lmsmith

Aw, sorry for your loss LA. They've got so much personality I imagine it's like loosing a pet dog or something On the plus side, they can live for over 10 years, so hopefully I won't have to face that anytime soon.

Fish grow faster in higher quality water. Water changes remove all of the chemicals that are in the part of the water you take out (so if you remove 50% of the water, you take out 100% of the toxins in that water, leaving only 50% of the total toxins behind). Better/more feeding will help, but then you risk having left over food that decays in the tank. Better filtration in a bigger tank will help this. So, your formula for fast growing fish - keep your fish in an over filtered, over fed tank and water change every time you walk past. I have guppies that are born and grow to pretty much full grown (mummies laying 100 fry at a time) in 3 months because I have 5 x the filtration recommended on the tank, feed them about 6 times a day and do a 50% w/c every day. If you don't want to be doing the water changes so often (so maybe 2 or 3 a week) then filtration and feeding is the next best thing.

Thanks Mystic There are two problems with tank size; first is that fish release hormones which can inhibit their growth if kept in tanks too small. So people who keep fish in tanks too small can have them stunted because they're being chemically inhibited from growing. Apparently, even a small time in a tank too small can have a bad result; so that's one more reason to do frequent, large water changes in quarantine tanks. The second problem is aggression; puffers need to be able to get out of the line of sight of other puffers. Once they can't see each other, they forget and get happy again. So to combat this, I have lots of hidey holes for the fish and most places in the tank they'll be out of the line of sight of other fish. 150L will be fine for them at the moment because they're still pretty small and can get out of the line of sight of each other. Of course, the sump helps to cut down on the level of hormones in the water, and also a larger system is easier to keep stable. But you're right, eventually, they will have to move to a bigger tank if they start getting aggressive. I'm planning an upgrade to a 500L DT with a 200L sump in the next year or 18 months. However, because they grow so slowly, I don't foresee any issues in the near future. Zippy is the only problem I can see being a big issue. As I said, I have a space in my sump to move him to if there are any problems, and he can live there for a few days until I can rehome him. I probably would end up setting up another tank for him if he does become a problem, because I've fallen in love with him. In terms of corals, there won't be any anemones anytime soon, and I'll stick to leathers and other things that I can be pretty sure the puffs won't eat. I've spoken to lots of people who have kept corals with puffers, so will be drawing on them for advice for what particular things I can put with them. My puffs don't tend to go around biting things though, so maybe they'll be ok. I know puffers are toxic, but obviously, they'll have to die or puff up for that to be a problem. A bigger system is the only real way to reduce that problem, as well as keeping a close eye on the tank. I don't like planning for that, I don't think I could bear it if my babies died! I know, it was a scary move. It's pretty low range marine right now (1.021) but I'll probably increase it slowly to 1.024 as they get bigger and if I get demanding corals that can survive vicious puffer teeth!

Here are the types of puffers we get easily in NZ. I say easily, but it can be quite a struggle to get them sometimes. There may be more, but those are the ones I've seen in the last couple of years. Freshwater puffers: Dwarf/blue eyed puffer Carinotetraodon travancoricus Brazilian/South american puffer Colomesus asellus Brackish puffers: Figure 8 puffer Tetraodon biocellatus Green spotted puffer Tetraodon nigroviridis Marine puffers: Stars & Stripes Puffer Arothron hispidus Dogface Puffer Arothron nigropunctatus Valentini Puffer Canthigaster valentini

http://fnzas.org.nz/fishroom/viewtopic.php?f=32&t=38614&sid=76430341ee69428947f1077dad23f6bd There ya go. I did it quite quickly as I'm watching TV, but I think that covers the basics. If there's anything I've forgotten, I'll add it to the thread.

