Fiji Spotted Puffer

[Easton33]

I just put a fiji spotted puffer on hold at my LFS to put in my new 20g sw tank. It has been cycling for a few months now, and this is the only fish I'm going to have in it. Any advice on keeping one? Should I get some Live Rock? Any inverts I can keep with it?

 

[Terrance]

No inverts. What do you have for biological filtration? You've been cycling for a few months? Were you having problems with cycling?

 

[Easton33]

Cycling has gone well. Chemically, the salt level, PH, calcium, and stuff are just fine. Don't have the best filter, it is a power filter made for a 50g-70g tank, but it works just fine. I have a filter sponge in it but dont have the ceramic things or the carbon, but didn't know if they would be necessary. Thinking on a small wavemaker, however it is a hexagon tank and the filter makes a nice flow in it already. Taking a water sample before I purhase the fish just to make sure everythings is okay.

 

[Terrance]

For such a small tank, I advise not to get the live rocks and keep the power filter. The live rocks would take too much space from an already small tank.

Be sure to have enough media in the filter for the biological filtering. Carbon is nice to have, but not necessary. You can just use a simple circulation pump if you feel like the water is not moving enough.

Also buy your own test kit. Its a basic must-have in this hobby. I never trust anyone at the LFS.

If you don't have a HOB skimmer or refugium (growing macroalgae), then definitely keep up with the 50% weekly water change. Puffers are messy and those two items are the only way to postpone water changes since they help keep the water cleaner. Poor water quality is often linked to premature puffer death.

 

[Hocky puck]

Not always true on messy I got mine eating flakes so not really a mess there

 

[Terrance]

They are not suppose to eat flakes. It can be used as supplemental feeding though after the normal crustacean meal.

 

[Hocky puck]

I put frozen in for him he eats that but when the flakes go in he goes for it as well the pig eats everything

 

[Easton33]

Thanks for the tips! I do have a testing kit,however I like the store to test it as well. It is a huge store that's been in business for 25 or so years, and they have about 15 extremely intelligent workers.. So it's nice for them to test it. I think I might be purchasing a refugium for the tank, and could it eat frozen krill? I have some left from my rose anem that died

 

[Terrance]

Yeah the krill can be used for supplemental feeding.

 

[Easton33]

So, keeping the sand clean, I have a sifting sand star in my other tank, could I have like a diamond goby in this one?