fishy_t Posted February 17, 2006 Report Share Posted February 17, 2006 Hi guy's Just looking for any tips - I'm getting a Congo Puffer in a week or so and was wondering if anyone who has one/has had one has any tips for me on keeping and or tank set-up. The tank is going now but if you have any idea's its not too late to change it! I've been reading up on line and so I've got about 15cm of sand on the bottom for him to bury himself in and a few bits of wood and a few large ish stones for him to camouflage himself against... I was going to add some plants too but does anyone have any comments or suggestions??!!! Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Just done google search on this fishy, so, he's highly aggressive, and should only be kept with fishies that are bigger than him, should also be fed live food, such as guppies and live ghost shrimp and some crustaceans, and worms. Are you planning on having this fishy in this tank by himself or are you going to be adding some tank mates in there with him? Must admit he looks rather interesting, but apparently he will spend most of his time buried up to his eyeballs in the sand. Happy Fishing Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy_t Posted February 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Thanks Lynda Yeah, he's going to be buy him self... I've done loads of searches and not found much really but what I have found is quite impressive! Apparently someone put one in with 3 fully grown Oscars and the puffer ate one of them on the first night! I'll feed him mainly on Bullies from the river I think - there are always tones of them and as he is already quite big I'm not supposed to feed him more than once every few days... Anyway - anyone with some experience please get in touch!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy_t Posted February 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Also - as I've seen them described as looking "like a floating turd", I think I'll call him 'Poo' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Haha, Luv it :lol: :lol: :lol: Rather you than me, doing the water changes, you could be minus a hand after the first water change lol then we would have to call you lefty or righty a, (depending on which hand he eats first, of course), instead of fishy t. Good Luck Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 Aww, someone is getting excited Thomas, I'll be giving you the contact info (e-mail addie) for the current owner/seller so you can ask him whatever you're curious about (and see if he/she already has a name). Would that help? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 So what are the chances of this fishy, actually biting you? I mean lets face it if it can devour an, Oscar it can devour anything. :-? :-? :-? Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 The fish is an ambush predator which means it will probably be timid in most occurances when you're working in the tank. I suppose if he was buried and your hand lazily drifted by... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNDYLOO Posted February 18, 2006 Report Share Posted February 18, 2006 hmmm, still don't know if I would be wanting my hand in there, probably likely to fly out and grab ya when you least expect it. :-? :-? :-? Lynda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 http://puffernet.tripod.com/miurus.html the best info I've found out there, as well as the coolest pics all in one place of the colour changes. Not much else to know aside from what they tell you there, IMO. Just don't call him "Puff Daddy" as a local puffer already has that name You can put it with some larger fish, you know... [plug]A Borneo/Siamese Tiger Fish may even make a good tank-mate!![/plug] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 i guess i'll be bringing this one back it it's own container then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 LOL, I think most of those fish will need their own containers?? I think he'd be fine with anything smaller than him. No one ever mentions how large the Oscars were that got munched.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted February 19, 2006 Report Share Posted February 19, 2006 ...so I've got about 15cm of sand on the bottom for him to bury himself in... i just cleaned out a 600L tank that had about 15-20cm of gravel in places - and just in typing this i can remember the smell... the gravel was dead and STUNK. are you using any form of substrate heating or water circualtion? i think that the puffer will be happier hiding underground if the substrate is warm and clean... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy_t Posted February 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Sorry haven't been keeping an eye on my thread! :oops: Yeah apparently he does bite! (From current owner:) "You really do not wanna get bitten by this guy. Strongly suggest initially feeding with feeding tweezers. Then once you are familiar with how he feeds, you can try hand feeding. If you notice his teeth getting too long, you need to feed him crabs (shell and all) This will keep his teeth from getting too long and stop him feeding properly. And it makes the coolest crunching noise. I feed him rockpool crabs once or twice a week and his teeth are shorter than when I got him. I must say that any other fish you put in the tank with him is at your (or more the fishes) risk. On the first night in my LFS the two puffers tore apart 7 5 inch oscars, a 4 inch Jack Dempsey and a pair of really big orange peacock cichlids." Sounds good!!!! About the gravel - what I'm using is sand which I've found usually stays cleaner than gravel as its harder for 'stuff' to get down in between the gaps... But I think I'm going to have to keep a close eye on the situation, as he does sound pretty messy! I'm just using a normal heater but the sand will be warm from the water anyway won't it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 It depends how deep the sand is. If its too deep it will remain cool at lower levels as there is no warm water flowing though it too keep it warm. Also if too deep it will get smelly and is likely to bind up like concrete if it is not vacuumed (which with sand is quite hard to do without it getting sucked out) I would say much over 5 cm is getting too deep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 I'm just using a normal heater but the sand will be warm from the water anyway won't it?! In short, no. In long, The surface will be as warm as the water, but the deeper you get the cooler it will be - if you have the tank set up already just stick your hand down into the substrate - you will notice the difference. you can get around this by using an undergravel heater, a heating pad (under the tank itself), or by piping the flow from your