So I'm going to get a puffer fish...
- Thread starter MudskipperFan
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Get a load of this.
Do gambusia actually produce a lot of ammonia? AM I READY FOR A FIGURE 8 PUFFING FISH?
Do gambusia actually produce a lot of ammonia? AM I READY FOR A FIGURE 8 PUFFING FISH?
read this all the way through and you sound like you're starting to go in the right direction.
how many of the gambusia did you add and how big are they?
you have to consider how often & how much you feed the gambusia, goby, shrimp and snails that are in the tank and how much waste they produce altogether.
is that amount of waste equal to what the puffer would create?
it's not so much the species of fish ("Do gambusia actually produce a lot of ammonia?"), IMO, but the size and/or diet. a big fish will make more mess than a small fish, and a fish you feed more often/larger amounts to will make more waste than one fed every second day.
how many of the gambusia did you add and how big are they?
you have to consider how often & how much you feed the gambusia, goby, shrimp and snails that are in the tank and how much waste they produce altogether.
is that amount of waste equal to what the puffer would create?
it's not so much the species of fish ("Do gambusia actually produce a lot of ammonia?"), IMO, but the size and/or diet. a big fish will make more mess than a small fish, and a fish you feed more often/larger amounts to will make more waste than one fed every second day.
Like I said in the thread I linked to, my gambusia are about 1-1.5 inches. I have been feeding the fish full brine shrimp cubes every day/other day ever since last week, and there hasn't been any ammonia spike. When I will buy the puffer fish I'll feed him ghost shrimp/brine shrimp every other day untill the bacteria can finally get used to him. I will definitely remove the gambusia from the tank, but I'm not sure about the goby. Providing it won't produce too much ammonia and it will stay out of the puffer's way, I'll keep it.
not too sure if you understood what i was asking, since you replied with "until the bacteria can finally get used to him". i do hope you are prepared to do the necessary water changes to avoid a mini cycle.
what i was asking was if the current stock in the tank (gambusias, goby, and shrimps) create a waste amount equal to the waste amount of one puffer. if you were to remove all the current tank inhabitants when you get the puffer, would the waste produced by the puffer be equal or near equal? (so as to avoid ammonia spikes/mini cycle).
also, even though members on the other forum you've posted on suggest a varied diet, you've mentioned you will be feeding brine shrimp. this is not a nutritious enough diet for any fish. please reconsider this.
edit - sorry if this sounded a lil nasty or cold hearted, but i wouldn't want to see your future puffer suffer at all.
what i was asking was if the current stock in the tank (gambusias, goby, and shrimps) create a waste amount equal to the waste amount of one puffer. if you were to remove all the current tank inhabitants when you get the puffer, would the waste produced by the puffer be equal or near equal? (so as to avoid ammonia spikes/mini cycle).
also, even though members on the other forum you've posted on suggest a varied diet, you've mentioned you will be feeding brine shrimp. this is not a nutritious enough diet for any fish. please reconsider this.
edit - sorry if this sounded a lil nasty or cold hearted, but i wouldn't want to see your future puffer suffer at all.
I'll feed my puffer ghost shrimp and clams when I get it. I was actually wondering the same question as you, how many fish would produce an ammonia level similar to a puffer. If reducing ammonia levels means I'll have to sell all my fish, then it's okay.
