View Full Version : memo to fahaka puffer owners..
andruboz
06-06-2003, 9:10 PM
glass thermometers and fahaka puffers dont mix. just hope he spit the tip out instead of swallowing it.
how does one go about protecting glass heaters? i know its too big for now, but he might want to chew thru the cord...
OrionGirl
06-06-2003, 10:42 PM
Several methods--they sell heater cages, which enclose the heater in a mesh, but this won't work with all fish. Other options include setting up a sump and transferring the heater to the sump, or getting a titanium heater--the fahaka will not be able to crack one of those.
yshurtleff
06-06-2003, 10:47 PM
how about the plastic covers .its working for me so far but mine is one 4 1/2 inches.:D
Does this happen with this kind of puffer only, or do all puffers?
I have not had any problems with mine. I have a GSP and F8P.
yshurtleff
06-07-2003, 6:31 AM
if your fahaka is doing that,I hope you have a very thick tank since thats what there known for...aka...tank busters...good luck
Pufferpunk
06-07-2003, 10:17 AM
A lot of folks recomemd plexiglass tanks for larger fahakas. There are also those newer filters w/heaters built in. My 10" fahaka, Filbert is pretty meek & I hope I won't have any problems. He'll be getting a 125 gal home soon.
rjl420
06-08-2003, 6:44 AM
My fahaka did the same thing a while ago, looked into the tank and noticed the thermometer was broken, luckily he didn't injest anything i'm aware of and all the nasty parts of the thermometer were intact so i removed the broken glass and what lead weights I could find. since then I haven't used a thermometer in the tank, rather I monitor my temps from time to time with a traveling thermometer that I use in several tanks.
I've been very concerned about teh heater ever since, both the cord and the heater itself. I have a ebojager 300 watt heater, so it's pretty thick as far as the glass goes, but when I feed something like freeze dried krill, it always seems to drift over near the power cord. to resolve that, i lowered the water level to below the cord so that nothing but the glass part of the heater is exposed. it's also placed in a corner behind the intake so it's a tad bit out of the way (still accessable if he wanted to get to it)
Sump would be the best option, and the one that I'm looking into. also would be a nice place to breed snails and other plants.
for the record, I have a plexi tank for my fahaka bacause of the tank buster aspect.
andruboz
06-08-2003, 10:07 AM
i thought tankbuster was a term those fish that outgrow tanks rapidly or in the very rare cases a a fish that can get over 4- 5lbs and swim at an extreme rate of speed, smashing the glass..
mines about 8" plus tail and i dont think he was much over a pound the last time i moved him.
i know the fahaka can, in a moment of panic, jet across the tank but it doesnt seem to have the mass to go through 3/8" of tempered glass. the only possible breaking i can think of would have to be done by ramming a hard edged ornament into the glass.
will try to minimize the hard edged ornaments for now.
sigh.. if i have to go plexiglass, it will give me a reason to get a nice cube tank. a 36wx36lx24d would keep him happy.
Shikkapow
06-15-2003, 9:13 AM
You mean to tell me that a fish.. a FISH can shatter 3/8" tempered glass??
http://community.the-underdogs.org/smiley/misc/bs.gif
gottaq wave the bs flag on that one.....
:D
Pufferpunk
06-15-2003, 10:49 AM
I have heard stories. It's true, believe it or not!
andruboz
06-29-2003, 10:31 PM
another hard lesson learned this weekend..
fahaka puffer can eat bristle nose pleco. the pleco was doomed from the time he left the store. bought it at my good lfs but they have a new employee. it took him 5 minutes to catch it and when i got it home, before i even got it out of the bag, i saw it was wounded. probably from the kid pinning it to the glass with the net. i called the store and they said not to worry, they are tuff.
he was proably playing possum and the puffer didnt buy it.
this puff doesnt eat fish but from now on he's going to think pleco is a delicacy.
Pufferpunk
06-29-2003, 11:37 PM
How large is the puffer? I know bristlenose are dwarf plecos. I added my fahaka to the pleco's tank & they are very large (10"). I'm not sure if it would have worked, but sometimes if you take out the puffer, rearrange the tank, put in the pleco & then put the puffer back, the pleco might have had a chance. Eventually he might have gotten eaten though. Fahakas are best left alone.