Project Puffer!

[minnnt]

Decided to start a thread dedicated to my new project. I have decided to start keeping Puffers. In particular, the South American Puffer, Colomesus Asellus. Currently have one in a 35 litre tank but have since decided to up the stakes as they do well in small groups. Considering adding another 2 to make my numbers up to 3, but may extend this to 4 if i feel i can get away with it.

Lighting is a 13w T5 so roughly works out at 0.6w of light per gallon, so the plants will be mega low light varieties. Decided to use the discount code for APS and take a punt on the APS 1000 external filter. Theoretically on paper it should offer 10x turnover, but realistically will be around 4-5x so should still be ok i reckon. Got it for £36 in the end, so worth it imo.

Anyway, i needed a new tank for them so i dropped lucky with an ad on Gumtree and picked up a 80x30x40cm tank for the bargain bucket price of £7! Wasn't expecting much, but it is pretty much spanking! No marks what so ever! I already had a starter for a T5 so i went to B&Q and picked up a 13w bulb for under a fiver. Also picked up a length of narrow guttering and 2 stop ends. This would make me a nice little neat and tidy light holder. Came home and cut to size then notched out two grooves in the back of it to slide the wires in for the light. Also stuck some tin foil inside it to act as a reflector.

Then moved on to a back ground. As some of you know i usually use black bags or wall paper samples as i am one tight ******!!! Well, decided to try brown parcel paper instead. It looked pretty decent tbh, but i decided to mist it slightly with some left over grey primer i had from making a cupboard door for another tank. Looks kind of like a 2D 3D background now

Here's a few pictures of my little project... Will try and keep it updated as and when new things happen. Hopefully tomorrow will see a few more plants being sourced and some more gravel.

May have to look into upping the lighting to something like a 24w T5HO or something, but time will tell. Will dose EI ferts with it anyway.

Also, once the tank has matured may look into stocking some Oto's and POSSIBLY trying some Amano's...

 

[mike455555]

looking good =D i might nick your idea of guttering for reflectors ;p. never thought of that...

 

[minnnt]

Thanks! It means you can keep an open topped tank which i wanted and the whole thing (tank, light bulb, (not the starter) guttering and ends) cost me £19.45... Bargain! The whole tank should cost under £100 (Maybe not including the fish as they £13.50 each!) Pretty much a bargain in anyones eyes imo.

 

[mike455555]

that is a bargain... i got a tank free spent 60 on a light, 40 on EL and easycarbo. so that's 100 already, and its not even got fish in it yet...

wow puffers are expensive. i think my LFS were doing them for £7

 

[nurglespuss]

Looking very intriguing so far

do puffers jump at all out of interest?

also, I can't seem to find that filter on google? Any chance of a link to the site (and the discount code if its a freebie?)

Cheers!

 

[minnnt]

All pond solutions

Discount code is leaves-15

Puffers don't tend to jump, but only time will tell I guess. If they get startled then I guess anything is possible.

I guess it depends on which puffers they are though. Dwarf puffers would probably be a little cheaper I reckon.

 

[Shovelman]

Yikes! Dont mean to be a Debby downer but 10 gallons for Colomesus Asellus? Might want to ask Neale on Wet Web Media, or get some feedback by other puffer enthusiasts because when i was planning a tank for a group, Neale and Tons of other puffer people said 55 gallon at least for a group.... 2 dwarf puffers might be more suitable for a 10 gallon... Otherwise looks like an awesome build! Cant wait to see it up and going!

 

[minnnt]

Re-read the tank size...

Since when has a 96 litre tank been 10 gallons?

Seeing as you're familliar with WWM, have another read here...
WWM

Quite obviously states that 6 would be fine a 125 litre tank... I am planning on keeping 3 in a 96 litre tank, so imo that is more than acceptable.

 

[minnnt]

Right... suffered a little bit of a setback unfortunately. Emptied the small tank to get the gravel out, set up all the new tank with old gravel and the new gravel that i fetched today, hard scape, plants, spent ages setting out my Pogostemon, started to fill it up and the tank has a leak! At least i now know why it was £7!!

Anyway, fear not, off to a not so local P@H i went. Came away with a Clearseal 30x15x12 bare tank for £35. Also got a bottle of Aqua Safe and a bottle of Easy Balance thrown in for free. Something else for the fish cupboard i suspect.

So, the fish have been cut down to 88 litres now from 96, but should still be enough for 3 Puffers i think.

Will wait until tomorrow to set it up as i have had a belly full of fish tanks today! Also that should mean that i have my new filter so i will be able to set it all up properly.

 

[mike455555]

why dident you just fix the leak? with the aquarium sealant? safe £25?

 

[minnnt]

Because it was easier to buy another tank and it wasn't guarenteed to work... I was mighty pee'd off and couldn't be doing with having to try and reseal a tank then check it, then start to fill and it still leaks.

I guess i should have just checked it before hand.

Will get some sealant and redo the tank as and when i can be bothered. lol.

 

[Tizer]

rolf, clearseal tanks are nice and cheap

 

[minnnt]

Lol! Gotta love em!

 

[minnnt]

All setup and running. Glad the aps 1000 is only running this tank, its flow is shocking! no way would I want it running a bigger tank! Only using 1 spraybar and its still pants. Shame really as the rest of the filter is great! Will get some pics later on.

 

[minnnt]

Right, here's a few snaps... finally!

This turned upp at 11am, great timing as it just arrived as i had finished planting.

And here's a few shots as it stands now...

Maybe going to pick up a couple more Puffers on Friday. Other than that the stock is about it for the time being. May add a few snails if i can find any in my tanks so they have got something to munch on Oto's will probably come in a month or two when there is something for the to graze on. At the minute the tank is basically like a shiny new pin so no point adding any yet as they will probably starve to death.

Started dosing EI ferts today too, so hopefully the plants will start to grow a little. Not dosing Carbon though as i have alot of Vallis in there and don't want it ruining it.