Mel Posted February 14, 2010 Report Share Posted February 14, 2010 I have been offered some figure 8 puffers, but i had no idea at all about how to start a brackish tank. So want to find out first and also what kinds of food these puffers eat? Can i just use normal salt? or does it have to be a special salt i haven't decided to take the puffers on yet and not sure if I want to, really depends on how hard they are to keep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdarnixx Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 i was told at the fishbowl that he does it by adding 1 tsp of salt (not normal table salt) to every 10l of water where are you getting the fig 8s from? ive been looking for some for a while now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted February 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 I have been offered 3 fig 8 puffers from a palmy local that can no longer care for them. I have been ringing around and it seems that Instant Ocean salt is ALOT cheaper than red sea salt - is there a reason for it being so cheap? any good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 I have been offered 3 fig 8 puffers from a palmy local that can no longer care for them. I have been ringing around and it seems that Instant Ocean salt is ALOT cheaper than red sea salt - is there a reason for it being so cheap? any good? I think instant ocean has a better reputation than red sea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Get a hydrometer to ensure you have the correct specific gravity at all times, especially for when changing water and redosing with the salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 before you go put salt in your tank :-? check and see how salty if at all the tanks at the shop where they are coming from is no use geting it to 1.008 then finding out they were in freshwater the hard way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 before you go put salt in your tank :-? check and see how salty if at all the tanks at the shop where they are coming from is no use geting it to 1.008 then finding out they were in freshwater the hard way A lot of juvenile brackish fish start in freshwater I believe, monos are a prime example, they dont need salt until they mature, so would probably be sold from fw tanks. Not sure about other species though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spoon Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 i think a lot of fig8 puffers are imported in FW too while salt is a lot more ideal for them they survive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 i think a lot of fig8 puffers are imported in FW too while salt is a lot more ideal for them they survive They survive for a little while. A person will survive for a little while if you drop them in a desert too, but not forever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted February 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 I got them last night - the person i got them from has had them in brackish for the last 3 or so years and she gave me a hydrometer she has had them at 1.010 - so that is what i have the tank at now. When we picked them up last night we collected as much water from there old tank as possible and she gave me a bag of the red sea salt. The tank i have them in now has a HUGE trumpet snail problem so they are busy eatting them all will the trumpet snails survive in brackish water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 they probably won't like the salt but knowing trumpets they will survive. good thing is they won't survive for long with puffers :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted February 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Just took some pictures of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aquila Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Very cute Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer Posted February 15, 2010 Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 Is that Java Fern in the background? Will that survive in brackish water? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted February 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2010 yes that is java fern also have some anuabis(sp) in there - i guess time will tell if it'll grow in there or not Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted February 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 Ok really silly question i know, But ... do they need alot of oxygen in the water? i had a airstone going in there but have taken it out, i am alittle worried the airstone might make them take in air and puff up? I have just got the spraybar of the filter just above the surface creating movement Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 the airstone won't make them take in air when they puff they fill with water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted February 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 :oops: Thankyou LA for putting my mind at ease, I will turn the airstone back on :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted February 16, 2010 Report Share Posted February 16, 2010 you can remove the red faces, it is a popular misconception our porcupine puffers locally can get in surf and fill with air but generally it is water Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted February 17, 2010 Report Share Posted February 17, 2010 It's a misconception that makes very little sense if you think about it. 1. Where would the air come from when surrounded by nothing but water? 2. What would happen to the fish if it suddenly became full of air? It would shoot to the surface at about 100mph and then bob around like a buoy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted March 1, 2010 Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 This thread wants me to set up a GSP brackish species tank! Stop it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel Posted March 1, 2010 Author Report Share Posted March 1, 2010 afew years ago the lfs had a GSP and it was so cute i think much cuter than the fg8's - I so want one, will they live with fg8's? Well my 3 little cuties are doing really well, alot fatter now and seem alot happier to. I noticed when i first got them there tummies were very odd, you could see the inside bits - almost like how you can see a really skinny persons bones sticking out. But they're not like that now and they love raw prawns it's amusing watching them play tug of war with a piece of prawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deepsound Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 Hi, I'm also interested in brackish water. Here's a list of plants that could grow in it : Anubias sp (particularly A. barteri and A. congensis) Bacopa monnieri Cabomba Ceratophyllum demersum Ceratopteris cornuta Crinum thaianum (not more than 1005) Crinum calamistratum, pedunculatum Cryptocoryne ciliata Cryptocoryne wendtii (not more than 1005) Echinodorus tenellus (even with strong density) Eichhornia crassipes Eleocharis acicularis Elodea Hygrophyla spp (un pH alcalin favorise les carences en fer, donc les chloroses) Lilaeopsis brasiliensis (not more than 1005, lot of light, rich soil) Microsorium pteropus, Myriophyllum spp Pistia stratiotes Potamogeton crispus, perfoliatus, Ranunculus limosella Sagittaria platiphylla Sagittaria subulata Vallisneria americana, asiatica, gigantea (not more than 1005, but they don't grow very much) Vesicularia dubyana. Acclimatization to salt must be very progressive. Hope it can helps you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deepsound Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 An interested link about it : - Plants for Brackish Water Systems By Bob Fenner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caryl Posted May 5, 2010 Report Share Posted May 5, 2010 There are a lot more plants that adapt to brackish water than I thought! Some of those you have listed are banned in NZ but still plenty of others to try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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