FishEggs
Aquarium Advice Addict
Isn't the active-flora already a plant substrate? if so you shouldn't need to use the laterite under it.
Dwarf Puffer tank build thread
- Thread starter Deep Seven
- Start date
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If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
OP
OP
Deep Seven
Aquarium Advice Addict
Active-flora is a fired clay, which makes it more porous, but locks in any nutrient value. They enrich the substrate with plant available nutrients, then tell you to buy their fertilizers. I wanted something more complete. Active-flora is the closest I could find to the look I was going for, most likely I won't be using it as directed.
I'll probably dry it out, use some screens to seperate it into different grades, mix in the laterite with the grade I want on the bottom and then use the different grades to to create the aquascape I want.
If I do this I'm going to save the water and a bit of the substrate from the active-flora bags, toss it in a tank, and test how well it handles an instant bio-load, fishless using ammonia of course.
I'll probably dry it out, use some screens to seperate it into different grades, mix in the laterite with the grade I want on the bottom and then use the different grades to to create the aquascape I want.
If I do this I'm going to save the water and a bit of the substrate from the active-flora bags, toss it in a tank, and test how well it handles an instant bio-load, fishless using ammonia of course.
OP
OP
Deep Seven
Aquarium Advice Addict
WOOOT, I found a place selling pure ammonium in 14% solution. I'm leaving... on a jet pane! (sorry, playing too much word association lately.)
Where was I? Oh yeah, I'm leaving shortly to buy my pure ammonium
.
Going to pick up some decorations and heater for my QT. Also going to try and find a ready made product I can modify for my two story cave so I can avoid trying to do a bunch of acrylic work. It will be hidden anyways so it doesn't have to look "pretty". Pick up a food safe garbage pail to start soaking my wood in. And.. um, wait just a sec... Dang,
Just called the LFS near the janitor warehouse, or maybe I should call it LDFS (long distance fish store), anyways his puffer delivery got delayed again. He said this tueday he's supposed to get twelve. (Not buying them for at least a couple months, I just want to go see them .)
I think I might pick up a bag of substrate and start playing around with how I'm going to layer.
P.S. I also need to pick-up my radiation clean-up overalls for next week-end.
Where was I? Oh yeah, I'm leaving shortly to buy my pure ammonium
.Going to pick up some decorations and heater for my QT. Also going to try and find a ready made product I can modify for my two story cave so I can avoid trying to do a bunch of acrylic work. It will be hidden anyways so it doesn't have to look "pretty". Pick up a food safe garbage pail to start soaking my wood in. And.. um, wait just a sec... Dang,
Just called the LFS near the janitor warehouse, or maybe I should call it LDFS (long distance fish store), anyways his puffer delivery got delayed again. He said this tueday he's supposed to get twelve. (Not buying them for at least a couple months, I just want to go see them .)I think I might pick up a bag of substrate and start playing around with how I'm going to layer.
P.S. I also need to pick-up my radiation clean-up overalls for next week-end.
Fastfossil
Aquarium Advice Freak
Tagging along 
OP
OP
Deep Seven
Aquarium Advice Addict
So I get to the cleaning supplies store and buy two jugs of ammonium hydroxide in a 14% solution. I had called earlier (to avoid a 2hr drive for nothing) and they had what I needed, they asked what I was using it for so I told them. Then when I'm buying the jugs the tell me they checked the... I think it's called MSD (Material Safety Data) and tell me that ammonium is harmful to aquatic animals . So I told them quickly what a cycle was and how to use ammonium to get a tank ready for fish, and his reply was, "Ooooooh, thats why goldfish die so much in new tanks!"
So I got my ammonium, a bunch of steralizable decorations mainly fake plants and red clay planting pots, heater, gravel vac (I was going to just make one but it was there and pretty cheap so I bought it), some bulk filter media, and the Nutrafin master test kit from Hagen.
Just need a cover, and light, and my QT will be ready for fish once cycled.
This Week:
1) Start cycling my QT
2) Get the wood I have soaking to see what kind of leaching I'll be dealing with.
