Got my puffers!!!

[KneeKickLou]

Hey everyone,

I just wanted to let everyone know that I got my Puffers yesterday, and they are already my favorite fish I have. I was unable to find any of the Figure 8's like I wanted at any on the LFSs in the area but I was able to find some Green Spotted Puffer (Tetraodon nigroviridis). I got 3 of them right now I have them in my 20 Gal they're still only about 1.5 inches each, as soon as they start growing which I know they will, I hope to get a 40 Gal for them to enjoy. I got a couple pictures for you all to see. Let me know what you think. You can check out the photos http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/olpz24/detail?.dir=/1585re2&.dnm=8258re2.jpg&.src=ph

[Drumachine09]

Absoloutly Fantastic look specimens.

[jeffs99dime]

nice pics. why is puffer #2 missing an eye?

[Lady Hobbs]

Looks like it's got 2 to me.

[kimmers318]

Oh I am soooooo jealous! I am waiting for the chance to bring home some new puffers. If I can't find any of the less common species I like I will either have fig 8 or GSP. They look good, a little skinny, not uncommon in stressed puffs.....I am sure you will fatten them up in no time!

[Drumachine09]

I think that the puffer is just looking the other way.

[blue fin]

Cool looking fish, I've got to agree.. I think he's looking the other way with one eye....

[KneeKickLou]

Yeah I assure you that they have all of their eyes. I just went today to get my snails. I going to try to breed my own that way I won't be having to keep buying them from the LFS. Im sure these guys are going to love sinking their teeth into some nice crunchy snail shells. Anyone have any advice for getting snails to breed or do they pretty much just do it on their own???

[jeffs99dime]

sorry. i was looking at something else i guess.

[Severus]

Very nice puffers. Good luck with them!

[kimmers318]

Snails pretty much breed well all by themselves as long as there is water and a food supply. I allow them to breed in all of my tanks and I pic 'em out whenever they come near the top. If they start to get a little over populated I weight down some zucchini in the tank and can pull it out with dozens of snails on it pretty much every day. If you prefer to set up a separate tank, I have found that a bare bottom 10gal with just a sponge filter works pretty well. You would be surpised at the amount of waste a snail colony can make!!! Throw half a dozen or so in there and just treat it like any other tank.....heat isn't necessary but it seems they do better that way, feed them (flake is fine, or vegs) and you will soon have enough snails to keep your puffs happy. Beware though that you don't feed MTS snails as I have heard they can break puffs teeth. I don't have any issues feeding them to my dwarfs because they don't bite the shells (could be why no reports of overgrown dp teeth) they just suck the meat out of the shell. Whenever we plan to be out of town for a couple of days I do the zucchini trick a few days before and put a bunch of snails into a betta cup or fry breeder tank to leave in another tank and my neighbors son will put them in for me. (Haven't yet convinced my neighbor that bloodworms are okay!)
Keep us posted, I know I will LOVE hearing about your new puffs.

[Abbeys_Mom]

Don't buy apple snails or rams. Get some pond snails. The store near you would probably give you some for free. The are a pest snail. Set up a little tank for them, feed them and you will have TONS of puffer food. If you run short, as I said, the store would probably give you more for free.

P.S. I am sure you now this...GSP are brackish. Are you using salt?

[KneeKickLou]

Yeah I am using salt. Right now as they are still young I have found that the salt content can/should be a little lower then as they grow I plan to move towards a true brackish enviroment around SG of 1.008 right now its at about 1.003 or so. Good looking out though I appreciate it.

[Abbeys_Mom]

Just here to help.

[jman]

congrads to ya mate!!!!!

[Incredulous_Ed]

Yeah I assure you that they have all of their eyes. I just went today to get my snails. I going to try to breed my own that way I won't be having to keep buying them from the LFS. Im sure these guys are going to love sinking their teeth into some nice crunchy snail shells. Anyone have any advice for getting snails to breed or do they pretty much just do it on their own???

Just put a few into an alredy cycled tank with only about three quarters full of water. If you have been feeding the snails well, they should lay their eggs above the water. They will hatch in a few weeks.

[newt0524]

make sure you breed them in aseperate tank though. the puffers will mow there way through the colony pretty quick if they're bred in the same tank.

newt