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Cardisoma sp. (likely C. armatum). Southeast Asia,
Indonesia Land Crabs. Soap-Box Crabs for how they're individually
shipped (in plastic soap-dishes closed with rubber bands) to prevent
cannibalism. To eight inches across... Not a community tank item...
Actually not totally aquatic... if you're lucky, yours will crawl out of
the tank and leave.
Full Size Link
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Updated 11/5/09
Other Specialized
Daily FAQs Logs: General,
Freshwater
Daily Q&A replies/input from the WWM crew:
Neale Monks, Marco Lichtenberger,
Eric Russell,
Chuck Rambo, Scott Fellman, Bob Fenner, are posted here. Moved about,
re-organized into individual FAQs files!
________________________________________________________________________
GSPs not wanting snails! 11/05/09
Hi Crew! First off, a little background information. I have two green
spotted puffers that I've had for about a year and are between 2.5 and 3
inches.
<How sweet they must be!>
They're in a 175 gallon setup and it is full salt (a little early, I
know, but they have been doing wonderfully).
<Fine.>
Water quality is great, they have tons of live rock so they're not
bored.
They are perfectly healthy and eat like little pigs... but they wont eat
snails.
<Not uncommon. Snails are difficult to eat, and if given easier and
tastier alternative foods, tend to ignore them. Much like how humans
would sooner eat junk food than a salad.>
I have tried EVERYTHING to get them to eat snails. I've tried different
kinds of snails, I've tried crushing the snails, I've tried shoving
snails inside a large shrimp to "trick" them, and I've tried starving
them for a
couple days.
<Try starving them for a week or two. Won't do them any harm at all.>
None of this works. Right now they eat frozen mysis or brine shrimp 2
days a week, crab or lobster legs 3 times a week, large shrimp 2 days a
week, ghost shrimp and squid whenever I can find them, and sometimes
will munch on the pellets meant for the two damsels sharing the tank
with them (Great use of a 175 with four fish, I know, but the puffers
will need that space eventually).
<Damsels and GSPs tend to get along rather well, so I wouldn't look at
this combination too harshly. You may decide to add some of the very
pretty, but very aggressive damselfish species you couldn't keep in a
standard community or reef tank. Look at the tank as an opportunity
rather than a problem.>
Anyways, their teeth are starting to get a little long. They don't look
like bugs bunny or anything yet, but long enough that I'm concerned. I'm
terrified to trim their teeth (I'll do it if I have to) and I wish they
would just eat the snails!
<To be honest, trimming their teeth isn't a big deal. I keep Colomesus
asellus, a species infamous for its fast-growing teeth. While a
combination of crunchy foods and a sandy aquarium seems to slow down the
rate at which their teeth grow, it doesn't completely remove the need
for me to occasionally trim their teeth. I have a step-by-step guide
here:
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/pufferdentistry.html
In other words, if your puffers resolutely refuse to eat snails, it's no
big deal.>
Do you have any suggestions to get them to eat the snails?
<Hunger makes the best sauce...>
I'm desperate! Also, if you have any ideas of how to feed them better,
I'm open to advice.
<Do choose snails they can swallow whole. A common mistake is to put big
snails in there, assuming the puffer will peel them open like a can of
beans. They don't. Want puffers tend to do is bite the whole snail, and
more crunch the shell down, and if they can't get most or all of the
shell in their mouth, they won't do this.>
Thanks so much for your help!
Carol M.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Neons Gone!!!!! In with a brackish puffer... eaten
10/13/09
Hi all. My name is Gerard.
<Hello Gerard,>
I really need some help here. I have a figure 8 puffer and had 10 Neons
in the tank.
<You do realise these fish cannot be kept together? Figure-8 puffers
(Tetraodon biocellatus) are BRACKISH water fish. They need to be
maintained in a brackish water aquarium around SH 1.003 to SG 1.010.
http://homepage.mac.com/nmonks/Projects/FAQ/3e.html
For some years there was confusion over this, possibly because Figure-8
puffers were mistakenly identified as Tetraodon palembangensis, a truly
freshwater fish. In any case, Figure-8 puffers need brackish water,
whereas Neons need soft water, so there's no overlap. Pufferfish also
tend to be non-social fish, at best they're territorial, at worst
they're predatory.
