Zebra Spiny Eel + Two F8 Puffers?

[coldmachineUK]

Hi,

Not new to keeping fish, but am restarting my brackish aquarium with two figure eight puffers as the 'standout' fish. I will also be keeping two black mollies with them.

Over time I will be gradually increasing the salinity of the water to 1.005 S.G.

I really need a sand-sifter (i.e. something to 'till' the sand to prevent anaerobic build up) though, which is brackish tolerant and compatible with F8s...tall order I know!

I wondered, has anyone kept a zebra spiny eel (macrognathus zebrinus) with figure eights before, or in general, and do you have any tips to share?

The tank is 37G (US), 31G (UK), so make that 36G and 30G with substrate in etc. It's a custom made 30"Lx12"Wx24"H.

Also, I keep reading conflicting advice about salinity and brackish conditions for figure eights. Fishbase, and a number of other websites, plus Neale Monks' brackish FAQ, label F8s as freshwater fish ("not a brackish water species" is what fishbase.org specifically states). Yet, on a well known puffer forum the advice is to up salinity to 1.005 S.G. Does anyone have any strong opinion either side so I can weigh up the consensus or lack of here too?

TIA!

 

[Rocker]

Fig 8's do best in BW upto a salinity of 1.005. Many sites are inaccurate and shops sell them as FW because it is generally easier to sell FW fish.

 

[Fella]

Figure 8 puffers, Tetraodon biocellatus are freshwater fish, but do best in captivity in brackish water. From those more experienced than myself, they live longer and are more resitant to illness.

As for keeping a spiny eel with them, I wouldn't, unless you can get the true spiny eel Macrognathus aral (I think,would have to check with neale on that one) which lives in brackish water.

Keeping an ell as a tank mate with puffers could be a risk, but in the past I've kept spiny eels with some puffers without issue.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

try to get a colony of Malaysian Trumpet Snails started in the tank. find someone that can give you a couple dozen and chunk them in after turning out all the lights. hopefully enough of them will dig into your substrate to escape being eaten and will start breeding.

MTS are great for any tank with a sand substrate as they like to burrow and will *really* help keep your substrate stirred. they're good for puffer tanks too (if you can get enough in there to get the colony started) because they'll eat all the tiny leftover food particles missed by the puffer. they're also a great back-up food supply unlike most snails, MTS will live and breed in both freshwater and low-end brackish, such as what you'd have in an f8 tank.

 

[Rocker]

I personally wouldn't recommend MTS for puffer tanks. Whilst those that promote it have never had problems with them there are many who have over the years.
Some people think that this is an internet myth but is in fact quite the opposite.