filter through piping under the soil. i wouldn't recommend the undergravel heaters - they are a fine wire that gently heats the substrate, and if your puffer goes excavating... the heating not only causes the temperature of the sand to warm up, but causes water convection in the sand - the water rises where the heating pipe is and gets drawn down where the sand is cooler. don't be fooled by sand either - just because visible crud can't get between the particles doesn't mean bacteria can't, and if they get underneath and die you'll get, simply put, swamp gas. the other consideration is that if this fishie does a lot of digging, you'll never have a problem with stuff building up under the substrate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dark Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 It depends how deep the sand is. If its too deep it will remain cool at lower levels as there is no warm water flowing though it too keep it warm. Also if too deep it will get smelly and is likely to bind up like concrete if it is not vacuumed (which with sand is quite hard to do without it getting sucked out) I would say much over 5 cm is getting too deep. do you think reverse undergravel filtration would work or something more like an undergravel spraybar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanksman Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 I would think sand will clog any filter plates or simply fall though and take out the void underneath rendering it useless. I am reserved on the piping idea but I think it would be a pain in the ... to maintain as it would need cleaning out probly monthly or else the hoses and holes would get clogged with the same gunk in your canister hoses. I'd try and find a long vaccuum with a very large diameter say 100mm or so. This might allow sand vaccuuming depending on the size and type (heavy or light) of your sand. Maybe it might be best to suck heaps of sand out from time to time and clean it in a bucket and put it back. Sounds like a really fun job I am using gravel in my African tanks but I want to put sand in there soon. So I will be interested to hear about this to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 K then, my advice would be to run over to The Switched On Gardener (in that industrial section of Upper Hutt) and take a look at the heating pads they have. Personally, I don't think sand heating is needed, but you might query the current owner about that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy_t Posted February 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 OK... so I've done a few tests... First I wanted to 'scientifically' test the temp at the bottom of the sand by sticking my hand in it! Of course my fingers aren't the finest of thermometers but I couldn't feel any temp difference at all... Secondly was keeping the sand clean - one thing to note is that although the bottom of the tank is 'sand' it is mainly quite course sand so with this in mind I had a trail run with my gravel vac (About 2' diameter and about 1" long). To start with it filled quickly with sand but I found if I blocked half of the outlet tube (At the bucket end) then there was still enough water flow to keep things moving and all but the finest sand fell nicely back to the bottom.. This is good as it means I can clean out the sand, right to the bottom of the tank, without getting my hands bitten!! Also re the African tank - I used sand (again quite course - got mine from the south coast but Blue also has a good place at the Wainui beach which is almost the same) in my Tang. tank and it looks great and the fish love it! So I think that about covers it... I should be able to keep the sand clean with the vac and it doesn't seem cooler down there to me.. Also the current owner uses gravel with would be easier I guess but all the sites I've seen recommend sand and I want him to be happy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Sounds like you have it sussed. May I recommend you use a digital thermometer with a probe to test the sand temps? I think you have one but if you need to borrow one, you know where to find us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy_t Posted February 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 Ha haa! Not just a pretty face! Well I gave that ago and the temp difference between the water mid-tank and the bottom of the sand is only about 0.7 deg. C with is pretty good. The tank is at 26.1 so I think there should be enough room there for movement... Thanks Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted February 20, 2006 Report Share Posted February 20, 2006 :lol: Oh, reading the response from the present owner you do NOT want to put ANYTHING in with these guys (so kindly ignore the Borneo Tiger plug and get any tank mates outta there!)... here's a bit of info for people thinking of getting one down the line... Just a few pointers. You really do not wanna get bitten by this guy. Strongly suggest initially feeding with feeding tweezers. Then once you are familiar with how he feeds, you can try hand feeding. If you notice his teeth getting too long, you need to feed him crabs (shell and all) This will keep his teeth from getting too long and stop him feeding properly. And it makes the coolest crunching noise. I feed him rockpool crabs once or twice a week and his teeth are shorter than when I got him. I must say that any other fish you put in the tank with him is at your (or more the fishes) risk. On the first night in my LFS the two puffers tore apart 7!! 5 inch oscars, a 4 inch Jack Dempsey and a pair of really big orange peacock cichlids.... Best kept alone. I kept him in a 120 ltr tank. That is plenty of room. Not very active fish, and with deep substrate, you will hardly ever see him. His tank has normal aquarium gravel, some large rocks and an acrylic log/stump. Had plastic plants, but he started to take bites outa them. They like ph of 7.5 to 8.0 A couple or three match box size chunks of coral rock/coral keeps the ph up there. Best in a external cannister filter, which is a good idea as they are as messy as oscars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishy_t Posted March 4, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Just thought you might like to see a pic of him Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faran Posted March 5, 2006 Report Share Posted March 5, 2006 As someone that's seen him in person I have to say I'm insanely jealous! Thi has to be one of the coolest fish around and I'm seriously considering trying to kidnap a little Christmas Poo and stick him in my pocket next time I come over.... What happened to my leg? Hold on... what happened to my HAND??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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