Wanting To Start Brackish

[l.michelle]

Hi, I have only ever kept betta fish, but I want to get into brackish. I would love to get a puffer. I saw some on the weekend that had neon green 8s on their backs, and i fell in love. Now, i Have never done brackish before, and have been reading through all the posted stuff at the top, and quite frankly, can understand very little of it so please don't kill me abotu my questions lol.

I am wondering if anyone has any experience with puffers, and if so, what are they like? I have a 10 gallon tank, but I am wondering if it needs a special filter for brackish, or can it still use the same filter? Also, how many puffers are suitable for a 10 gallon? I was told by the pet store 4 - 5, but i really don't trust them, and would rather trust the people here

So please, any help/suggestions would be very very much appreciated. I am not looking to start anythign this immediate second, but this week i would like to have the tank up and cycling

 

[Freedom18]

For a 10 gallon your gonna want Dwarf puffers, which are freshwater anyway, so you wouldnt have to worry about your "good" bacteria at all if you already have the tank going. Not that it really matters anyway since you dont really need any special filters. Especially for something that small (Bigger, Higher salinity tanks might make use of a protein skimmer), all you need is a basic freshwater setup, some plants, a couple of dwarf puffers, and maybe some Otto's for a clean up crew and your good to go!

(btw I've never actually raised puffers so if anyone feels I need correcting on this feel free too, but all research I've seen leads me to this...)

 

[l.michelle]

I haven't yet bought my new ten gallon, but that sounds good then lol.

Thank you for your reply!! I will have to look up what ottos are

Thank you so much!

 

[Fella]

Before you make any decisions, I've kept quite a few different kinds of puffers (some more successful than others) and I'd say that keeping a figure 8 puffer (most likely the type you saw) isn't a tricky puffer to keep once you understand the basics. Take a look at the pinned topic at the top of the oddballs thread for a general overview of puffers, maybe google image search to see which puffers you like most.

 

[Freedom18]

oh sorry, lol. Otto's are small schooling catfish that go pretty well with the puffers. they look kinda like mini gray Chinese algae eaters.

 

[Fella]

oh sorry, lol. Otto's are small schooling catfish that go pretty well with the puffers. they look kinda like mini gray Chinese algae eaters.

It depends on the species of pufffer. Ottos aren't found naturally in brackish water so, that rules a few puffers out. Target puffers would most likely devour them, as would Fahaka or Mbu puffers.

It's really hard to generalise about puffers, and it's made even more difficult because their temperaments vary from puffer to puffer.

 

[l.michelle]

I read through and printed all the information in the oddballs thread, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH it was so informative! And really helped me decide what to do. I am thinking that because I'm not any where near expert fish keeper (all i have ever had/have is bettas) so I am thinking of getting a 10gallon tank, with 2 dwarf puffers and 3 ottos.

The reason for the dwarf puffers, is they are freshwater, and I think it might be better for me to start with a different type of freshwater fish, and keep them for a while and make sure i figure that out properly, and then move up to brackish for several years, then take the next step to saltwater lol. wow this is beginning to sound like a 5 year plan

I am going to cycle the ten gallon which i hope to get this week, now what I am wondering, might be a stupid question, but I am assuming I put all my decorations in the tank before cycling and let it cycle everything in there? lol silly question probably but I want to do this right.

Thanks for help!!

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

Hey if your a complete noob to puffers, you must be informed that puffers are the meanest fish in the world. They tend to be kind of terratorial and have to be kept alone. Dwarf puffers are kind of difficult. Figure eights are way better. You really really should go with 20 gallons though, it gives you a better margin of error. Water parameters have to be perfect. I had mine for 5 years until a huricane came and my generator broke. (really pissed off about that) I kept mine in a ten gallon, but i had more expierience with puffers. Green Spotted Puffers are worthless to anyone but an expert. They do pretty awsome in saltwater though. Varied diets are important, sun dried river shrimp are my staple puffer food but i also offer frozen mysis shrimp, wild mullet, squid, and stuff i'd feed my morays. Breed your own feeder fish if you want. Tankmates are extremely limited. One puffer is all a ten gallon can handle anyway. Cant keep multiple puffers. Even if they dont attack each other they die from stress. Agressive gobies and blennies worked for me but thier mostly saltwater. No freshwater morays, the puffers rip em to shreds. 3 to 4 puffers of any kind is ___________ retarded even dwarf puffers benifit from very light stocking. Why would you want to see your pet puffer rip things to shreds, it makes them not seem real "cute" for very long. keeping other fish with puffers greatly detracts from thier personalities. Only Dwarf Puffers and puffers in the same genus belong in freshwater. Most other freshwater ones are expert only(Mbu puffer, Fakka puffer, Arrowhead....). Figure eights and dwarf are good chioces.