20 Gallon Figure 8 Puffer build thread
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Update on the tank: The Gobies are so hard to feed! Pip grabs all their food. I'm afraid they will die of starvation. I tried a new method today with a pair of 10'' tweezers haha, seemed to work better. The food floating around has created a minor planaria breakout though. Nothing to worry about, but we'll see how these trio of BBGs and Pip get along during the course of the next month or so. I'm kind of beginning to miss Pipper owning the tank by himself. We'll see!
Update on the tank: The Gobies are so hard to feed! Pip grabs all their food. I'm afraid they will die of starvation. I tried a new method today with a pair of 10'' tweezers haha, seemed to work better. The food floating around has created a minor planaria breakout though. Nothing to worry about, but we'll see how these trio of BBGs and Pip get along during the course of the next month or so. I'm kind of beginning to miss Pipper owning the tank by himself. We'll see!
My F8's name is Puffy - he's almost two years old and currently shares a 54-gallon corner tank with a few other fish. I've read that puffers prefer to live alone, but have any of you had puffers that shared a tank? My Puffy started out in the 54 gallon, and lived there several months before I learned that he should have his own space. So, he got a private 20-gallon. However, he became very angry with this...would turn his back at me, refused to eat, hide in the corner or "pace" the back glass. After a few weeks of this - and worried he'd starve or depress himself to death - I returned him to the 54, and within a month, he was back to his old self! Swimming with his buddies (for real!), fanning his tail, coming to the front of the tank to say hello and beg for treats.
Anyone else have a social puffer, or is this one just weird?
Also, Puffy did have an issue with a parasite. Not sure what it was, but it could be seen just under his skin - a spiral-shaped tumor-looking thing. I treated the tank with anti-fungal/parasite fizzing tablets (forget the name) and in a couple of weeks, the parasite was gone.
I've been very lucky with this silly little fish.
This is a picture of him from last year, right after winning the "Krill Dinner Challenge" with his tankmates. (It's good-natured mealtime fun.) *BOUNCINGS
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Anyone else have a social puffer, or is this one just weird?
Also, Puffy did have an issue with a parasite. Not sure what it was, but it could be seen just under his skin - a spiral-shaped tumor-looking thing. I treated the tank with anti-fungal/parasite fizzing tablets (forget the name) and in a couple of weeks, the parasite was gone.
I've been very lucky with this silly little fish.
This is a picture of him from last year, right after winning the "Krill Dinner Challenge" with his tankmates. (It's good-natured mealtime fun.) *BOUNCINGS
Looks great Severum! I feel I have a social puffer too. My puffer, Pip, is housed with a trio of bumblebee gobies. It's been going well, my only problem is feeding the little buggers. Pip loves to grab their bloodworms. So I guess it isn't uncommon to have a social F8. How big is he after two years?
Puffy is just barely over three inches long. He's a tiny thing...his tankmates are almost full-sized - two Gold Severums, one Blood Parrot, and a 10-inch Pleco. Puffy was already in the tank when the Severums and Blood Parrot were babies last year, so I think that's why they accept him now. Puffy doesn't think twice about snatching food from the cichlids, but they do the same to him! 
I'll get some more pics tomorrow, I'll try to get a video. I just got home from a wedding so it's too late to turn the lights on. A video would be cool because I could show all the places he can explore. Like I said before, I lose him sometimes because he's constantly exploring the caves/log/etc. haha
I have a green spotted and figure 8 puffer. They're buddies. They follow eachother around the tank almost all the time. My GSP's very friendly but the figure 8's still very shy. They're in a 75 gallon brackish at 1.012 salinity along with a dragon goby, 2 knight gobies, 2 golden wonder killifish, 3 mollies, 4 fiddler crabs, and 2 red claw crabs. Everyone gets along just fine. Sometimes the figure 8 stalks the other fish like he's going to nip but then swims away. Lol. I love puffers!
I have a green spotted and figure 8 puffer. They're buddies. They follow eachother around the tank almost all the time. My GSP's very friendly but the figure 8's still very shy. They're in a 75 gallon brackish at 1.012 salinity along with a dragon goby, 2 knight gobies, 2 golden wonder killifish, 3 mollies, 4 fiddler crabs, and 2 red claw crabs. Everyone gets along just fine. Sometimes the figure 8 stalks the other fish like he's going to nip but then swims away. Lol. I love puffers!
