I was sold a "Leopard Puffer" for my new tank and though I didn't know much about them I didn't think it would go and eat one of my Gouramies. I did some research and found out I had actually been sold a "Figure-eight puffer". Which apparently is a bit more aggressive. Does anyone know anything about what kind of fish would go better with the F-E puffer? I would hate to get rid of the little fellow.
puffer confusion
- Thread starter emoellm
- Start date
I disagree strongly with the reference cited above on the proper conditions for F-8s. I would suggest :
http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=64
http://www.pufferlist.com/
Puffers in general are not community fish. They are obligate predators requiring live or frozen meaty foods, especially mollusks and crustaceans, but those are not readily avialble they are more than willing to use their unusually strong fused teeth backed by equally strong jaws to "taste" tankmates for edibility.
F-8 specifically are best in light brackish water.
http://www.thepufferforum.org/viewtopic.php?t=64
http://www.pufferlist.com/
Puffers in general are not community fish. They are obligate predators requiring live or frozen meaty foods, especially mollusks and crustaceans, but those are not readily avialble they are more than willing to use their unusually strong fused teeth backed by equally strong jaws to "taste" tankmates for edibility.
F-8 specifically are best in light brackish water.
Puffers still
Thanks for the advice. I really like the guy. now that I have got to know him a little better I wouldn't think of getting rid of him. He is seeming to leave the other garoumie alone and I think that as long as I keep him well fed he should be okay. What do you think. Does anyone have the F-8 puffer in a community tank? If so what is a good method for keeping it happy?
Thanks for the advice. I really like the guy. now that I have got to know him a little better I wouldn't think of getting rid of him. He is seeming to leave the other garoumie alone and I think that as long as I keep him well fed he should be okay. What do you think. Does anyone have the F-8 puffer in a community tank? If so what is a good method for keeping it happy?
The short answer is no. F-8's may co-exist with other fish for a while, a few months or so, but 1) they truly need to be in brackish water and will suffer without it, 2) dietary needs MUST be met, or teeth overgrow and the fish starves, 3) shredding fins is not related to hunger at all, but rather territory. As the puffer matures, the other fish in the tank will be attacked and killed.
I have an F-8 and they say they are suppose to be one of the friendlier puffers (I would question that). I tried to place several other fish in my brackish tank with him but it did not work very well for me. Worked fine for P-Diddy because he got a fresh meal. There are some people who keep puffers with other puffers or other fish but they have large tanks where the puffer has enough room to stake out a territory. The extra room also gives faster fish some room to run incase he get hungry (Puffers are not the fastest fish).
I've had P-Did for 10 months now and he seems to be quite happy alone in his own 10 gallon tank. He lives on snail, ghost shrimp, blood worms, brine shrimp and the occasioanl frozen krill (not his favorite). He is loads of fun to watch and is a cute as he can be.
As others have said, they are a brackish fish and need crunchy items such as snails and ghost shrimp to keep his teeth ground down. If you only feed them soft foods you will have to do your own puffer dentistry which I would not want to do.
I've had P-Did for 10 months now and he seems to be quite happy alone in his own 10 gallon tank. He lives on snail, ghost shrimp, blood worms, brine shrimp and the occasioanl frozen krill (not his favorite). He is loads of fun to watch and is a cute as he can be.
As others have said, they are a brackish fish and need crunchy items such as snails and ghost shrimp to keep his teeth ground down. If you only feed them soft foods you will have to do your own puffer dentistry which I would not want to do.
figure 8's are brackish and would do best with other brackish fish such as other brackish puffers, bumblebee gobies, monos, scats, archerfish, and the "freshwater" (really brackish or marine) snowflake moray eel echidna rhodochilis
like Puffernewbee said, figure 8's are somewhat hard to feed and they need snails or ghost shrimp
like Puffernewbee said, figure 8's are somewhat hard to feed and they need snails or ghost shrimp
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i have a figure eight in freshwater and he is brightly colored and healthy. i have had him in it for a long time now and he had another puffer with him and they were fine but i was on vacation and my dad forgot to feed them so i dont know what happened but one died.