3) Work on the main tank doing pre-substrate aquascaping. I'm still not sure exactly how I'm going to do it, but I need to just start doing so I can see what works and what doesn't.
. So I told them quickly what a cycle was and how to use ammonium to get a tank ready for fish, and his reply was, "Ooooooh, thats why goldfish die so much in new tanks!"So I got my ammonium, a bunch of steralizable decorations mainly fake plants and red clay planting pots, heater, gravel vac (I was going to just make one but it was there and pretty cheap so I bought it), some bulk filter media, and the Nutrafin master test kit from Hagen.
Just need a cover, and light, and my QT will be ready for fish once cycled.
This Week:
1) Start cycling my QT
2) Get the wood I have soaking to see what kind of leaching I'll be dealing with.
3) Work on the main tank doing pre-substrate aquascaping. I'm still not sure exactly how I'm going to do it, but I need to just start doing so I can see what works and what doesn't.
Greenmaster
Aquarium Advice Addict
Looks like things are coming along nicely. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Fastfossil
Aquarium Advice Freak
Glad you informed some people and may have saved a few fish in the future.
rocioamsterdam
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi,
How's it going now? I am also thinking a lot trying to design a 7 gal for my 1 little critter (before he starts getting angry).
So I am gonna host 1 DP and maybe I'll try ghost shrimp with it.
I have no clue about the bottom material. Plants for sure but rocks? What type?
Following your tank!
How's it going now? I am also thinking a lot trying to design a 7 gal for my 1 little critter (before he starts getting angry).
So I am gonna host 1 DP and maybe I'll try ghost shrimp with it.
I have no clue about the bottom material. Plants for sure but rocks? What type?
Following your tank!
rocioamsterdam
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Argh, sorry, I am working too much lately. So I just realized that I am posting the same questions in two different threads... sorry!
Ok, I went today to the LFS (a different one) to buy frozen worms. Reason: most fish keepers around me say that live worms usually carry diseases... not fun. Maybe it is not the case if you trust your LFS, but for now I don't even know whether I'd be able to tell whether my DP is sick or not. He does not move fast at all and when I tried bloodworms, other fish were much faster in emptying the wormfeeder. I didn't see him take more than 2 bites. Now the LFS guy says that dwarf puffers can get used to frozen worms but it's not what he would feed them. I couldn't help to notice that he had a small tank with say 30 DPs in it... they had just arrived he said. He gave me a bag full of small moving stuff (baby insects I guess). Those are great because you dump a few and they go everywhere, and don't hide in the substrate, so the DP got his share. He doesnt eat much - I've read this is very common in the first days. Oh and get this: the guy at the shop also said that DPs aren't neccesarily aggresive, and he keeps them with fish that are fast swimmers. Like tetras... but I will keep watching my guppys and female halfmoon betta because I don't believe he won't resist the urge to nip fins. I have 3 weeks left until I can finally put the DP in a different tank...
Now, a question: how long until I can tell the gender of my DP? Because I wouldn't want to go buy another one and end up with 2 males... how fast do they grow? I know how to distinguish male from female kindof, but not how long until they mature to sexuaity. Does anyone know?
And any tips on how to get plants growing happy in rainy, grey Amsterdam? Is there any magic bottle with nutrients that I could add to the substrate? I'm not sure I can find laterite anywhere close... I'm not up to asking all this stuff in the fish store because they always look like they want you to buy something quick and leave, and no complicated questions please...
Ok, I went today to the LFS (a different one) to buy frozen worms. Reason: most fish keepers around me say that live worms usually carry diseases... not fun. Maybe it is not the case if you trust your LFS, but for now I don't even know whether I'd be able to tell whether my DP is sick or not. He does not move fast at all and when I tried bloodworms, other fish were much faster in emptying the wormfeeder. I didn't see him take more than 2 bites. Now the LFS guy says that dwarf puffers can get used to frozen worms but it's not what he would feed them. I couldn't help to notice that he had a small tank with say 30 DPs in it... they had just arrived he said. He gave me a bag full of small moving stuff (baby insects I guess). Those are great because you dump a few and they go everywhere, and don't hide in the substrate, so the DP got his share. He doesnt eat much - I've read this is very common in the first days. Oh and get this: the guy at the shop also said that DPs aren't neccesarily aggresive, and he keeps them with fish that are fast swimmers. Like tetras... but I will keep watching my guppys and female halfmoon betta because I don't believe he won't resist the urge to nip fins. I have 3 weeks left until I can finally put the DP in a different tank...