Ok, so they're not really rare, but they are pretty unusual. This is my thread about my baby puffs; where they live in the wild, how to make them happy in an aquarium, and other info I know about them. The information (especailly about feeding) is pretty general to all puffers. Here are my puffs: This is little puff: This is big puff: I bought them at the same time from the same place, they were both about 1.5cm long (excluding tail). They're now about 6cm long. This is pretty small for a shop bought GSP; they're usually available from about 3cm and larger here. I bought them after doing about a years research on how to best raise them. General Stats Size: up to 15cm, very round like a tennis ball. Temp: 25 - 28deg Tank size: 100L per puff Temperament: completely dependent on the individual fish. They're very intelligent and need constant stimulation. They tend to be more aggressive as they get older. Salinity: 1.010 - 1.025 Background GSPs live in asia, Thailand, Shi Lanka, and India most commonly. They are found in fresh, brackish and full marine waters, but most commonly in brackish water. The general consensus is that GSPs spawn in brackish water (1.005 - 1.010SG) on the substrate (fine sand) then are moved by the parents to fresh water. They then move to more brackish water as they grow, then as adults to full marine conditions. However, not very much is known about them; and they have been confirmed to have spawned in the aquarium. In Feb 2009, the University of Florida successfully artificially inseminated and hatched GSP fry for the first time with a very high success rate. There are also reports that they are bred in huge industrial hatcheries in Malaysia, but this hasn't been confirmed, and there is no way to know if it is natural spawning or with use of hormones or other means. Internal Parasites Because they are not readily bred in captivity; virtually all available are wild caught. This is the same as many other puffers (except dwarf puffers, which are commonly bread in home tanks). This means that most of them have internal parasites when they are purchased. The best way to worm them is with dontral, a dog worming tablet. Crush up a tablet, dissolve it in water and inject it into their food. Feed the injected food for 3 -4 days. Do a water change after 12 - 24 hrs, then again in 3 days, and another 3 days after that. Keeping in an aquarium Because there is not that much known about where they live and when the move between different salinities, you can never be sure what to keep them in in an aquarium. Most fish shops sell them as fresh water puffs, but the general consensus is that they should be kept in BW (1.005 - 1.015) until they are 2 inches, then at increased salinity up to full marine as they get bigger. They need lots of space (100L per fish) as they're aggressive, and tend to get bored easily. They can't cope with strong flow as they only have tiny fins. They need lots of hidey holes as they like to sleep curled up in confined spaces. They also benefit from having the things in their tank moved around so they don't get bored. I also have a ping pong ball (with holes in it so it sinks) in their tank so they can push it around and play with it. GSPs are slow growing, taking anywhere from 4 - 8 years to reach their full size of 15cm. They cannot be sexed as they are monomorphic. Food Puffers teeth continually grow, so they need crunchy food to keep them ground down. If they get too long, it can prevent the puffer from eating and they can starve to death. Good foods to feed them: Snails daily (not Malaysian trumpet snails as their shells are very hard and can break the puffs teeth). Choose ones the same size as their eye, because they tend to just suck the snail out of the shell in larger ones. Live or frozen crabs Shrimp (either fresh, live or buy them fresh or frozen from the supermarket. Raw is best, don't buy them if they're flavoured or marinated) Mussels (frozen or in the shells) Octopus Slaters Veges if they'll eat them. Make sure they're defrosted or it can break their teeth and give them sore tummies. Avoid freeze dried food because they can swell up in their tummies and kill them. Keep an eye on what they're eating, and be careful not to overfeed them. Puffers don't have ribs, so they can (and have) eat so much that they explode and die. Puffers hunt their food, and like to hunt for snails and slaters etc. It's good to hide the snails around so they can find them. As a rule, feed fish smaller than 3cm every day, between 3cm and 7cm, 6 days but miss every 7th, and over 7cm every 2 - 3 days. Make sure you take out anything they don't eat. I've found it best to use a net that the sand can fall through but left over food can't. I just run net over the top layer of the substrate after I feed them. Water conditions Puffers don't have gill coverings, can cannot handle any amounts of ammonia or nitrite. Nitrates should be kept under 10ppm. It is pretty easy to tell if GSPs are unhappy; their stomach will be pure white when they are happy, and will become motley grey when tired, grumpy, hunting food, kept in a too small tank, or don't have good water conditions. They need a pH of about 8 - 8.3. Because they can't handle anything but the best conditions, the tank they're put in must be fully cycled. Other Info Puffing: It's not good for puffers to puff; often they can't unpuff, and end up floating upside down and starve to death. Never try to make your puffer puff. They also can't be taken out of the water, so to move it, catch it in a bag or container. If he does, and doesn't unpuff in a few minutes, then hold it gently by it's tail with its mouth up, and shake it slowly to get the air out. Here's a vid of a puffed puffer - not mine '>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QKSXQjdHDY Jumping Puffers can jump out of the water, so make sure you keep a lid on their tank or you may find a dead puff on the floor. My tank Here's a pic of their new tank that they moved into today: You'll notice they have lots of swimming room, but also places to hide. The tank currently has no substrate in it, but I may put some sand in depending on how they cope without the sand. They used to make holes in the sand to sleep in, so if they look unhappy without it, I'll put the sand back in. I'm in the process of training them to swim through rings The tank is about 150L and has a 100L sump. 1000lph return pump. Filtration is 20 kg of live rock. There are two powerheads in there, each about 4500lph, but I'm only using 1 right now. Current lighting 1 x T8 bulb, but my new lights are 2 sets of 4 x 39W T5's, and I will be attempting to grow corals. Tank mates: 1 damsel, Zippy, and 20 turbo snails (which they haven't eaten yet!) Here's a pic of Zippy: If he proves to be a problem, I'll move him to my sump or rehome him. He's nice and bright, and is much faster then the puffs, so I don't think he'll be a problem, but I am aware that the situation may change as he gets bigger. I'm happy to help if you have any questions about puffers, I've done so much research that I know lots about all different kinds of puffers. They're really great pets that are very intelligent and are truly like puppies. They curl up to sleep with their tail wrapped round them, and will come to greet you at the front of the tank. They don't like surprises, so don't keep them near a door that opens or closes often. You'll know they're happy if they zoom around the tank like a ball with a tail, with bright eyes and a round, white tummy. If you've kept a puffer, feel free to add any information you have to this thread. It will make a good resource for people who are interested in them.