Figure-8 puffers are nippy and somewhat territorial, and best kept
either singly or in groups of 3+. Do read here about puffer behaviour:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/pufferminds.htm
>
I woke up yesterday morning and 8 of them had vanished. I mean not even
a fin left. Now I thought that my wife took them out to give to her
sister for her tank......but this is not so.
<Somewhat mysterious. Of course, a big Pufferfish will eat small Neons.>
Sorry wife. So this morning I wake up and I find that the other two are
now also GONE!!! what is going on?? At the pet shop I was told to feed
the fish every second day with flakes or pellets and bloodworm twice a
week for the puffer. not more than that otherwise the tank water will go
off because bloodworm is very high in protein, so the puffer would eat
what the others eat (terrible spelling sorry).
<Pufferfish need crunchy foods, not flake.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracpuffsysfaqs.htm
Offer them things like unshelled prawns, woodlice, small snails, chopped
squid, krill, and so on. Avoid freeze-dried foods (these seem to cause
constipation). Focus on fresh or wet-frozen foods. Don't feed them live
feeder fish!>
At another pet shop I was told that the puffer only eats bloodworm and
to feed it once a day????
<Why are you relying on what pet stores tell you? Would you listen to
what a car salesman said? Or someone selling clothes? Of course not;
you'd do your own research and make your own decisions. There is plenty
of
information on this puffer species here at WWM.
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracsystems.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/20qsbrmonks.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracpufffdgfaqs.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracpuffsysfaqs.htm
>
I'm 50 bucks down overnight and a very empty looking fish tank.....
Please could someone tell me the truth. I don't know who to believe.
<Luckily for you I write about brackish water puffers, and even have a
book about brackish water fishes that you might want to buy or borrow
from a library. So you can trust me!>
When you go back and off load your frustration...... it's always
something you have done... Eagerly waiting for a response Kind regards
Gerard
<Hope this helps, Neale.>
Re: Neons Gone!!!!! 10/13/09
Hi Neale, yes thanks for the quick response. Please tell me , could that
puffer have eaten all 8 and 2 the following night??
<Yes. Puffers will eat a lot of food! In the wild they eat "poor
quality" food, meaning their food contains a lot of shells. So they have
big stomachs, and need to eat a lot of food across the day to get all
the energy they need. In an aquarium they are given soft, good quality
food, so seem very greedy. Their instinct is to fill themselves up on
whatever they can find; if that happens to be a bunch of small fish,
particularly dead
fish, then that's what happens. I should say that Figure-8 puffers do
not normally eat fish, not in the wild and not in captivity.>
That really baffles me. oh and what is the difference between brack and
soft water?
<Brackish water is what you have in an estuary. It is half seawater and
half river water. In the aquarium, for the Figure 8 pufferfish, you
would add 9 grammes of marine salt mix (like you'd use in a marine reef
tank) per 1 litre of water. Do read in particular here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/bracsystems.htm
Soft water is water with low levels of hardness. It was what you find in
rivers hundreds of miles inland, like in the Amazon or the Congo. You
*cannot* keep soft water fish and brackish water fish in the same
aquarium.>
Thanks again.
Gerard
<Cheers, Neale.>
14G freshwater setup questions, stkg... incl. Gobioides,
non-aquatic plants, - 10/05/2009
Hello there and thank you for your time.
<Hello, and we're happy to help.>
I have recently purchased and setup/cycled a 14G freshwater aquarium and
have a few questions after reading and learning a bit more about my new
hobby. The first and most important issue I need help with is what to do
about the "Dragonfish" that I now know to actually be a Violet Goby and
a brackish water fish.
<Indeed. And far too large for a 14 gallon aquarium. Adults get to as
much as 50 cm/20 inches in length.>
I purchased it from Wal-mart on an admittedly rash impulse after reading
the info label "freshwater, peaceful, eats blood worms" sounds good to
me, too bad only the peaceful part was 100% accurate.
<!!!>
The other fish in the tank are 4 Devario aequipinnatus (giant Danios),
and a Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Pleco).
<Both of these are far too large for 14 gallon tanks as well. Giant
Danios, as their name suggests, are bigger than regular Danios. While
the volume of the tank isn't critical, we're looking at tanks around 100
cm/39 inches in length for them to feel settled and happy. They also
tend to be aggressive in groups smaller than 6, so be on the lookout for
chasing and nipping. As for Plecs, well, this chap of yours will need a
55 gallon tank. Sure, it can be wedged into smaller tanks, but at up to
45 cm/18 inches in length, and a fish that produces solid waste by the
bucket, small tanks will look filthy pretty quickly!>
I was sold some "aquatic" plants at Petco and have identified a couple
as Dracenas and Brazilian swords which thanks to WWM I now know are not
actually aquatic.
