What do you feed your Figure Eight Puffers?

[PoseidonCichlid]

Hi Everyone, well I did it! I just got 3 adorable Figure 8 puffers to add to my brackish aquarium! I received food recommendations from the LFS, but I trust you folks a heck of a lot more, what is the best diet for these guys? Thanks.

 

[ImACoolguy]

Snails are a favorite by lost puffers.


Caleb

~10g tiger barbs
~45g tetras/dojo loach/clown pleco
~75g going to be African cichlids

 

[lindenthaler.9]

Snails are the most important part of their diet. And they love them. Frozen blood worms and krill are also good. Puffers in general enjoy a lot of different sea foods. Clams, prawns, crab legs, some like chopped squid.
You could experiment with it a bit, they all have their own preferences. In our case of none of the puffers are interested, there's plenty of other tanks that will be.
Mine get shrimp each day fed from tongs. They tear it apart.

The separate snail snail tank is going to be most important part though. We have four different tanks that have snail colonies going.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Snails. Snails. Snails. (Good for wearing down the teeth, mussel is the same)
Frozen stuff,
black mosquito larvae, bloodworms, mussel.

Fingernails!
Diddy P by Nano Second Artist, on Flickr

Hope the tank is big, normally advised as a single specimen in a species only tank but, if there are enough hiding spots you MAY get away with more than one. These guys will take any animal as an intruder or a snack. Can be kept with fast moving fish, I had some bumblebee goby but be sure yours are brackish fish as there are several bumblebees and some do not like brackish, some need brackish then freshwater and some are brackish only. I haven't tried any other species though.

 

[lindenthaler.9]

Snails. Snails. Snails. (Good for wearing down the teeth, mussel is the same)
Frozen stuff,
black mosquito larvae, bloodworms, mussel.

Fingernails!
Diddy P by Nano Second Artist, on Flickr

Hope the tank is big, normally advised as a single specimen in a species only tank but, if there are enough hiding spots you MAY get away with more than one. These guys will take any animal as an intruder or a snack.

Figure 8s, South Americans, and Dwarfs are all social puffers that do best in groups. It's still important that they have their own territories though.
+1 to fingers. Luckily they're not big enough to do any damage. At least mine haven't.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Hmm, my info says best kept as a specimen, yes dwarves are social. Not so sure on these but if it's working then that's new news to me!
(One in a 15g/60litre is commonly advertised)

 

[lindenthaler.9]

Hmm, my info says best kept as a specimen, yes dwarves are social. Not so sure on these but if it's working then that's new news to me!
(One in a 15g/60litre is commonly advertised)

That is what's recommended, with an additional 10 per puffer. I was under the same impression until I joined a puffer group when I got my first GSP.
I keep my 8s in a group, they do seem to do best together.

Hmm, my info says best kept as a specimen, yes dwarves are social. Not so sure on these but if it's working then that's new news to me!
(One in a 15g/60litre is commonly advertised)

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Figure 8s, South Americans, and Dwarfs are all social puffers that do best in groups. It's still important that they have their own territories though.
+1 to fingers. Luckily they're not big enough to do any damage. At least mine haven't.

They haven't damaged me! But they do hit hard when they strike! I mean for the size of the fish, it was unexpected!
Yes so maybe it's the tank size.

So my question, is it acceptable to keep just one alone?
(I have done for years and he/she/it! Seems happy enough)
Im just curious now. The last one had bumblebees but this one has only been kept alone since purchase, it was a bit ragged in the fin when I got it.

(Thank you linden)

 

[J.Mcpeak]

That is what's recommended, with an additional 10 per puffer. I was under the same impression until I joined a puffer group when I got my first GSP.
I keep my 8s in a group, they do seem to do best together.

I noticed a much improved behaviour with my clown loach when I went from 5 to 11. This is really useful to me. Maybe I should upgrade the system. I know one puffer rocks the fish house. 3-4-5 or more! That would be amazing!

 

[lindenthaler.9]

They haven't damaged me! But they do hit hard when they strike! I mean for the size of the fish, it was unexpected!
Yes so maybe it's the tank size.

So my question, is it acceptable to keep just one alone?
(I have done for years and he/she/it! Seems happy enough)
Im just curious now. The last one had bumblebees but this one has only been kept alone since purchase, it was a bit ragged in the fin when I got it.