Now, a question: how long until I can tell the gender of my DP? Because I wouldn't want to go buy another one and end up with 2 males... how fast do they grow? I know how to distinguish male from female kindof, but not how long until they mature to sexuaity. Does anyone know?
And any tips on how to get plants growing happy in rainy, grey Amsterdam? Is there any magic bottle with nutrients that I could add to the substrate? I'm not sure I can find laterite anywhere close... I'm not up to asking all this stuff in the fish store because they always look like they want you to buy something quick and leave, and no complicated questions please...
OP
OP
Deep Seven
Aquarium Advice Addict
This is my build thread
Where I'm keeping everyone up to date on how I'm doing. I'm working a lot lately, and can't get out of town to buy the hardware I need to build the structure I want so I'm at a standstill right now. I was supposed to start cycling the QT but I've put it off for a bit.
The other thread you posted in was just a question on DP compatibility, I figured Xemina wouldn't mind if we hijacked her thread for related purposes.
It would be nice if I didn't get too many questions in my build thread that aren't about my build.
Now to answer your questions. Dwarf puffers are hard to sex as juveniles. If you know what you're looking for it's possible, but the markings are very faint. Something about crinkles behind the eyes, line running down the body I think, slightly different body shape (you need matures to tell from body shape)
(male with the crinkles)
Dwarf Puffers live 2-5 years, and are full grown at 1 inch when they're mature. I'm guessing between 3-9 months to reach maturity.
And for the last question, a lot of people don't use any special substrate for plants. There are fertilizers you can add to feed the plants. If you don't have a lot of plants the LFS should have some liquid fertilizers you can use. If you plan on growing lots of plants getting a good source of dry fertilizer will be much cheaper.
Where I'm keeping everyone up to date on how I'm doing. I'm working a lot lately, and can't get out of town to buy the hardware I need to build the structure I want so I'm at a standstill right now. I was supposed to start cycling the QT but I've put it off for a bit.
The other thread you posted in was just a question on DP compatibility, I figured Xemina wouldn't mind if we hijacked her thread for related purposes.
It would be nice if I didn't get too many questions in my build thread that aren't about my build
.Now to answer your questions. Dwarf puffers are hard to sex as juveniles. If you know what you're looking for it's possible, but the markings are very faint. Something about crinkles behind the eyes, line running down the body I think, slightly different body shape (you need matures to tell from body shape)
Dwarf Puffers live 2-5 years, and are full grown at 1 inch when they're mature. I'm guessing between 3-9 months to reach maturity.
And for the last question, a lot of people don't use any special substrate for plants. There are fertilizers you can add to feed the plants. If you don't have a lot of plants the LFS should have some liquid fertilizers you can use. If you plan on growing lots of plants getting a good source of dry fertilizer will be much cheaper.
Haha, nah I don't mind, it's all good. Thanx for the thought.
On a side note, my 75gal is almost cycled so I am almost ready for those DPs in my 20gal yayyyyyy
rocioamsterdam
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hi,
Sorry for intruding so recklessly in your cardinal tetra thread... I needed the forum advice that DS gave me. Well deserved It was the first thread that popped out with DPs, so I jumped at it like a cobra... not nice, sorry.
So, following your tank too and see if you can keep your shrimp with the DPs. I am not sure about that yet for my tank. I am gonna create my own thread for that don't worry, just not ready yet.
Good luck and have fun getting your little guys!
Sorry for intruding so recklessly in your cardinal tetra thread... I needed the forum advice that DS gave me. Well deserved
It was the first thread that popped out with DPs, so I jumped at it like a cobra... not nice, sorry.So, following your tank too and see if you can keep your shrimp with the DPs. I am not sure about that yet for my tank. I am gonna create my own thread for that don't worry
, just not ready yet.Good luck and have fun getting your little guys!
rocioamsterdam
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
DS, First of all sorry to you too... I'm not used to forums. Beginner's mistake... too much excitement reading about DPs... too many thoughts in my head, a bit maniac I think
Not careful enough to sum up, my apologies...
