How to Purchase and Care for a Puffer Fish
Decide if a puffer fish fits in your lifestyle., Decide on a puffer fish., Purchase a suitable tank., Set up your tank., Put your puffer fish in the tank., Feed your puffers., Monitor and examine your puffers during feeding times or when you are...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Decide if a puffer fish fits in your lifestyle.
You will be required to remain with it often, as it requires feeding once a day, and possibly more if it is kept around other fish.
This means that if you were to go on a holiday, you would need to find a person to care for your pet.
Understand that it may also be an expensive pet, which means that you may need to adjust your budget. -
Step 2: Decide on a puffer fish.
They range from minuscule dwarf puffers at roughly 1" up to 6" or more.
Take note that a bigger puffer requires a bigger tank, so, just like other fish, it is necessary to find a puffer that's appropriate for your tank.
Puffers range from semi-aggressive fish to no tank-mates at all.
With the only exception being the Amazon puffer(which needs other Amazon puffers), puffer fish don't require any tank-mates.
If you do decide that you want to keep your puffer with other fish, you must research the puffer fish you want to see what(if any) other fish can live with it. , Puffers are very territorial creatures, so they need plenty of hiding spots.
Purchase ornaments, such as rocks and caves, for them to hide in.
Take note that if your puffer is freshwater, you need a tropical set up.
A brackish (semi-salt) puffer requires a brackish set up while a marine (saltwater) puffer requires a marine habitat.
Check with your local pet shop to see what type of tank you need for each species of puffer. , Instructions should come with it.
Most puffers need a temperature of around 79 Fahrenheit (26 Celsius).
Add biological enhancer to allow good bacteria to colonize the substrate and the glass.
Put in water cleanser to make tap water safe for the puffers (check with your local pet shop).
Leave the tank alone for a week before providing the pet shop with a take water sample.
Allow them to test it to see if your water levels (pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates) are correct and safe.
If all nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are at a safe level, then you can purchase your puffers. , Let them rest in the bag floating in the water so the temperature equalizes with that of the bag.
After twenty minutes, release them into their new home.
In the first week, watch for fighting among puffers (if you have multiple including other fish).
If the fish start to fight, you may need to purchase another replacement puffer. , In order to keep them in good health, feed them two to three times a day with mini-bloodworms (give them one block of frozen mini-bloodworms per day in total for figure of eight puffers).
If they don't finish the food, then you are overfeeding them.
Also, do water changes once a week to keep on top of ammonia, nitrates and nitrites.
To do this, take out roughly 20% of the tank water (the more water changed the better but don't go beyond 40%).
Replace it with tap water cleansed by the water cleanser.
Equally throw in a cockle each week to grind down the puffers' teeth.
If they get too long, you will need to see a vet. , If you notice any signs of harm or unusual behavior, speak to your local pet shop until you learn how to react to certain behavior changes or damage the puffers may have.
It could be your ornaments, water conditions, other fish, or diseases causing the problem.
However, some unusual behavior is common and there may be nothing wrong. -
Step 3: Purchase a suitable tank.
-
Step 4: Set up your tank.
-
Step 5: Put your puffer fish in the tank.
-
Step 6: Feed your puffers.
-
Step 7: Monitor and examine your puffers during feeding times or when you are around them.
Detailed Guide
You will be required to remain with it often, as it requires feeding once a day, and possibly more if it is kept around other fish.
This means that if you were to go on a holiday, you would need to find a person to care for your pet.
Understand that it may also be an expensive pet, which means that you may need to adjust your budget.
They range from minuscule dwarf puffers at roughly 1" up to 6" or more.
Take note that a bigger puffer requires a bigger tank, so, just like other fish, it is necessary to find a puffer that's appropriate for your tank.
Puffers range from semi-aggressive fish to no tank-mates at all.
With the only exception being the Amazon puffer(which needs other Amazon puffers), puffer fish don't require any tank-mates.
If you do decide that you want to keep your puffer with other fish, you must research the puffer fish you want to see what(if any) other fish can live with it. , Puffers are very territorial creatures, so they need plenty of hiding spots.
Purchase ornaments, such as rocks and caves, for them to hide in.
Take note that if your puffer is freshwater, you need a tropical set up.
A brackish (semi-salt) puffer requires a brackish set up while a marine (saltwater) puffer requires a marine habitat.
Check with your local pet shop to see what type of tank you need for each species of puffer. , Instructions should come with it.
Most puffers need a temperature of around 79 Fahrenheit (26 Celsius).
Add biological enhancer to allow good bacteria to colonize the substrate and the glass.
Put in water cleanser to make tap water safe for the puffers (check with your local pet shop).
Leave the tank alone for a week before providing the pet shop with a take water sample.
Allow them to test it to see if your water levels (pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates) are correct and safe.
If all nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia are at a safe level, then you can purchase your puffers. , Let them rest in the bag floating in the water so the temperature equalizes with that of the bag.
After twenty minutes, release them into their new home.
In the first week, watch for fighting among puffers (if you have multiple including other fish).
If the fish start to fight, you may need to purchase another replacement puffer. , In order to keep them in good health, feed them two to three times a day with mini-bloodworms (give them one block of frozen mini-bloodworms per day in total for figure of eight puffers).
If they don't finish the food, then you are overfeeding them.
Also, do water changes once a week to keep on top of ammonia, nitrates and nitrites.
To do this, take out roughly 20% of the tank water (the more water changed the better but don't go beyond 40%).
Replace it with tap water cleansed by the water cleanser.
Equally throw in a cockle each week to grind down the puffers' teeth.
If they get too long, you will need to see a vet. , If you notice any signs of harm or unusual behavior, speak to your local pet shop until you learn how to react to certain behavior changes or damage the puffers may have.
It could be your ornaments, water conditions, other fish, or diseases causing the problem.
However, some unusual behavior is common and there may be nothing wrong.
About the Author
Donald Morris
Dedicated to helping readers learn new skills in hobbies and beyond.
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