ok sounds like a good idea. I'll start a thread tonight about them. They just moved into their new big tank this morning, so I'll take some pics and make a post. Any particulars you want to know other than what you mentioned?

Crabs from rock pools, mussels, frozen shrimp. I buy a frozen pack of mixed raw seafood, and it's lasts me about 6 months. After that time I throw it out, rather than run out. It costs about $4. Then I also feed live crabs and snails, and they're good to go. Just don't feed the same thing every day or they'll get bored. That's why the seafood mix is good, it has octopus (big puffs fav) and mussels (little puffs fav) and shrimp.

I wouldn't keep snails in their tank all the time. You'll probably find they'll gorge themselves on all of them straight away. Puffers don't have many muscles or bones in their tummies, so they can actually eat so much that they explode.

feeding a puff bloodworms is kinda like feeding a kid candy all the time. Think crunchy, live food. Crabs, mussels, shrimp

Completely depends what sort of puffers you're getting. The most common FW puffers here are dwarf puffers. They're best kept at about 24 - 27deg. What size tank do you have, and do you have snails breeding to feed them? What are you planning on feeding them?

Why wouldn't you just get an external? You would be able to get a suitable external for $200.

Seriously, now they've done the deed once, I wouldn't do anything unusual, just watch them and they'll make babies. If in a month they haven't done anything, then do a cold w/c and they'll be at it 24hrs later.

I read that article too, and it really upset me. I don't understand how someone could I do that! I remember a few weeks ago I was using electrical tape (the wide stuff) and had a long piece stuck on the edge of a table. My cat tried to jump on the table and got tangled in the tape, and the more she struggled, the worse it stuck to her. I had to sit with her for about 1/2 hr to pull the hair off the tape, but because she trusts me, she was happy to sit there, even though I did pull sometimes. I felt so bad about it, even though I didn't do it on purpose. I really can't see how a kid wouldn't feel bad about making an animal bleed, and it must have meowed and made sad noises too. I really think the kids (if they can find them) should be punished; they should HAVE to spend time in an animal shelter and bond with some animals (under supervision of course) to learn that they do have feelings. I don't think making them criminally responsible at such a young age would work, but morally responsible? Sure.

I agree. Unless you're only paying a dollar a fish, or can breed enough to replace the ones that die, you're better off going with Cardinals. Don't buy them at $13 a fish though, that's just plain silly. Sorry about your neon. But to be honest, there will be a lot more deaths in years to come

A water change during cycling will help, not hurt. As long as you have some sort of filter (which you do) 99% of the bacteria are in there; only a tiny tiny amount are in the water itself. You can happily take water out to dilute ammonia or nitrite without disturbing them. You can never to too many water changes as long as you have a good filter and are using good water.

Algae is pretty normal. The best way to deal with it is to reduce phosphates in your water; so scrape what you can off, and do lots of water changes and reduce feeding. Algae needs nutrients, light and space to grow, so if you take away one of those things (light or nutrients being the easiest), it won't be able to grow anymore. Don't clean anything too throughly, or you'll loose the good bacteria. A better filter is always better; and it will help.

Wow, those are flash! Can't wait to see some fish in there!

Sure! PM me when's good for you and I'll pop round! Thanks!

Nooooo.....Give me your bank a/c details, I'll deposit some money for postage, and send them to me! I don't have enough, and my puffers need them!

How about pygmy corys? They're minature

Happy bday!!!! What an awesome pressie!!

Sorry ira. I blame you using too many works. K.I.S.S!

I've found mine were over a year before the started breeding. Might be different for you though.

BN do poop a lot though, so they add significantly to the bioload. Awesome little fish, maybe buy them as babies and give them away as they get bigger and get new babies I've got babies if you want a couple. PM me if you want, a donation of courgette is appreciated