I've been reading your previous posts here (very funny I think, ideas were/are swirling pretty fast in your head like it's happening to me now), and I read that you were going to collect fallen wood branches and then "cure them". How do you that exactly? Can you somehow kill all microorganisms? And about the tint? I was thinking maybe artificial driftwood for my tank because it doesn't stain the water. Can you get the tannin off real wood then? That would be awesome!!
Sad to hear things are going slow for your tank(s). However it also gives you more time to know exactly what you want... I find it hard not to get everything at once when it is available right in front of my nose. Good thing I can't carry too much on the bike at once.
The info about DP maturity and telling gender is key, thanks. I'm gonna go get a magnifier soon to inspect the guy.
Wish you the best with your DPs!
Not careful enough to sum up, my apologies...
I've been reading your previous posts here (very funny I think, ideas were/are swirling pretty fast in your head like it's happening to me now), and I read that you were going to collect fallen wood branches and then "cure them". How do you that exactly? Can you somehow kill all microorganisms? And about the tint? I was thinking maybe artificial driftwood for my tank because it doesn't stain the water. Can you get the tannin off real wood then? That would be awesome!!
Sad to hear things are going slow for your tank(s). However it also gives you more time to know exactly what you want... I find it hard not to get everything at once when it is available right in front of my nose. Good thing I can't carry too much on the bike at once.
The info about DP maturity and telling gender is key, thanks. I'm gonna go get a magnifier soon to inspect the guy.
Wish you the best with your DPs!
LemurLad
Aquarium Advice Freak
Saw dwarf puffers and had to check out this thread. They're really fascinating little fish! My pair of DPs is homed in an Indian-ish biotope with a pair of Badis Badis. Good luck with your tank!
Good luck with your tank!
OP
OP
Deep Seven
Aquarium Advice Addict
No worries, it's all good.
For curing wood, there are a few things you can do. A lot of people like boiling the wood for a few hours, dry it out, boil it again, do that a few times until tannins stop leaching out. Another thing you can do is soak it for a long time, like weeks or months. Some people bake the wood (I'd suggest doing that near boiling temperature to avoid combustion).
Boiling and baking should kill off any bad micro-organisms.
The wood I ended up collecting looked like it had been trimmed off the tree about a year ago and lay on the ground since then. So not green, but I still need to cure it.
And yeah, the slow start-up has allowed me to make several changes for the better before I found out the hard way.
And finally, most my info on sexing puffers comes from Dwarf Puffers : Home They have a few other things you can look for, but I think I read that as juveniles the eye crinkles work best.
For curing wood, there are a few things you can do. A lot of people like boiling the wood for a few hours, dry it out, boil it again, do that a few times until tannins stop leaching out. Another thing you can do is soak it for a long time, like weeks or months. Some people bake the wood (I'd suggest doing that near boiling temperature to avoid combustion).
Boiling and baking should kill off any bad micro-organisms.
The wood I ended up collecting looked like it had been trimmed off the tree about a year ago and lay on the ground since then. So not green, but I still need to cure it.
And yeah, the slow start-up has allowed me to make several changes for the better before I found out the hard way.
And finally, most my info on sexing puffers comes from Dwarf Puffers : Home They have a few other things you can look for, but I think I read that as juveniles the eye crinkles work best.
OP
OP
Deep Seven
Aquarium Advice Addict
I wanted to update with pics but my camera battery is dead
So unfortunately new pics will have to wait until tomorrow, or maybe later.
So today was a day off work, and I planned to get my underwater cave done today. (I had a bunch of non-aquarium stuff planned as well, but you don't need to know about the scuba tank maintainence and such). I had an idea of the basic layout I wanted, and I had the pieces of acrylic mostly cut to size. I was going for a physical bond (zip ties) instead of chemical or glue. It allows me to get the shape I want, without needing to be very accurate on sizes of the pieces and how they fit together.
