unexpected puffer

[little]

I really dont think puffers are oddballs. I got my self in a fix, I called a not so local fish store, but the closes to me, 150 miles just to see if they COULD get my puffer that i wanted. with them saying they would ask, well the got the puffer. I have to pray its the one i want since i cant see it before it gets here. my problem is that my tank is not ready for a puffer, atleast i dont think it is, I set it up about 2-3 weeks ago,60 gallon tank. Unknowing anything about cycling, I have 3 tigar barbs,1 shark,1 eel and one pleco. I have a smaller extra tank that could bring in, but all I have for that is the glass and the light. I am sure I could delay the puffer for a few days maybe a week, I am in a rual area where supplys are not that easy to get, What can I do to make sure the puffer is going ot be ok, so I watch the water , add the cemicals to lower amonia/nitrite, I sometimes wonder is thats really a good thing, I always get myself in a mess when I decide I want something and want it now. I did alot of reading on what puffer would be best, and from what i found the red-tail red eye puffer is the ones that are not as agressive. and I am getting 2 i guess. I know now that I am not as ready as i should be and should learn a lot more before getting a touch fish like a puffer. but it's to late, any help making this a success would be very much welcome....

[lotsoffish]

What kind of puffer are we talking about?

[little]

Carinotetraodon irrubesco, or red-tailed red eye puffer is what I asked about and am hoping is what they brought in for me, any pics that are really clear and distinctive would be great! So I may email my friend who will be pickin them up for me and flying them down, So that she knows what she "should be" getting. I have a few pics of them but nothing to clear.

[lotsoffish]

What size is the smaller tank? You know what you need? STUFF. Lots of stuff. I am talking about cheap used stuff, like, a couple old heaters a thermometer, a few old air pumps, some floss, carbon, airline a few old plastic corner filters you know the STUFF that most new hobbyists would never think of owning. Those puffers you are getting are freshwater, like a temperature about 80 degrees and also are going to need PLANTS if you put them in the smaller tank. And I would. Who knows what kind of nasty stuff they may have growing on them? Why expose your entire 60 gallon to potential problems? The plants will help keep the water good and also help them to feel secure and happy in their new tank. Also those fish are very easy to sex Google them and find out how to do it. If you get two males I would get rid of one, two male puffers in the same tank is a very risky thing to try.

Now you may think I am nuts and I may be but if worse comes to worse and it is going to take you a few days to find the STUFF I said to look for, you can always fill up your kitchen sink with 80 degree tap water shoot some declorinator in it, plop in an air stone, a submersible heater, and a couple handfuls of hornwort and presto you got a temporary puffer habitat. That's of course assuming you live alone and don't plan on having someone of the opposite sex over until you get the sink back to normal.

[fishboy]

they get 2" and do very well in male and female pairs. Males and females look very different so if you get to very similar looking puffers, you're in trouble. I don't know about aggression but it they get mean you could add a tank divider until you could
A.)Cycle them a cheap 10 gallon or
B.)Leave them divided but in the same tank

Also there is a disbute is they have evergrowing teeth...you'll have to feed them snails, but if you don't feed them snails and the teeth are evergroing, they will die. If the teeth aren't evergrowing they'll be fine without eating snails. To this day I haven't confirmed one or the other as true, even after weeks of research on the topic

[LittlePuff]

www.pufferlist.com
www.thepufferforum.com

Everything you need.


Kim