<Oh dear.>
My substrate is a basic colored gravel. According to the Violet Goby
FAQ's I know that they need a gravity of about 1.005 to be happy but I
was also reading that the Pleco, Danios, and plants aren't going to like
that.
<Indeed not.>
I know that being estuarine the Goby will "survive" in the freshwater
for a short period of time, my question is this. Will it be morally
wrong to wait it out and see how he does?
<Yes. It will certainly sicken and die eventually. You hear of the odd
specimen kept in freshwater tanks lasting 6, 12 months... but most
don't. Wild fish likely live many years.>
I certainly don't have the money to start a second BW tank right now,
and it seems like taking the fish back to Wal-Mart would be worse than
leaving him with me, but on the other hand I don't want to slowly
torture him to death by keeping him in a FW tank with a gravel substrate
if that's going to be the case.
<A conundrum without an easy solution.>
Would "workarounds" like making sure he gets algae pellets and
bloodworms to account for the lack of substrate feeding, and a PVC tube
half buried to allow him a "burrow", be acceptable? Also is there a
compromise gravity like 1.003 that will work for both the goby and the
others?
<Look, the plants will die anyway, so they're not worth factoring.
Dracaena and Spathiphyllum spp. are house plants, and should treated as
such. Their death underwater is certain and imminent. For the fish, SG
1.003 would be tolerated by the Plec for a while, and if you were lucky,
the Gobioides would be comfortable enough to last under such conditions
for long enough for you to find alternative accommodation. But the
Danios... not so much.
They have a low tolerance of brackish water.>
The other issue I need to address is the "aquatic" plants. Is a non
aquatic plant going to cause any harm if left in the tank until it dies?
<Yes. Dead stuff is dead stuff, and it's all using up oxygen and
producing organic acids.>
Assuming dead leaves are being removed of course. Plantgeeks.com says
they will rot but I'm not 100% sure about my identification of the
plants and would hate to waste money and good aquatic plants by
pre-maturely removing them.
<Brazilian Swords are a species of Spathiphyllum, and certainly do not
belong in an aquarium. As for Dracaena, they're pretty easy to identify,
and so widely sold, that you'd be unlikely to make a mistake. If the
thing looks like duck and quacks like a duck...>
What signs or symptoms should I watch for to remove them?
<Take them out.>
They were labeled "assorted potted plants" at Petco.
<Indeed.>
The final issue I have is that I have a Pleco who I'm learning will be
eventually around 13" long and is living in a 14G tank that is about 20"
long. I do plan to step up to a 55-75g eventually and would transplant
him
to it.
<The bigger of the two tanks is wise.>
How much time do I realistically have before he will need to be put in a
larger tank?
<They reach full size within 1-2 years. Do not underestimate their
growth rate!>
I read in a forum on fishprofiles.com that if you place a fish in a too
small tank that it will stunt their growth while their organs may
continue to grow internally and eventually cause a painful death for the
fish, is
there any truth to this?
<No, the organs don't keep growing. That's garbage, and quoted all over
the place on web sites written by people without any real knowledge of
fish biology. What *does* happen though is that eventually the mass of
the fish overwhelms the ability of the filter to keep the water clean
and oxygenated. When that threshold point is reached, ammonia isn't
removed quickly enough, and oxygen isn't replenished fast enough, and
the fish becomes stressed. Eventually, it dies. There's no rocket
science here, and under lab conditions at least, you can maintain big
fish in tiny tanks, provided the filtration is (uneconomically) massive
and the water
constantly being changed (like, 90% daily). It's not viable to keep pet
fish this way, which is why we stress the importance of the size of the
tank, and the turnover of the filter, with respect to the fish being
kept.>
Along the same lines, if I keep the Goby which I'm thinking isn't
probable, how long before he's going to need a larger tank?
<Again, just don't.>
Thank you again, I realize now that I should have done a bit more
research before setting this all up but now all I can do is try to make
it right retrospectively and appreciate any help you folks have to
offer.
<Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_5/volume_5_3/stocking.htm
Much to be gained by measuring the volume of your aquarium, and choosing
livestock accordingly.>
I'm an avid animal lover and would hate to know that they were suffering
due to my ineptitude.
