Re: Dwarf Green Spotted Puffers

[NetMax]

"Happy'Cam'per" > wrote in message
...
>
> Honestly I don't know. I think puffers are nice but I've never kept
one. I'm
> sure the ratios male/female applies to alot of species but I'm not too
clued
> up on the extreme details. Maybe someone with puffer experience will
chime
> in.
> --
> **So long, and thanks for all the fish!**

I've been thinking of setting up a species-only puffer tank. Is there a
freshwater puffer? I've heard that there are, but the research is mixed.

Why is this being posted in r.a.f.cichlids? I'm crossposting to
r.a.f.misc, so any replies should probably drop the r.a.f.c.
crossposting.

TIA
NetMax

[Eric Schreiber]

"NetMax" > wrote:

>I've been thinking of setting up a species-only puffer tank. Is there a
>freshwater puffer? I've heard that there are, but the research is mixed.

Well, I've had a Malabar, or dwarf puffer, in a pure freshwater tank
for almost exactly a year now, and he's doing just fine. It initially
had four puffers, three of which died rather abruptly six months after
I put them in, but this last one appears to be happy and healthy. And
hungry. He'll only eat frozen bloodworms.


I'm trying to figure out what would be a good tankmate for the little
fellow, since a single, tiny fish seems like a waste of the three
gallon tank.

--
www.ericschreiber.com

[Dustin The-Wind]

http://puffernet.tripod.com/species.html

[Eric Schreiber]

(Dustin The-Wind) wrote:

>http://puffernet.tripod.com/species.html

Excellent link, thank you.


--
www.ericschreiber.com

[NetMax]

Malabars eh? Tetraodon travancoricus. OK, I just ordered 1/8 of a box
from Singapore (about 120 of them). I'll let you know how they work out.
Thanks Eric (I think ;~)

NetMax

> "Eric Schreiber" > wrote in message
...
> "NetMax" > wrote:
>
> >I've been thinking of setting up a species-only puffer tank. Is there
a
> >freshwater puffer? I've heard that there are, but the research is
mixed.
>
> Well, I've had a Malabar, or dwarf puffer, in a pure freshwater tank
> for almost exactly a year now, and he's doing just fine. It initially
> had four puffers, three of which died rather abruptly six months after
> I put them in, but this last one appears to be happy and healthy. And
> hungry. He'll only eat frozen bloodworms.
>
>
> I'm trying to figure out what would be a good tankmate for the little
> fellow, since a single, tiny fish seems like a waste of the three
> gallon tank.
>
> --
> www.ericschreiber.com

[Eric Schreiber]

"NetMax" > wrote:

>Malabars eh? Tetraodon travancoricus. OK, I just ordered 1/8 of a box
>from Singapore (about 120 of them). I'll let you know how they work out.

If you're ordering them for sale in your store (and I'm pretty sure
you're not getting 120 of them for your personal tank!), they ought to
sell pretty well. No special brackish water requirements that might
turn off amateurs, and the little buggers are really cute.

I wish I had more information about them to share on my web site. My
little bit of dwarf puffer data is the most popular source of visitors
that I get.


>Thanks Eric (I think ;~)

Yeah, well, just remember that I've never been responsible a day in my
life, and I have no intention of starting now!



--
www.ericschreiber.com

[NetMax]

"Eric Schreiber" > wrote in message
...
> "NetMax" > wrote:
>
> >Malabars eh? Tetraodon travancoricus. OK, I just ordered 1/8 of a box
> >from Singapore (about 120 of them). I'll let you know how they work
out.
>
> If you're ordering them for sale in your store (and I'm pretty sure
> you're not getting 120 of them for your personal tank!), they ought to
> sell pretty well. No special brackish water requirements that might
> turn off amateurs, and the little buggers are really cute.
>
> I wish I had more information about them to share on my web site. My
> little bit of dwarf puffer data is the most popular source of visitors
> that I get.
>
>
> >Thanks Eric (I think ;~)
>
> Yeah, well, just remember that I've never been responsible a day in my
> life, and I have no intention of starting now!

When I opened the store, I ordered Archers, Scats, Monos and Puffers so
that I could set up a brackish tank. It was a bit of a mess. Scats are
the devil's spawn, Monos faint from transportation & water shock, Archers
grow too big and Puffers are diabolical (those sweet faces as they sneak
up on an unsuspecting fish). I figured I could promote the puffers (as
there was some interest) but I had some difficulty in established which
ones I had really received and which were truly freshwater. This time
(I'm getting more responsible, slowly), they are all freshwater, they
stay relatively small, and I could have a species tank for them where
they will be babied with bloodworms until they look like they will pop
(and for a puffer, that is a good look :o).

