Free stuff sometimes leads to headaches

[thejaegermonster]

I have a bit of a problem I need some advice with. I am getting two Dwarf Puffer fish for free from craigslist next Thursday. The guy sold his tank, but the person didn't want the fish. I figure I'll give his puffers a good home, especially since I've wanted some anyways :) I'm also getting a complete 5 gallon aquarium set-up this Friday off of Freecycle. I want to keep the puffers in the 5 gallon.

My question is how to go about it though. Is there a way I could get the aquarium fish ready within 7 days? I have heard puffers are not hardy at all and I don't think they would survive a cycle. Could I put them in my 29 gallon in my signature and would they probably fight with my existing fish? I need to figure this out soon and you guys have always come through for me. Let the opinions flow in!

[Lady Hobbs]

Transfer some gravel and filter media into your smaller tank when the fish arrive. That might eliminate a cycle at all. But keep an eye on things incase you need to do some water changes.

[Sounguru]

I ditto what Hobbs said I have to 55+ tanks that are doing fine by doing what she just mentioned.

[sbodi4d]

Hey, It's only a 5 gallon tank. Fill it with the established tanks water and substrate, then put fresh water(conditioned of course) in the established tank. Check the parameters of the established tanks water first though to make sure it meets the requirements of the puffers.

[Mvjnz]

The puffers will definitely kill off a lot of the fish in your other tank.

I agree with the above, transfer filter media to the new filter and it will be ready to go immediately. Sometimes simply rubbing the sponge from an established tank onto a new sponge transfers enough bacteria too.

Remember that puffers are extremely messy and need very good filtration, and you also need to be breeding snails for them to eat, or you could keep buying them I spose, but it's cheaper and easier to just breed them.

[Abbeys_Mom]

2 puffers usually doesn't work. They don't "nip" they "chunk". I also recall them needing atleast 20g and brackish water.

[Mvjnz]

Dwarf puffer are freshwater fish. They can be kept together as long as there are visual barriers in the tank and lots of hiding places. 5 gal would be big enough for one, but is prolly slightly on the small side for 2.

[TRDNiteLife]

I have 2 Dwarf Puffers. I would go with at least 5 gallons each.

[jman]

doing the exchange is about the best idea and to further you can use the drip method for any fish when introducing

[Abbeys_Mom]

Sorry, though it said green spotted. That's the first kind I think of.

[terrapin24h]

Your big tank is an eclipse right? That means it has a bio wheel. Do what the others have said about gravel and water, then go one step further... Take biowheel from your big tank and put it in the water near the filter inlet in the new tank. Take a brush that you use to clean your tanks with(i use a small filter tube brush) and run the brush around a section of your biowheel with it submerged; you should see all kind of stuff come off it into the new tank. Boom instant bacteria. Between that and the gravel you should have more than enough bacteria to prevent new tank shock, just get the fish in thier quick after doing it as the bacteria die off quick.

--chris

[thejaegermonster]

Thanks for all the tips. I'm going to go with the shared media to speed the cycle or to avoid it all together. I got the tank today and it's pretty awesome after a lot of TLC. The woman told me that it had be up without fish for 3 months. Very, very gross. But anyhoot, I was wondering if I'd be alright with a DIY sponge filter and regular weekly water changes with the Puffers since it didn't come with a filter and I'd rather not have to buy one because I have everything to make a sponge filter.