# Figure 8 Puffer



## aquariest2k12 (Feb 7, 2012)

ok. I just got a small figure 8 Puffer and he seems to be doing fine with the Danios but since they are a little bigger than him they kind of nip at him at times I guess it's a territorial thing but I was wondering what I could start feeding him since he is small?


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I'm sorry, but this is a really poor environment for a Figure 8 Puffer.

-There should be tons of plants, either real or plastic, or mangrove roots for the puffer to hide. They can be shy animals, and they will be much more active if there is a place nearby to hide. This will help with territorial issues and feeding.

-Figure 8 Puffers are a brackish water fish. It will only have a full, healthy life if it is kept in brackish water. Most people report a significantly longer lifespan when kept in water of 1.005 to 1.008 salinity. Your other fish will not tolerate brackish water.

-Figure 8 Puffers should be kept alone, or with very peaceful fish. Danios are too nippy, and the crayfish may try to grab it once in a while.

-Your Figure 8 Puffer will try to eat the crayfish when it gets older. I guarantee it. Puffers have a beak that keeps growing. They need to eat things with a hard outer shell, like crayfish, shrimp, and snails to keep it short. 

-Your Figure 8 Puffer will not survive off of flake or pellet food. They need meaty food, and sometimes hard foods. Some good foods would be clams, crayfish, crickets, daphnia, krill, mollusks, oysters, plankton, scallops, snails, shrimp, and worms.

-Figure 8 Puffers are aggressive. Close care should be taken when attempting to house a Figure 8 with other fish.


Please do your research on your fish before you buy them. You may have just bitten off more than you can chew. You really need to rehouse this puffer in a new tank, or bring it back to the store. It's not fair to the puffer to attempt to keep it in the current tank.


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## aquariest2k12 (Feb 7, 2012)

Well I do have lots of plants so that's something I did make sure of but since he is the size of a baby I'm going to get him his own hidng place so he doesn't have to be bothered but the Danios are getting use to him. He I'll start feeding him some worms 



bmlbytes said:


> I'm sorry, but this is a really poor environment for a Figure 8 Puffer.
> 
> -There should be tons of plants, either real or plastic, or mangrove roots for the puffer to hide. They can be shy animals, and they will be much more active if there is a place nearby to hide. This will help with territorial issues and feeding.
> 
> ...


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Your biggest problem is when he gets comfortable with his tank, and maybe slightly bigger. He will eat the crayfish and ghost shrimp and possibly attack the danios.

Also, as I pointed out above, the worms wont cut it. They have an ever growing beak. He will need to have something hard to eat to make it smaller. The crayfish and shrimp will help with that. Even offering something like snails, he might prefer the tankmates.

I know it's easy to get attached to a fish, but I am trying to save you the headache. Either return the fish, or set up a separate aquarium for him. You will not be able to successfully house him with these tankmates.


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## aquariest2k12 (Feb 7, 2012)

Yeah I understand your point and I'm gonna start a 10 gallon saltwater reef tank in the next couple of months so maybe I can put him in there but I don't know how well he would do.


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

It is a brackish water fish. It needs a specific gravity (a measurement of salt) between 1.005 and 1.008. In comparison freshwater is 1.000 and saltwater is 1.025.

People have kept them in saltwater, but those puffers were usually raised in saltwater. It will take a very long time for you to acclimate this fish to full saltwater (weeks).

Please release your attachment to your new fish. It is obvious you can't afford, or do not have the space to take care of it properly. If you really like this fish, give it a chance at survival with someone else who does have the proper equipment.

I get the situation you are in right now. When I was starting out, I put myself in that same situation. It's difficult to say, "I messed up, I need to get rid of this fish". The attachment that new aquarists have to their fish is somewhat strong. I would say that if you want to keep the puffer, and you were planning to start a marine aquarium (in the VERY near future), that you change your mind a bit. A brackish water aquarium can be very rewarding. There are a lot of interesting fish that would do well with your puffer in brackish water. You will also have the opportunity to grow the very cool mangrove tree, the only tree that can grow in saltwater, because of its ability to put all the salt in one "sacrificial" leaf.

PLEASE consider a proper home for your puffer, or give it to someone who has the proper home. It is not fair to your puffer to give him an unsatisfactory home.


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## aquariest2k12 (Feb 7, 2012)

again i understand your point but i would rather someone give me an encouragement on what to provide him with instead of telling me to give him up that sounds kinda harsh and i know your only stating your opinion on this but i dont its a question of knowing if i can afford him i think its a question of am i willing to go the extra mile to house him approprietly and i will do that if i have to i will just re-think my options and do this differently for him..thanx for your concern though..


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

aquariest2k12 said:


> again i understand your point but i would rather someone give me an encouragement on what to provide him with instead of telling me to give him up that sounds kinda harsh and i know your only stating your opinion on this but i dont its a question of knowing if i can afford him i think its a question of am i willing to go the extra mile to house him approprietly and i will do that if i have to i will just re-think my options and do this differently for him..thanx for your concern though..


Here's what you need. A whole other tank, just for him, because he will eventually attack and kill practically any other brackish fish. That's what BMLBytes already said. 
If you're not willing to get him another tank so that he can be comfortable and in an environment that is natural, safe, and appropriate for him, then you don't have any business keeping him.


