Figure 8 Puffer

scowldog

scowldog

AC Members
Mar 15, 2009
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Olympia, WA
Hoping someone here can help me get started right with a new to me setup.

I have lots of experience with cichlids but have never raised puffers before. I always assumed they were marine fish.

I have a cycled 12g setup. So I stopped by a lfs with the intent of getting a few zebras...when I came across the puffer tank and fell in love with the cute little guys. lfs said that for the short term I would be ok with a single figure 8 in the 12g tank..... is that correct?

I would like to learn more about these cute little fish. Do they require special care or water conditions? What do they eat? Where can I learn more about them.

I will have a 29g tank cycled withing the next month and possibly will be purchasing something larger later on this summer as funds permit.

Anyway I am really interested in the figure 8 and would like to here peoples thoughts regarding keeping one in the 12g tank until the larger tank is ready. Any special requirements or tips... and maybe some ideas on how to setup the larger tank in their native environment. Any pics?

thanks
Scott
 
Your F8 should be okay in that size tank. If you want more, you need to upgrade him, but they are ~15g for the first and +10g for every additional.

He is gonna need a salinity of 1.005-1.008 SG.... he's brackish!

the girl that wrote this article is pretty experienced with puffers, so I consider her a good source of help too, if you have questions that don't get answered here, or the puffer forum.
 
Thanks for the link. I'll read up.

The lfs that is stocking the f8 said they didn't require brackish water. It's isn't a problem for me to set up one. I just wan't the fishies to have the proper environment and I seem to be getting some mixed info. The lfs is highly reccomended in my area, many years in business and a knowledable staff, I will stop by there again and make sure I understood what they said correcty.

The puffers sure are cute.... and they seem to have quite a personality... almost birdlike. If need be I will purchase a dedicated tank. It's fun getting back into this hobby.

Scott
 
Where can I learn more about setting up a brackish tank. Anything special required other than a hydrometer and salt?

Will the testkit for freshwater work for standard tests or would I need a saltwater kit?
 
I might be wrong but I think what you want for something like a brackish tank is a refractometer. Remember to get something like Instant Ocean and not "aquarium salt." As for more info on a brackish setup, I can't help you out there because I've never done one. I think there is a brackish forum here, as well as pfp on fishlore knows a great deal.
 
thepufferforum.com

go there

admins, this should be moved to the brackish forum
 
Thanks for getting this in the right section. Sorry...

Did a little more reading today and went back to the lfs. They are saying that some can be brackish and some fw... and that with acclimation they can adapt to both conditions as the salinity often changes in brackish environments.

Thanks for the links to pufferforum and all the help. I am really intrigued by the cute puffers and will get a tank established for one soon.

I understand they like to eat snails... is that something I would buy or grow my own?

thanks for sharing the info.

Scott
 
All F8s need to be in brackish water. If he lives in FW now, he does need to be acclimated to BW but it shouldn't take too long. They can't adapt to living in FW long term.

They need snails to wear down their always-growing teeth. Optimal size for the snail is as large as the puffer's eye. I would suggest letting a colony of hitchhiker/pond snails get established in the puffer tank/another tank. Pond snails are good because they lack trapdoors and are easier to crush.
 
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