new puffer only tank

f8fan

f8fan

MFT Staff
#21
Nov 19, 2004
1,765
8
38
Bangor, Maine
#21
Well, you've found a good LFS, then! *thumbsup2 A lot of them keep puffers in freshwater. So now - you need to know what the salinity they are being kept in at the LFS and build your tank up to that. Or - if you want a shortcut, you can use 1/2 the amount of marine biospira. That's what I did when I converted my 55 gallon to brackish, I bought some marine biospira and instantly converted my tank so it was able to handle my brackish water & figure 8 puffers :) It wasn't that expensive, I think it only cost like 15 bucks.

A good thing about figure 8 puffers is that they are used to fluctuating salinity due to their native waters (river estuary). I fluctuate mine from almost freshwater to 1.015 salinity. The majority of the time they are in 1.008 salinity, but I mix it up a bit, too a few times a year....and they adjust fine...it's what they deal with in their native waters. :)
 

f8fan

f8fan

MFT Staff
#25
Nov 19, 2004
1,765
8
38
Bangor, Maine
#25
d3sc3n7 said:
Yeah, my next phone call will be to check the salinity of their water. Where can we find bio-spira?
Click to expand...
Your LFS should carry it, if not, I wouldn't really worry a whole lot. Get the tank set up & running with FW bacteria filter media, get some marine salt in there, and go slow. In a couple weeks you will be up to 1.004 salinity at least...your puffers will acclimate to that. Mine do it all the time :) Call around and see if you can find a place that carries bio-spira.

Roxy...don't worry! You'll be fine :D They are used to fluctuating salinity. Also - I'd invest in some anit-parasite meds cos most puffers have them. They are all wild caught and most will have some internal parasites at the LFS, so you want to be armed to treat them. If their bellies are sunken and not round and roly poly, then they will need to be treated. I used Gel-Tek.
 

RoxnSox

RoxnSox

Large Fish
#26
Jan 13, 2008
349
0
0
46
ft. campbell, KY
#26
thanks kelly i really want these fish i just get worried about taking care of them..idk why i dont get this way about the FW fish we have but im sure once i have everything set up and get the puffers in the tank i wont sleep lol
 

Last edited:
RoxnSox

RoxnSox

Large Fish
#35
Jan 13, 2008
349
0
0
46
ft. campbell, KY
#35
so 80 something dollars later i have some stuff...gotta go get some sand but i got a filter, some instant ocean, a heater, and a themomater. Our LFS didnt have the hdyrometer we needed so we may have to order it online. Now granted the whole 80 bucks wasnt on all my new puffer tank but id say at least 95% of it was lol
 

d3sc3n7

d3sc3n7

Superstar Fish
#36
Nov 21, 2007
1,455
0
0
44
Ft. Campbell, Ky
www.d3sc3n7.com
#36
Tech Specs:
Tank: 29G
Penguin Bio-Wheel 200 (edit: Yes, I bought her a nicer filter than any of my 3 on my tanks)
Elite 150w heater
3lb box of Instant Ocean
Therma-Temp floating thermo.

RoxnSox said:
so 80 something dollars later i have some stuff...gotta go get some sand but i got a filter, some instant ocean, a heater, and a themomater. Our LFS didnt have the hdyrometer we needed so we may have to order it online. Now granted the whole 80 bucks wasnt on all my new puffer tank but id say at least 95% of it was lol
Click to expand...
The only other thing we bought was a $2.50 bulb, $2.00 plant, and $3.00 pack of betta pellets. (all of these are also for her other tank)
 

Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.