<I understand. But there is this issue that we go into pet shops and
assume all the fish are equally easy to keep. This isn't any more true
for fish than it is, say, for breeds of dog, or plants for your garden.>
Cheers,
Phil
<Cheers, Neale.>
SG flux GSP tank 9/21/09
Good evening crew. I have a GSP tank that I normally keep at SG of 1.013
for well over a year now. After my last water change, I don't know if I
was distracted or what, but I added a bit too much salt to the make up
water and now I have a reading of 1.015 in the main tank. How bad is
this going to be for the biological filter and should I do a partial
water change of fresh to remedy this ASAP? The fish seem unaffected, but
from what I have read you are supposed to do any increases very gradual
and that even .002 jump should be over a week or so. Any help would be
greatly appreciated.
<Hello Keith. It's very unlikely you've done any serious harm. Filter
bacteria adapt to fairly big changes in salinity. Your fish, being
brackish water fish, couldn't care less. In fact adult GSPs do perfectly
well from
1.005 to 1.025. So if everyone seems happy, and there's no nitrite or
ammonia in the system, you needn't worry. Cheers, Neale.>
Dragon goby with mudskippers?
9/20/09
Hello crew,
<Hello Joanne,>
I just wanted to ask a question regarding my set up; I have a 45 imp.
gallon 4-foot set up which contains half a dozen Indian Mudskippers
(believe they are, indeed, novemradiatus. Little stunners),
<Indeed, a lovely species; hardy, small, and easy to keep.>
4 orange Chromide and 8 glassfish (I know the advice runs to species
only for mudskippers, and initially I had them in a smaller tank on
their own; they were so placid and intriguing I moved them into the
downstairs four footer for all to enjoy).
<Mudskippers do become more aggressive as they mature, but this species
is generally fairly placid, particularly if sufficiently overcrowded
that no one male can claim the whole tank.>
Obviously the tank isn't full, probably about 20 galls? Maybe a little
more, but not much. It's half full.
<There are good reasons not to mix fish with Mudskippers. In brief,
Mudskippers tend to be nervous of fish that are bigger than they are,
and so dip into the water less often. Conversely, they'll eat
substantially smaller fish given the chance. While they can be mixed
with other fish -- there is a nice display of West African
Mudskippers, Anableps, and Sailfin Mollies at the London Aquarium -- you
do have to be careful. Orange Chromides can be quite territorial and
aggressive when sexually mature, and I'd be very careful about combining
them with Mudskippers.>
There is, of course 'land space' for the 'skippers. The SG is 1.010. I
have recently seen the violet/dragon goby at my LFS. I thought they were
quirky, but MUST be predatory looking at those teeth, left the idea
alone and went home. However, my curiosity drew me to look on-line and
discover that they are not predatory, but use the teeth for algae
scraping.
Bizarre!
<Yes, very bizarre fish indeed. Shame your tank is too small for them.
You really need something around 40-55 gallons.>
My question, then, is could a violet goby exist in this set-up, or is it
not big enough?
<Not big enough. Plus, even though you know the Dragon Goby is harmless,
it might terrify the Mudskippers.>
I fear I know the answer, but would like to hear it from someone else.
Thanks!
Jo
<Do read Richard Mleczko's chapter on Mudskippers in my brackish-water
fishes book, should you get the chance. It's a very useful resource.
Cheers, Neale.>
|
Please help me identify this cichlid! (It's not a cichlid,
it's a brackish water snapper... oops!) –
09/08/09
I have some problems recognizing this cichlid....
<Isn't a cichlid.>
I have tried searching its name but with no success. It would be a great
help if you would help me identify this.
<It is a fish called a Mangrove Jack, Lutjanus argentimaculatus, a
brackish water to marine snapper found across the Indo-West Pacific from
the Red Sea to Australia. The species spawns in estuaries and the
juveniles are commonly found in freshwater rivers close to the sea.
Adults will sometimes swim into freshwater rivers, but they don't live
permanently in freshwater.
Basic care similar to other brackish water fish; you'll need around SG
1.005 for juveniles up to about 6 inches/15 cm, but after that,
half-strength to full-strength seawater is required, SG 1.010 to 1.025
at
25 degrees C. The main problem is its size: adults can reach 100 cm/39
inches in length and weight 15 kg/33 lb, but most are somewhat smaller.