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## aquariest2k12 (Feb 7, 2012)

hXcChic22 said:


> Here's what you need. A whole other tank, just for him, because he will eventually attack and kill practically any other brackish fish. That's what BMLBytes already said.
> If you're not willing to get him another tank so that he can be comfortable and in an environment that is natural, safe, and appropriate for him, then you don't have any business keeping him.


Again, i dont this is being understood from my point of view but i just stated that i will house him approprietly if i have to that does not mean that i am considering a 10 gallon tank for him if he needs bigger so that will give me an advantage of having the business of keeping him safe..i appreciate the suggestions and i also want to look for the well being of my pet just like you do..thanx for your concern


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I'm not sure I understood your last post. The point I was trying to make is that we can't really help you in any other way than to tell you that you need a separate aquarium for him. It is very unlikely that you will be able to successfully keep the puffer and the other fish in the same tank. Either the puffer will suffer, or the other fish will. I know it may sound harsh, but I am trying to save you from future headache.

Also, I am not saying that you have to give it up. I am just saying that you need to give the puffer its own tank. Many people starting out in this hobby, either can not afford a second tank, do not have room for a second tank, or do not want another tank. If any of those apply, then I would suggest giving the fish to someone else. 

Please understand that I am not trying to be harsh or mean. This is also not an opinion; your fish will NOT do well in its current home, and there is nothing you can do to its current home that will help. I am only trying to help you understand what the best thing for both you and your fish is. If you get it a new home, things will be a lot easier for both of you.


If you absolutely MUST keep that fish, and you MUST keep it in that aquarium, you could try a divider. It will look ugly, and your fish will have less swimming space, but your puffer wont be able to eat the crayfish and shrimp. It's basically a plastic wall you put in the aquarium. There are negatives though. One side will suffer from improper filtration, unless there are 2 filters on the tank. Same with oxygen, unless two air pumps. Also, there is significantly less swimming space. This would be what I call the lesser of two evils.
http://www.amazon.com/Quality-Aquarium-Divider-Gallon-Breeder/dp/B005LINCE2

Does that help?


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

I would suggest you get that new tank for the puffer ASAP and set it up brackish. Drip acclimate the puffer to brackish water and keep those two tanks healthy for several months before you start a marine tank. Adding salt to 1.005 salinity is a pain, and salt creep is always a mess. Be sure you can handle brackish before you embark on the expense of a marine tank.

And, please research your fish and understand their needs. Then, make appropriate changes. I have 5 brackish tanks and I would not mix those animals with my freshwater fish.


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## aquariest2k12 (Feb 7, 2012)

bmlbytes said:


> I'm not sure I understood your last post. The point I was trying to make is that we can't really help you in any other way than to tell you that you need a separate aquarium for him. It is very unlikely that you will be able to successfully keep the puffer and the other fish in the same tank. Either the puffer will suffer, or the other fish will. I know it may sound harsh, but I am trying to save you from future headache.
> 
> Also, I am not saying that you have to give it up. I am just saying that you need to give the puffer its own tank. Many people starting out in this hobby, either can not afford a second tank, do not have room for a second tank, or do not want another tank. If any of those apply, then I would suggest giving the fish to someone else.
> 
> ...


Thanx im sure I'll do fine with him but he'll have his own home pretty soon.


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## aquariest2k12 (Feb 7, 2012)

Fishpunk said:


> I would suggest you get that new tank for the puffer ASAP and set it up brackish. Drip acclimate the puffer to brackish water and keep those two tanks healthy for several months before you start a marine tank. Adding salt to 1.005 salinity is a pain, and salt creep is always a mess. Be sure you can handle brackish before you embark on the expense of a marine tank.
> 
> And, please research your fish and understand their needs. Then, make appropriate changes. I have 5 brackish tanks and I would not mix those animals with my freshwater fish.


Thanx for the advice I'll see how it goes with my reef tank once i set it up soon


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

If you intend to go right into a reef thank, then please do yourself a favor and get a copy of the book "The Conscientious Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner, or at least something similar. Marine tanks are not like freshwater where you can slap them together. They need to be eased into service over the course of many weeks or you will get frustrated. 

Doing it properly from the start will save you much in terms of headaches, heartaches, and wasted money. Ask questions of people you know who have reef tanks. Find out which local fish store you can trust. Even chat with some of the other customers at fish stores. 

Many might tell you to start with a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) tank to get experience before you go for a reef tank. That's your decision, of course, but remember that learning from your mistakes can get expensive. Above all, be patient patient patient.


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## aquariest2k12 (Feb 7, 2012)

Fishpunk said:


> If you intend to go right into a reef thank, then please do yourself a favor and get a copy of the book "The Conscientious Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner, or at least something similar. Marine tanks are not like freshwater where you can slap them together. They need to be eased into service over the course of many weeks or you will get frustrated.
> 
> Doing it properly from the start will save you much in terms of headaches, heartaches, and wasted money. Ask questions of people you know who have reef tanks. Find out which local fish store you can trust. Even chat with some of the other customers at fish stores.
> 
> Many might tell you to start with a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) tank to get experience before you go for a reef tank. That's your decision, of course, but remember that learning from your mistakes can get expensive. Above all, be patient patient patient.


Dooley noted and I'll enjoy having patience for this set up i know it will look great, thanks


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