAR23 430pm 16 or so visible now. Seem to have paramecium bellys and possibly infusoria off the subwassertang Day 7 31 Mar 23 11am ish. Treating for hydra since one grabed a fry before it swam free. That has caused the slight haze. Approximately 30 fry visible in the ring today
  8. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    I have not tried it myself. That does seem a little cool long term to me. I would imagine they are tougher than given credit for since that river is shallow and slow moving the temperature fluctuation is probably pretty drastic in certain seasons for extended periods of time. There have been a few studies of the river they originate from, and that range was more 75-82. one was the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, Print Version, Volume 2, Issue 11, November 2012 Edition, ISSN 2250-3153) I have unintentionally run 3 adult hairy puffers at 70-72 for a few weeks before when the heater got unplugged and wasn't noticed. They were ok but they were also full-grown puffers at that point which may have helped.
  9. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    That whole process was pretty cool to see. I took a bit of video that round and got a much better understanding of how they work in my setups and how to adjust my tanks for them moving forward: plants more localized, sponges on the one side of the tank to grab some eggs for a tumbler, and probably will move the sand to one side or remove it completely to better spot and collect the eggs.
  10. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    @nabokovfan87 This is the mark after. heals pretty quick. seems superficial and they go right back to standard puffering up here eating food and interacting.
  11. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    More of a firm hold only option they have without hands I suppose
  12. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    @Cory thanks kindly. That whole process is quite intense. They went back to normal coloration and feeding earlier tonight. Its intesting how much of a dance it is with them. Looking forward to working on raising fry at some point in the coming months. I also did not realize males changed pattern similar to, but not quite as drastic as, the mekong puffers with lighter spots and a darker body.
  13. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    So deworming worked i dont have egg collection down just yet but a cool update anyway ....
  14. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    Yeah i like options
  15. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    I havent done canisters in a while. They seem good with plants and 4 foam cube filters for me. I'd guess its mid flow even with the directional output. I have also run 2 of the sicce pro 500 with the spray bar popped up and the flow turned to middle of the range. 2 large box +/- 5" round box filters with floss and some bio rings My guess would be either canister would be capable of the job
  16. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    @Keegan484 I defer to @Preston John on anything spotted congo. The www.spottedcongopuffer.com site is excellent : Freshwater Pufferfish | Spotted Congo Puffer . I would also say this is a great episode of the Aquarist podcast to take in for this species amazing stuff. I am a newbie with spotted congos this group have only been here for a few months now but in general for me food is the key for puffers and for my congos primarily get snails i gut load with quality food and home-grown worms of different sizes. At this point i am a highly accomplished snail and worm rancher to supply the puffer tanks. I also occasionally feed frozen or freeze-dried krill soaked in vitachem and garlic guard. I can say that I haven't had overgrown teeth feeding ramshorns pond snails and trumpet snails regularly. My current observations: In a smaller tank spotted congos were really combative between themselves I did a pair in a quarantined in a 20 gallon and had to use a divider to separate them. When they were moved out of QT and into about a 40 gallon there were no real issues between male and female. My one cautionary tale is about freshwater surface skimmers those types that at sticks inside the tank. I had a spotted congo years ago and it decided to jump in the top one day while I was at work. Found it that evening and it was not fun. I prefer puffer groups myself due the interactions and different behaviors they have with themselves; the only thing that beats that is the challenge of raising clouds of puffer fry. The mekong puffers have been really fun to breed and raise.
  17. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    Im a bit specialized for some stuff but my top 3 are 1. live worms and pest snails cultured here a. 4 tier Earthworm ranch: european nightcrawlers from baby to adult and " compost worms" a thin shorter species. They get fed about a pound of organic greens mix a week. when harvested they get rinsed and then soaked in garlic guard and vitachem. Which i think is a fairly reasonable nutrient rich meal for . b. whiteworms and grindals are both on scotch brite pads and get around 6 pieces of the fancy kibble the dogs eat per culture per week Those three get me from pretty tiny to big not smelly easy button live foods for puffer fry and anything else in the room. 2 and 3 : i feed my limia vittata- ramshorn-pond-mystery-trumpet snail- scud 40 breeder culture tank : 2. repashy community, 3. extreme flake mix. 2 and 3 alao get fed directly to cichlids and anything not a puffer So really everyone gets the nutrition of repashy community, and the extreme crave flake at least indirectly.
  18. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    thanks @Beardedbillygoat1975 that's a bummer about the red eyes. sorry to hear that. So far the redeyes are doing well up here. I am hoping to get a group of Carinotetraodon salivator in the future; I ask every retailer I talk to to get them in but they haven't been around for a while now. fingers crossed those and the T.duboisi show up this year.
