Silly Question...

[timmystood]

This might sound like a silly question but why do people recommened sand for the terrain in Puffer tanks?? What is wrong with gravel?
Is it because they bury themselves?? If so, do all Puffer's do this? I ask because my Puffer's have gravel and I don't want them to get hurt.

 

[nmonks]

Some puffer do indeed bury themselves. The "lie and wait" predatory puffers like Tetraodon miurus is perhaps the most extreme example. The South American puffer is also supposed to be a digger, but I have never seen them do so.

Funnily enough, I was watching a marine puffer (Arothron sp.) yesterday blowing sand around to expose potential food. It was sort of like an archerfish, but pointing at the sand instead of the air. Whether all puffers hunt like this, I do not know.

Beyond that, there's no obvious reason why puffers need sand. I happen to like sand in aquaria, and find my fish display behaviours they don't show in tanks with gravel. So unless I have a good reason not to use sand, I always use it.

Cheers,

Neale

PS. Quick thought -- coral sand might be employed with brackish water puffers to harden the water.

 

[AMS]

Sand is reccomended because puffers like to dig and bury in the substrate, gravel would scratch their soft bellies. Not all puffers bury themselves, but most like to rest on the bottom or move it around. Things like fahaka puffers love to rest on the bottom, but figure 8's rarely do, but figure 8's do dig through it. So IMHO switch to sand.

 

[timmystood]

Okies. Thank you - I'll switch over at the weekend.