Still, expect a fish some 50 cm/20 inches in length within a couple of
years.>
I bought two of these cichlids named as "African cichlids" but when I
saw them closely in my tank, I saw sharp teeth like Piranhas.
<They are snappers. They snap!>
They are two of them around 3" placed with a Green Terror and Blood
Parrot Cichlid.
<Both of these fish will, eventually, become food.>
And sorry for the bad picture quality (Its added as an attachment)
<Good enough! These are really a food fish, with little/no value as
aquarium fish. Hope you have a big, and I mean BIG aquarium for them!
These are super-aggressive, extremely predator fish that need lots of
robust seafood (squid, cockles, lancefish) to do well, though they
should also take quality pellets such as Cichlid Gold. Very likely will
eventually need to be kept alone. Hardy, can become very tame. Overall,
similar to other large snappers, such as Lutjanus sebae. Cheers, Neale.>
|
 |
Green Spotted Puffer, env., hlth. – 09/08/09
Hello, I need some advice.
<Oh?>
I purchased a Green Spotted Puffer 3 weeks ago. After 2 weeks I found
him dead. I returned him to the store and got another GSP. 1 week later
he was dead. I just got another today and I do not want the same fate as
the others.
<Hm... a pattern is emerging...>
However I am not sure what I am doing wrong. I have tested my water and
so did the fish store... water quality was very good.
<Need numbers! Lots of folks have misconceptions of what "good" water
quality and water chemistry might be. In the case of Green Spotted
Puffers, ammonia and nitrite must both be 0, and nitrate should be as
low as practically, ideally less than 20 mg/l.>
At this point they were still in fresh water.
<This never does this puffers much good. So apart from a pH around 7.5
to 8, and a hardness level 10 degrees dH or higher, you really should be
adding some marine salt mix to the water. For juveniles, a least 6
grammes per litre (about SG 1.003 at 25 C) is fine, but once they get to
above 8-10 cm/3-4 inches, you need to be adding about 9-16 grammes per
litre (SG 1.005 to 1.010 at 25 C).>
I was going to change them to brackish water but never got the chance
since they keep dying.
<Try doing things the other way around: set up a brackish water
aquarium, and then add your puffer.>
I have been feeding them 2 times a day skipping 1 meal a week. Their
menu consists of snails, frozen bloodworms and frozen brine shrimp. I
try to give them at least 1 snail per feeding and either brine shrimp or
bloodworms. They would gobble them up with no hesitation.
<Diet sounds fine.>
I quit feeding them after the stomachs were rounded. Any ideas why they
keep dying?
<Presumably environmental; review tank size, filtration, water
circulation rate. Puffers have high oxygen demands, and a good, strong
filter is essential. I'd be looking at something rated at 6-8 times the
volume of the tank in turnover per hour. So for a 30 gallon tank, 6 x 30
= 180 gallons/hour would be the minimum viable filter.>
Should I switch the tank to brackish water right now to see if that
helps?
<Yes.>
The tank is fully cycled and the temperature is kept at 75-78 degrees. I
put a lunar light on the tank for night viewing. Will this hurt them in
any way?
<Don't leave these lights on all night, just an hour or two. Whether
they're "harm" the fish is debatable, but they aren't natural and may
make it difficult for fish to sleep normally.>
I appreciate any help you can give me. I hate to keep losing fish for no
reason.
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Green Spotted Puffer 9/9/09
Sorry... Numbers:
Ammonia = 0
Nitrite = 0
Nitrate = about 5 -10
Hardness = 250
Alkalinity = 180
pH = 8
<All sounds fine.>
My filter cycles the tank about 9-10 times per hour. I am also running 2
sponge filters to help with bacteria growth and oxygen. I will switch it
to brackish water tonight...
<Suspect this will help.>
Thanks
-Jon
<There's a nice review of the species, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_1/cav1i1/green_spotted_puppies.htm
In general, these are hardy fish, but if kept in freshwater for too
long, do get sickly. Do watch for things like overfeeding, and ensure
the tank has a good circulation, as puffers are invariably sensitive to
low oxygen
concentrations. Cheers, Neale.>
Cichlid (cross, neo-trop.) Breeding and Puffer (indet. sp.
beh.) Questions. 9/2/09
My Convict and Green Terror Cichlid seem to have laid eggs. They are in
a tank with other cichlids and a few snails. The eggs are stuck onto a
rock and spread out in a single layer. I believe the eggs belong to them
because they are both very protective of the eggs when other fish
approach them but never to each other.