I also have a 60g with Mono argenteus and Mono sebaes in it. I wonder if
I can risk putting the puffers in there. It is only mildly brackish, the
monos might be quick enough to evade Puffer nips, and they are kept on a
high protein diet (shrimp, bloodworms, beefheart and community menu).
Any thoughts on whether this is a good idea, or do you think I'll be
netting all 120 of them later?

What I'll probably do is start with a species tank, and when the puffers
are a bit bigger, I'll move a dozen over to the mono tank.

NetMax

> --
> www.ericschreiber.com

[Eric Schreiber]

"NetMax" > wrote:

>When I opened the store, I ordered Archers, Scats, Monos and Puffers so
>that I could set up a brackish tank. It was a bit of a mess. Scats are
>the devil's spawn, Monos faint from transportation & water shock, Archers
>grow too big and Puffers are diabolical (those sweet faces as they sneak
>up on an unsuspecting fish).

The best local store near here had a brackish tank for awhile, but on
my last visit I noticed that it was no longer there. Perhaps they
found it to be more trouble than it was worth?

>I also have a 60g with Mono argenteus and Mono sebaes in it. I wonder if
>I can risk putting the puffers in there. It is only mildly brackish, the
>monos might be quick enough to evade Puffer nips, and they are kept on a
>high protein diet (shrimp, bloodworms, beefheart and community menu).
>Any thoughts on whether this is a good idea, or do you think I'll be
>netting all 120 of them later?

I'm utterly clueless, I'm afraid. My knowledge of Malabar puffers
comes from the experience of having four of them alone in a three
gallon tank. That's worlds away from having any bearing on what you're
considering.

I doubt that a small amount of salinity will affect them, even though
they're true freshwater fish. The Malabars stay very small and so
might resemble a tasty (and potentially toxic) treat to any larger
tankmates.

About the only advice I could give would be to give it a cautious try
with just a couple Malabars. They're cheap, after all.

>What I'll probably do is start with a species tank, and when the puffers
>are a bit bigger, I'll move a dozen over to the mono tank.

I've had my one remaining puffer for five days shy of a year now, and
he's never passed about 1/2" in size. Perhaps yours will grow better.



--
www.ericschreiber.com

[NetMax]

"Eric Schreiber" > wrote in message
...
> "NetMax" > wrote:
>
> >When I opened the store, I ordered Archers, Scats, Monos and Puffers
so
> >that I could set up a brackish tank. It was a bit of a mess. Scats
are
> >the devil's spawn, Monos faint from transportation & water shock,
Archers
> >grow too big and Puffers are diabolical (those sweet faces as they
sneak
> >up on an unsuspecting fish).
>
> The best local store near here had a brackish tank for awhile, but on
> my last visit I noticed that it was no longer there. Perhaps they
> found it to be more trouble than it was worth?

At home, I don't find them to be any trouble, but in a store with
automated water change systems, keeping track of who added how much salt,
when, using log books and teenage part-timers, can be a bit of a chore.
Fortunately, brackish conditions do not have to be that stable, and all
my Monos are young (<3"), so they are practicaly freshwater fish at this
age.

> >I also have a 60g with Mono argenteus and Mono sebaes in it. I wonder
if
> >I can risk putting the puffers in there. It is only mildly brackish,
the
> >monos might be quick enough to evade Puffer nips, and they are kept on
a
> >high protein diet (shrimp, bloodworms, beefheart and community menu).
> >Any thoughts on whether this is a good idea, or do you think I'll be
> >netting all 120 of them later?
>
> I'm utterly clueless, I'm afraid. My knowledge of Malabar puffers
> comes from the experience of having four of them alone in a three
> gallon tank. That's worlds away from having any bearing on what you're
> considering.

Maybe I should put a few in a 5g Waterhome. There is no heater, but the
tank runs around 72F. hmmm... :o)

> I doubt that a small amount of salinity will affect them, even though
> they're true freshwater fish. The Malabars stay very small and so
> might resemble a tasty (and potentially toxic) treat to any larger
> tankmates.

Good point (toxins), reconsidering..

> About the only advice I could give would be to give it a cautious try
> with just a couple Malabars. They're cheap, after all.
>
> >What I'll probably do is start with a species tank, and when the
puffers
> >are a bit bigger, I'll move a dozen over to the mono tank.
>
> I've had my one remaining puffer for five days shy of a year now, and
> he's never passed about 1/2" in size. Perhaps yours will grow better.

OK, at that size, the puffers will get their own species tank, or maybe
with some danios for company. Monos are extremely efficient eating
machines. As soon as one puffer was eaten, the rest would be devasted in
an hour (and then I'd have a lot of Monos with a stomach-ache ;~).

Thanks Eric
NetMax

> --
> www.ericschreiber.com