(Thank you linden)

I'd say it's fine to keep one alone. Especially if it's been alone for years. Adding more you'd probably have territory issues since that's his place. Either a bigger tank or rescape would probably have to be done. He might like having the whole tank to himself now.

But yeah they strike fast. I can only imagine the sort of damage a Fahaka could do. (I can't wait to own one.)

 

[lindenthaler.9]

I noticed a much improved behaviour with my clown loach when I went from 5 to 11. This is really useful to me. Maybe I should upgrade the system. I know one puffer rocks the fish house. 3-4-5 or more! That would be amazing!

5 would be great! I had 4, but lost one. (They were all bought together and I didn't get a chance to treat them in time- I suspect he had parasites or something) The downfalls of wild caught.

A group of them really is stunning to look at though. I want to get a few more when they get them back in.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

I noticed a much improved behaviour with my clown loach when I went from 5 to 11. This is really useful to me. Maybe I should upgrade the system. I know one puffer rocks the fish house. 3-4-5 or more! That would be amazing!

11 clowns, must be a huge tank

 

[PoseidonCichlid]

Thanks everyone for the feeding advice. Snails will not be a problem, I even have a supply of European garden snails available from an area I know never is exposed to pesticide. Every size from smaller than a pea (baby) to jumbo adult (restaurant escargot). Being hermaphrodites they breed faster than rabbits! In my various tanks I have Malaysian Trumpet, Quilted (allegedly self-cloning), Mystery which get pretty large too and various nerites (pity they won't breed, they just lay eggs that never hatch, not even in brackish tanks?). Unless anyone has heard garden snails are toxic to puffers I'll probably try one of them first (for anyone confused I don't mean random snails found in the garden, I mean the specific human edible species the European/brown garden snail). I've been feeding them to my Sheltopusiki (European Legless Lizards) for years with no problems, those snails are their favorite food in the whole world!

 

[J.Mcpeak]

5 would be great! I had 4, but lost one. (They were all bought together and I didn't get a chance to treat them in time- I suspect he had parasites or something) The downfalls of wild caught.

A group of them really is stunning to look at though. I want to get a few more when they get them back in.

My first two died, I was gutted, everyone since has survived, 3 are from way back in 2005, they are big fish now! I think 2007 was the last time I got any. (Confused, I'm talking clowns, maybe you're talking puffers?)

11 clowns, must be a huge tank

Yeah it's a fair size DIY tank, follow the links for some pics, if you're really interested! Currently 750 litres or about 200G US.

I'd say it's fine to keep one alone. Especially if it's been alone for years. Adding more you'd probably have territory issues since that's his place. Either a bigger tank or rescape would probably have to be done. He might like having the whole tank to himself now.

But yeah they strike fast. I can only imagine the sort of damage a Fahaka could do. (I can't wait to own one.)

Yeah ok, maybe it will stay alone, I mean the fish seems real happy to me but I'm not dr Doolittle! Maybe next time around I'll try the shoal, I know there is nothing like a shoal of fish! Cheers though, maybe when a tank becomes empty I could upgrade his hotel to a penthouse?

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/members/terrance-40782.html he keeps a fahaka, ask him about it. He has an F8 puffer page too.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

Thanks everyone for the feeding advice. Snails will not be a problem, I even have a supply of European garden snails available from an area I know never is exposed to pesticide. Every size from smaller than a pea (baby) to jumbo adult (restaurant escargot). Being hermaphrodites they breed faster than rabbits! In my various tanks I have Malaysian Trumpet, Quilted (allegedly self-cloning), Mystery which get pretty large too and various nerites (pity they won't breed, they just lay eggs that never hatch, not even in brackish tanks?). Unless anyone has heard garden snails are toxic to puffers I'll probably try one of them first (for anyone confused I don't mean random snails found in the garden, I mean the specific human edible species the European/brown garden snail). I've been feeding them to my Sheltopusiki (European Legless Lizards) for years with no problems, those snails are their favorite food in the whole world!

No worries, have you got a pic of the lizard? PLEASE!
I want something like that, but I'm busy with fish so. . . Not just yet.

 

[Pseudomugil]

I'm keeping one right now in my 56 gallon. I feed it pest snails, frozen bloodworms, and shrimp pellets.