Just wondering if this was possible.
<Well, it's happened, so seems to be very possible! If you're asking me
will these eggs hatch into baby (hybrid) cichlids, then I don't know,
but imagine not. Some cichlids hybridise quite readily -- a bad thing,
generally -- but not all.>
On a semi unrelated note, I also have a puffer fish in a separate tank
with a few feeders who have survived the tank's cycling (put them in to
make sure the water and filters were fine, all of them survived except
the ones the puffer has destroyed.) Twice I've seen her get very stiff,
roll into a ball and suck in her pectoral fins so that they actually
seem to be inside her body.
<Odd.>
There were no reasons for her to go into shock (if that's what it is.)
The room was quiet and the water has not been changed. I've had her for
a few months and she's never been sick (although she was recently moved
to a new tank.)
When I saw her (caught her in the act) I dropped in a freeze dried
shrimp in an attempt to distract her. It took her a second to loosen up,
but she went right for it.
<Good.>
Her colors are bright, and I was planning on transitioning slowly to
brackish this week (She's about an inch and a half long, and I want the
transition to be as slow as possible to prevent any kind of shock or
sickness). What's going on?
<No idea. Puffers sometimes "practise" their puffing, and that can be
alarming. They also tend towards becoming lethargic if overfed, sitting
on the bottom looking dazed. But if neither of these things are
possible, then I'd do the usual things and check water chemistry and
water quality. Once you move a Green Spotted Puffer or Figure-8 Puffer
to brackish water it should settle down and behave normally. Under
freshwater conditions their health is variable, and you may simply be
witnessing some type of abnormal behaviour caused by improper
maintenance. Cheers, Neale.>
|
Subject: another photo, please: blue-legged hermit?
8/28/09
> Hi Bob,
> Do you have this beastie? Clibanarius tricolor, or similar?
> As a swap, I can offer a photo of Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda,
a euryhaline Limulus doing the rounds as the "freshwater
horseshoe crab" even though it doesn't last long in freshwater
(no surprise).
> Thanks!
> Neale
Will either of the attached do? B
Re: another photo, please: blue-legged hermit?
Yes, perfectly well! Thanks Bob.
Attached, a "freshwater" horseshoe crab.
Cheers, Neale
<Will post w/ your prev. comment with credit to you. BobF>
FW Limulus, not! 8/29/2009
Hi Bob,
Here's a better caption:
"Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, one of several Southeast Asian Limulus
relatives. Basic care similar to Limulus polyphemus, except that
Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda is truly euryhaline and tolerant of a broad
salinity (and temperature) range. Sometimes sold as a freshwater
invertebrate, as it does sometimes occur in freshwater habitats, having
been recorded from the Hooghly River 90 km (56 miles) upstream.
However, it does not do well in freshwater aquaria, but can be
maintained in brackish or marine aquaria from SG 1.010 upwards, assuming
other factors (substrate, diet) are appropriate."
Cheers, Neale
Will append. B
|
 |
help! GSP hlth., no info., reading
8/29/2009
My green spotted puffer is at the top of the water gasping for breath.
My other one is starting to show the same symptoms. I heard it can be
due to the Nitrates in the water so i put a chemical in to lower them
and bought some real plants. Is there anything else i can do to save my
fishy :(
<...? Need more data to help you... But we've accumulated sufficient
input from others. Read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
Bob Fenner>
Green spotted puffers, sys., comp.
8/29/2009
Hi I just recently set up a 45 gal freshwater aquarium and wanted to
know if it were at all possible to keep the puffers as strictly
freshwater fish
<No, not Green Spotted Puffers, no. Both Tetraodon nigroviridis and
Tetraodon fluviatilis need to be kept in a brackish water aquarium.>
and if so can they be housed with chiclids.
<Generally, no, cichlids make poor companions for cichlids. I have kept
both South American Puffers (Colomesus asellus) and the Red-tail Puffer
(Carinotetraodon irrubesco) with certain cichlids in a large aquarium,
but realistically, most people find the combination of cichlids (which
are territorial) and puffers (which explore and bite everything) a bad
idea.
Pufferfish are simply much better kept in their own quarters, perhaps
singly, or if you have space, in groups. They are certainly very
entertaining fish, and usually quickly become tame. Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Novice Makes a Ton of
Mistakes That May Kill Fish. Is the problem fungus? 8/12/09
Sorry I forgot to keep you up to date!? I guess I lost this email! Thank
you for your help!