Everything went as planned. When I was done it looked almost exactly like the picture in my head before I started. It is an elevated platform, able to hold substrate, that forms an open cave, with a ramp down the side so the substrate over the cave blends seemlessly into the main aquascaping. I need to find a couple rocks or something similar of the right shape to support the cave. I have a piece of driftwood that will go perfect in front, forming the roof of the mouth of the cave, and curving down along side the ramp to give the whole thing a natural appearance.
The final part will be plumbing a small portion of the return flow into the cave, turning it into an underwater spring. This is to prevent stagnant dead space in the cave, and give the cave a "raison d'être". I'm planning on having it pretty low flow so it won't discourage use, and adjustable so I can increase or decrease flow as needed.
So whats left?
1) build one or two more wood structures for the aquascape, as well as collect a couple rocks, if they fit the scheme
2) Get a pump
3) build two overflows (gonna use a pipe overflow I think)
4) set up sump and return flow (DIY CO², and DIY filter)
5) buy, steal, or build the stands to hold the tanks
6) add substrate
7) add lights
8) add plants
9) add fish
I've learned I have access to bottled CO² for a reasonable price (I think). May do bottled CO² instead of sugar/yeast if I can afford to set it up and it's cheaper running costs. I still have to price out the comparison.
So unfortunately new pics will have to wait until tomorrow, or maybe later.
So today was a day off work, and I planned to get my underwater cave done today. (I had a bunch of non-aquarium stuff planned as well, but you don't need to know about the scuba tank maintainence and such). I had an idea of the basic layout I wanted, and I had the pieces of acrylic mostly cut to size. I was going for a physical bond (zip ties) instead of chemical or glue. It allows me to get the shape I want, without needing to be very accurate on sizes of the pieces and how they fit together.
Everything went as planned. When I was done it looked almost exactly like the picture in my head before I started. It is an elevated platform, able to hold substrate, that forms an open cave, with a ramp down the side so the substrate over the cave blends seemlessly into the main aquascaping. I need to find a couple rocks or something similar of the right shape to support the cave. I have a piece of driftwood that will go perfect in front, forming the roof of the mouth of the cave, and curving down along side the ramp to give the whole thing a natural appearance.
The final part will be plumbing a small portion of the return flow into the cave, turning it into an underwater spring. This is to prevent stagnant dead space in the cave, and give the cave a "raison d'être". I'm planning on having it pretty low flow so it won't discourage use, and adjustable so I can increase or decrease flow as needed.
So whats left?
1) build one or two more wood structures for the aquascape, as well as collect a couple rocks, if they fit the scheme
2) Get a pump
3) build two overflows (gonna use a pipe overflow I think)
4) set up sump and return flow (DIY CO², and DIY filter)
5) buy, steal, or build the stands to hold the tanks
6) add substrate
7) add lights
8) add plants
9) add fish
I've learned I have access to bottled CO² for a reasonable price (I think). May do bottled CO² instead of sugar/yeast if I can afford to set it up and it's cheaper running costs. I still have to price out the comparison.
ChizerBunoi
Aquarium Advice FINatic
Take the plunge and go with the bottle co2. You will like it so much more.
OP
OP
Deep Seven
Aquarium Advice Addict
Here's my underwater spring/cave. First picture shows where the structure I built will sit in the tank. I hope to use a couple well shaped rocks instead of those clay pots. There won't be much substrate inside the cave, but it will be 2-3 inches outside and on top.
The wood in the second picture will be cut to size and fastened to the front of the cave, hiding the acrylic and giving an anchor point for plants. The cave mouth will be about 3-4 inches high and 5-6 inches wide.
The wood in the second picture will be cut to size and fastened to the front of the cave, hiding the acrylic and giving an anchor point for plants. The cave mouth will be about 3-4 inches high and 5-6 inches wide.
OP
OP
Deep Seven
Aquarium Advice Addict
10) I keep forgetting, unless I want cold dead puffers during the next big storm I need to get a good size UPS. I like to forget about this part because I'm afraid it's going to be a little expensive. I know somebody who knows somebody who builds and maintains comercial UPSs, so hopefully he can help me set up something that will do the job and fit my budget.
