School puffer tank....species ideas?

[Shovelman]

Setting up a 55g that was originally going to be sw, but kinda thought the whole school would appreciate something a bit more ...universal. So going to do either fw puffers or figure eights as low end brackish.

Im thinking a little group of figure eights because they stay a small to decent size, brackish isn't hard to maintain for me, and that way you get that real, "pufferfish" look unlike some freshwater species that are a little more torpedo shaped.

If i was to go freshwater puffs, amazons? Just thinking it would be a pain to do dentistry during the school week....

suggestions? Red eye, red tail pair?

Ps: im not new to puffers, been doing oddball freshwater for 4+years

 

[Pufferpunk]

F8s would be nice & you could keep 3 & a few other BW fish with them. Dentistry is a PITA--so is finding a school of SAPs anywhere around here.

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/puffers-in-focus/fig8/
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/puffers-in-focus/sap/

 

[Shovelman]

Figure eights it is. Only thing ive never tried are puffers and tank mates (besides ottos with dps). Are we talking knight gobies? Humphead glassfish?

 

[Pufferpunk]

Knight gobies, bumblebee gobies, Orange chromides, glassfish, dragon gobies.

 

[Shovelman]

Im a tad worried about the puffs getting nippy, as they often can be.... You kept figure eights with other brackish fish like the ones listed before?

 

[Pufferpunk]

Yes, for many years. But with puffers, there can always be a nippy one...

 

[Shovelman]

So just keep an eye on them i suppose, as always.

What about some of the larger target puffer species (fw)?

 

[Pufferpunk]

They definitely do not play well with others--even conspecifics. As far as the F8s; heavy decor is the trick.

 

[Shovelman]

any tricks to acclimating java fern and java moss to brackish? Ordo you think rockwork looks best? Im at a standstill plant wise due to the salinity...

 

[Shovelman]

OH and what do you think of avocado puffers? Species only, maybe ill put in some cheaper zebra danios to see if they fair well together, but do avocados do well with each other? Ive seen them but actually haven't had experience with them

 

[Pufferpunk]

Have you checked out my site yet?
Pretty thorough profiles in the Pufferpedia.

 

[Shovelman]

Looking through it again. since the last time was a year and a half ago haha

 

[Pufferpunk]

Was the PP working then? We finally got that site straightened out. Just in time for the spammers to find us...

 

[Shovelman]

gotta love spammers..... were you ever on tropical fish forums? Its really gone to pot now..

 

[Pufferpunk]

Yeah, I used to be on about 20 different FW ones but it got to be too much.

 

[Shovelman]

I agree, even reef central, lionfish lair, and here can be alot especially if running threads on the same tank/posting same pics and info... copy/paste=best friend.

 

[Pufferpunk]

And then there's running my forum...

 

[Shovelman]

Which must be a hassle? But rewarding id presume.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Very rewarding--saved hundreds of puffers throughout the years. Only hassle is all the spammers!

 

[Shovelman]

Very rewarding--saved hundreds of puffers throughout the years. Only hassle is all the spammers!

Love telling people they need brackish water to full marine eventually for their gsp's lol