<Happy to help.>
All of my fish survived.? Mostly I think I was overreacting (especially
about the puffer, whom I baby more than anyone ever should baby a
fish... it's almost a little creepy, but I admit to it!)? I used Melafix
to treat
the Popeye after all of the other treatments had been filtered out, and
replaced the water with reverse osmosis water in 25% increments.?? No
eyes were lost, no fish died, and I really learned a valuable lesson.
<Good.>
BUT! I have a question:? My Green Spotted Puffer had been staying in the
tank, until I noticed some odd behavior.? She used to pick on EVERYBODY,
even the Green Terror who is more than twice her size and another
cichlid who chases the other fish so violently I'm on the verge of
giving him to the pet store down the street (who swears they won't flush
him), however, I think she may have suffered a little bit of a "beat
down."?
<Green Spotted Puffers, widely called GSPs, aren't community fish.
Period.
End of story. Adult males are territorial when mature, and both sexes
view the fins of other fish as potential food. They are normally kept
alone or with their own kind. 30 gallons is about right for one, 55
gallons for two.
Finally, GSPs need brackish water. They CANNOT be kept indefinitely in
freshwater, whatever the guy in the pet store might have suggest.
Indeed, there's some evidence they need marine conditions to breed.>
She had been swimming only in the top corner of the tank and avoiding
the other fish (I at first assumed she'd go back to her old ways, and
kick some tail but she didn't!) She was once so aggressive I had to
fight to convince everyone she was worth it, but she began running away
from even the feeder fish! Her colors even got very dark.
<What is the salinity of the water? When GSPs lose colour, it's often a
sign that they're being kept in the wrong conditions. Juveniles need to
be kept at around SG 1.005 at 25 degrees C, about 9 grammes of marine
salt mix per litre of water. Adults will need about twice that
salinity.>
I was scared, so I bagged her up (she usually stays at my 55 gallon that
has no place in my house and therefore stays at my boyfriends') and took
her home. Before I even got out of the car I noticed her colors had
brightened and she was genuinely (and a little stupidly) exploring the
bag (a normal fish store bag with about four inches of water in it.).
<OK.>
Anyhow, she seems fine, (she explores the tank and "herds the feeders,"
watches me type pretty intently, and hasn't really slept yet), but she's
stuck in a tank that I know is too small for her, (I think it's only ten
gallons).
<Do not feed this fish feeder fish. Indeed, don't feed ANY fish feeder
fish. The only people who use store-bought feeder fish are people who
haven't thought through what they're doing. I'm not against the use of
live
fish _per se_, as it can be the only way to keep (a very few) difficult
predatory fish species. But those feeders must, repeat MUST, be
home-bred and gut-loaded. The most idiotic thing you can do is buy
Goldfish or Minnows as feeder fish. At the price they're sold at,
they're maintained in squalid (read: disease-ridden) conditions, and
they're also filled with fat and thiaminase that cause MAJOR health
problems. Luckily, here in the UK, feeder fish simply aren't sold any
more, but in some parts of the world
they may still be on sale. Don't buy them. Read more, here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_6/volume_6_1/thiaminase.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/fdgfdrartneale.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/goldfshfd.htm
>
She's only about an inch long, and the only other inhabitants are a
couple of fiddlers, who are scared of her (she enjoys chasing them onto
the land, or into the tunnel underneath it), and some feeders I got for
her.
<Why...? Where did you read that GSPs eat small fish? What book? They
don't. They eat invertebrates and some plant material, as well as the
fins of larger fish. Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackishsubwebindex/gspsart.htm
>
How long can/should she stay there??
<Few days, maybe weeks. GSPs need brackish water conditions.>
I'm a little short on the cash I would need to get a bigger tank, and
before I borrow money from my parents (and persuade them it's necessary)
I'd like to know the time frame.
<Don't buy a fish until AFTER you have researched its needs. In this
case, you've created an expensive problem, because you have a fish that
gets big (15 cm/6 inches) and is so aggressive it can't normally be kept
with other species. It grows quickly, and within a year will be at least
half grown.
I'd like to be able to offer a cheap workaround, but you know what,
there aren't always quick solutions. Hence, you research BEFORE you buy.
I'd have told you this if you'd asked, and saved you some money.>
AND do you think she could go back into the big tank anytime?
<No.>
Thank you for your input!
Kim
<Cheers, Neale.>
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