Sorry that posted twice. Thank you. I always keep a close eye on them. You have to with puffers and inverts. Lol. Here's a pic of my GSP. Sorry, it's blurry. He just won't be still long enough. The figure 8 still hides when he sees me, but I'm making progress slowly I think...
You have to with puffers and inverts. Lol. Here's a pic of my GSP. Sorry, it's blurry. He just won't be still long enough. The figure 8 still hides when he sees me, but I'm making progress slowly I think... Attachments
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Glad to hear everyone's puffers are doing well. I finally got a video, I just need to figure out how to successfully upload it. Working on it!
Edit: Hopefully this works:
Click Here!
Edit: Hopefully this works:
Click Here!
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Hello
I am new to the field of fresh water tropical fish. I wanted to get my son a tank cause he is obsessed with fish. So I went to pet store and was looking around. I found two small neon tetra's, brought them home and my in tank filter proved to be too much of a suction current for them. Im sure you know the rest. So back to store I went & there he was in the tank. A figure 8 Puffer Fish. I fell in love with him. He was so quirky and alive, definately an eye catcher. Well I have never had a F8 before, I should have done my research on them because i ended up getting him the wrong food. I was informed by one of the employees that they eat flakes. Well after a few the first day I did notice he was not interested in flakes so I started doing my research online. He is VERY picky!!! I bought the blood worms, he wont have anything to do with them. Luckily though the tetra's and the angel fish love them so they did not go to waste. I then bought some frozen brine shrim which he GOBBLED right up. I also just got to witness him eating his FIRST snail in the tank that I got for him today as I was writing this post. I had to watch it. *BOUNCINGS
I tell anyone though that is looking to buy a F8 to do your research ALSO though I will note that the store I purchased him from had got him in stock that day. So in a matter of 1 day he moved three tanks. I did not find this out until after I went back to store because of all the problems I was having with him being sluggish and refusing to eat. So please make sure that you dont throw the poor fish you are purchasing into shock because of the ignorance of the employees of the store.
Ive read alot online and it say that they have tendencies of being aggressive and not recommended to be in community tanks. I however have had no problems with my little (spot) as my son named him. He is sharing his home with two neon tetra's, an angel fish, flying fox shark, and two marine frogs. I hope that they all continue to live in harmony.
BTW I found this thread after doing days of general searches on google for info on puffer fish. I am very glad I found it. Thank you!!!
I am new to the field of fresh water tropical fish. I wanted to get my son a tank cause he is obsessed with fish. So I went to pet store and was looking around. I found two small neon tetra's, brought them home and my in tank filter proved to be too much of a suction current for them. Im sure you know the rest. So back to store I went & there he was in the tank. A figure 8 Puffer Fish. I fell in love with him. He was so quirky and alive, definately an eye catcher.
Well I have never had a F8 before, I should have done my research on them because i ended up getting him the wrong food. I was informed by one of the employees that they eat flakes. Well after a few the first day I did notice he was not interested in flakes so I started doing my research online. He is VERY picky!!! I bought the blood worms, he wont have anything to do with them. Luckily though the tetra's and the angel fish love them so they did not go to waste. I then bought some frozen brine shrim which he GOBBLED right up. I also just got to witness him eating his FIRST snail in the tank that I got for him today as I was writing this post. I had to watch it. *BOUNCINGSI tell anyone though that is looking to buy a F8 to do your research ALSO though I will note that the store I purchased him from had got him in stock that day. So in a matter of 1 day he moved three tanks. I did not find this out until after I went back to store because of all the problems I was having with him being sluggish and refusing to eat. So please make sure that you dont throw the poor fish you are purchasing into shock because of the ignorance of the employees of the store.
Ive read alot online and it say that they have tendencies of being aggressive and not recommended to be in community tanks. I however have had no problems with my little (spot) as my son named him. He is sharing his home with two neon tetra's, an angel fish, flying fox shark, and two marine frogs. I hope that they all continue to live in harmony.
BTW I found this thread after doing days of general searches on google for info on puffer fish. I am very glad I found it. Thank you!!!