  19. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    Thanks for the alert @Lennie. @Keegan484 would go with the species I am drawn to as my first puffer. The cost to buy is much less than the lifetime cost to feed. My general rule is any tanks with puffers are puffer tanks. The rest of the roomates are up to the puffers and all can be moved if the puffers allow it. A few puffer species I keep in groups. All of which have been in a 75 or smaller. Spotted congos displaying No idea why but this is the same puffer in both 30 seconds later This is one in my group. This is a 43 breeder dividable custom "puffer tank" they are pretty interactive and no too big. I am of course partial to Pao palustris as @Procrypsis suggests they are a great puffer. Photos for reference. They are a bit variable on tankmates ive had success with variatus platies once they get sorted out and they stay away from the pointy end. Primarily snails, worms, and shrimp for their diet as adults. Worms bbs daphnia for my fry as they grow. Adult male adult female F1 young adults male above female below I had a fahaka in a 75 until about 6" these photos are that tank. I had variarus platies for cleanup and made the mistake of adding 6 small kribs to it. The 2" or so growing kribs forced the fahaka to the corner and had to be removed. For me the fahaka was pretty skittish with movements and lights outside the tank. After I saw a massive fahaka in a shop in boulder Id say still doable in a 75 with a bunch of water changes. That one was basically the size of a regulation football. Bigger is probably better These red tail red eye puffers (Carinotetraodon irrubesco) are fun and seem to like plants. Worms (earth and whjte) bbs, frozen brine adults, and occasional krill. (Not big on snail eating here) Male in what I believe are dominant display colors. My group is 2 males 3 females in a 40 breeder. They seem to be possible in a group for me. Female below And if you werent too worried i bet hairys could be done. For me they are fine in a group and more interactive as a group. These 3 have been a colony aince 2018 and remain in a 75 as a group today
  20. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    I assume there are variables based on the how the silicone used was applied and cured, how the tank is designed, level and equal pressures on the seams, and how it is supported. Id go for the new tank for me. I just upgraded to 2 50 gallon acrylic tanksto 60 breeder glass. So much room for activities in there 🙂
  21. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    Id say ever species is a challenge in some way. The regani were the more interesting looking midsized species and called the gentle pike occasionally. I thought their keeping was pretty standard for me: a group in a species tank with some schooling species and let them decide who stays and needs to move out. Then relocate those who were not pike approved to new tanks. They were easy feeders for me. I fed pellets, flake, and frozen and they didnt bother anyone else unless they got too close to fry. The conspecific aggression when they pair off was probably the hardest part. I bought 2 wild caught pairs that were happily in a 50 gallon for about 1.5 years...until they werent.😁 One day the colored up formed a dominant pair and the other pair had to be moved to another tank due to clear non stop "eviction" by the dominant pair. It wasnt too long after that when the female vanished around Christmas and wouldnt even show for feeding. I went into the fishroom on new years day and she was back with a cloud of fry. The male was likely bringing her food to a cave they spawned in. it was around 300 fry who i raised and traded out from a spawn so there could be a few F1 regani out there still
  22. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    @Theplatymaster agreed Ill vote spotted congo to take the left side The newly acquired spotted congo colony A puffer that can work with more than just other puffers and looks like it is smiling in this frame is a tough one to beat. ....BUT...... The definate adds Pao palustris mekong puffers and Pao baileyi would be playing in the south east asia puffer conference for me and among the top seeds to make it to the finals from the mountaintop division. Pao cf palustris mekong river puffers The adult male amazonas magazine star Day 1 F1 fry from his efforts 1" F1 fry from his efforts Hairy puffers my first and still running puffer colony which really started me on the puffer colony setups. Who doesnt like seeing a bearded puffer happy to see them. Mine are much more active as a trio than seperated. I have split one from the pair before and "he" (in this next photo) became a bump on a log vs an interactive surface swimmer and food beggar. Returned to normal when put back into the colony. and the final add for the cichlid bracket crenicichla regani rio tapajos (dwarf pike) Male above female below fry everywhere. These were the first on my breeders award program submission for the Colorado Aquarium Society. The colors are awesome,They are fearless parents, they teach fry to be pike, and they generally tolerate other fish in the tank unless they get too close to the fry. The behaviors of these are interesting as well; I observed snapping their jaws and gaping their mouths in displays I assessed were to deter percieved threats to the fry. They changed in coloration pattern and hue that I believe wad to communicate to each other and thier fry based on instantaneous behavior changes of the other adult and fry when that shift occured.
  23. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    I also would ask @Preston John. I am a newbie with the spotted congos. I generally run shallow sand with live plants in all the puffer tanks and occasionally. The group dividers removed in the custom "43 breeder" puffer tank. Pool filter sand, subwassertang, java moss, anubias in a coop planter. The wide shot. Little fiesty between themselves occasionally. This was a result of some food being in that fsr corner and someone deciding to not share. This is the normal speed. I personally like live plants and a black background for their comfort and my observation/photo taking I havent tried others with them as this group is a breeding project to learn about the egg scatterer puffers for me. For puffer tanks I have had the most success with variatus platies they arr pretty quick and generally will pick at the food on the substrate in my tanks. I have not tried any of these with a spotted congo but ..... I also have kept and bred african butterfly cichlids Anomalochromis thomasi a dwarf cichlid very hardy and peaceful for me. They are about 3" max total length remain down low and near plants, spawn on flat surfaces. Might work fairly well with plants and a spotted congo. Thats adult size. Breeding coloration is darker lines and more impressive blue and red striping Bolivian rams (Mikrogeophagus altispinosus) Still a bit fiestly with fry but they did turn some sand for me. Maybe kribs. They have been a bit too cichlid for puffers here. ive had kribs , that i intended to turn the sand and eat puffet leftovers as a suplement to their normal food, force a 6" fahaka to a corner of a 75 gallon. These are Pelvicachromis subocellaus moanda. Much more impressive in spawning coloration. Photos do not capture how impressive they color up; when breeding that pink becomes deep purple with a ring of shiny gold and the body goes dark charcoal grey. Pelvicachromis kribensis "Taeniatus Moliwe"
  24. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    Thanks @Colu. @skottiesgerl nice set ups. I havent kept either species but they look more like the green spotted Dichotomyctere nigroviridis than the ceylon puffer Dichotomyctere fluviatilis to me.My guess is based on spots on the dorsal surface particularly between the eyes. I feed lots of snails and treat with the med trio for wild puffers. @Zenzo has a great care video on the 2nd channel.
  25. mountaintoppufferkeeper
    @TheSwissAquarist I have not but i do like all the Pao puffers. I do prefer the groups personally and enjoy seeing everyones experiences with that dynamic. @CJs Aquatics this is going to be a great thread. Thanks for sharing the Dragon colony experiences. I am curious to see how they change color and pattern vs my mekongs and hairys.
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