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30cm Cube - Dwarf Puffer Tank - New Journal!

JohnC

Member
Joined
14 Nov 2008
Messages
1,067
Location
On a mountain in the Highlands of Scotland
Hi Everyone,

It's been years since i've journalled properly here, so as promised here is the first of my new batch.

I've been busy as hell with work and moving house 8 months ago (and again a year and a half before that) that i'd had little time or space for bigger in house tanks. Brighid Sleeps was my only real scape in the last place (see sig) which I didn't keep a log of photos of as it developed.

Now, i've got plenty on the cards. All of which i'll do my hardest to detail here. :)

This 30cm cube was actually set up in a rush as i stumbled apone a single dwarf puffer in a shop I visited. Fell in love and had to do it. I had a tiny 20L running to keep some plants alive so set to work on the 30cm cube.

The aim was low maintenance regarding plants while high spec in terms of puffer habitat.

-------------

Specifics

Tank Size - 30x30x30 P@H Opti-White
Lights - 1 x Eheim PowerLED 7w
Filter - Eheim Ecco Pro 200 (turned down a little), Glass lily intake with grill and outtake
Substrate - Tropical plant substate capped with gravel and sand
CO2 - 24 hours a day
Ferts - 1ml DIY TPN+ daily

Flora - microsorum mini, microsorum trident, various crypts, anubias nana petite, Taxiphyllum barbieri, fissidens fontanus, Eleocharis acicularis mini, hemianthus cuba, Drosera capensis, Poaceae sp. ˜Purple Bamboo', Maiden Hair sp., salvinia cucullata

Fauna - Carinotetraodon travancoricus x 3, Hisonotus notatus x 2, Neritina Nataensis x 2, Caridina multidentata x 3, Neocaridina heterododa var. Rili

Time Running - 2 months


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In the spirit of journals and a not starting at the finish I failed to take a photo of the tank a couple of weeks back before the crypts suffered a big melt (probably due to off gassing of CO2 when the water level dropped).

So we start here. With a set of photos.

And then see where this small, dark and cutely dangerous rabbit hole takes us.... :)

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IMG_3113.jpg

Front - 18th Sep 2015

IMG_3117.jpg

Angle - 18th Sep 2015

IMG_3132.jpg

Puffer "Long Spot" Hunting snails - 18th Sep 2015

IMG_3135.jpg

"Long Spot" posing for the camera - 18th Sep 2015

IMG_3127.jpg

Hisonotus notatus (Black Oto) - 18th Sep 2015 - (note to self - clean back side glass :) )

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Things on my to do list with this tank.

  • Plant more mosses on the branches coming out of the top of the tank.
  • Tidy the sand area at the front left
  • Consider adding in dwarf clover as carpet replacing hairgrass
  • Remove current lily and use the bowl type i have waiting so the surface film issue is solved.
  • Remove obstructing redmoor section that blocks proper sitting of lily
  • Need to add root tabs to crypts or analyse my fert regime a touch to make sure things are getting what they need.
Questions and comments welcome.

Best Regards,
John
 
Nice tank! I'd like a Dwarf Puffer or two as some point. Do you think a pair would be happy in there or do they need more territory?
 
Nice tank! I'd like a Dwarf Puffer or two as some point. Do you think a pair would be happy in there or do they need more territory?

Thanks!

From my reading on puffers the water volume is the right size for a few (especially with the extra big filter) but you need to either made sure you have the sexing right. Which is the tricky part as the sex of the first one we got wasn't very clear. The Males are meant to have a yellow/orange belly compared to the females. But also have wrinkle marks behind the eyes. Our first had the belly colour but no wrinkles. The next two came later on but one is obviously a female, white belly, no wrinkles. The other one male. Then to complicate things I've read that the first one to reach sexual maturity when territory becomes an issue can, can release hormones to switch the sex of others in the tank to the opposite! So god knows how this will pan out. :)

I have however designed the scape with this in mind. There is a large piece of redmoor root built into the back right corner (cutting was interesting) with loads of caves and routes around it. Coupled with that the heavy planting (when the crypts don't melt) means there are lots of interrupted sight lines so if any aggressive behaviour does happen then if they dart behind something it tends to diffuse quickly.

It is pretty interesting the diverse personalities of the three puffers. Brain, the first one, has always been quite shy and kept himself to the back top centre area, where he sleeps resting on a branch when not looking for food.

The other two are always out at the front and begging for food or just looking around.

Very cool fish.

In regard to everything else in the tank. They have completely ignored them. Even the dwarf shrimp. Although i've read that is not always the case. And it probably helps them have an constant stream of live daphnia being fed to them.

Best Regards,
John
 
This is so dark and mysterious, I love it! :thumbup:

Thanks!

There is the whole top section that i've not photographed yet too. The dark areas are also very under exposed on the photos above, they are actually a warren of wood tunnels and caves for the puffers to emerge from. :)
 
The one in the first pics is definitely male!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk
 
Any tips on how to get my water crystal clean. Lovely puffer tank btw. An looking to do one myself in the very near future.
 
Beautiful cube, very nicely done; your puffers should be happy in there :)
 
Thanks!

From my reading on puffers the water volume is the right size for a few (especially with the extra big filter) but you need to either made sure you have the sexing right. Which is the tricky part as the sex of the first one we got wasn't very clear. The Males are meant to have a yellow/orange belly compared to the females. But also have wrinkle marks behind the eyes. Our first had the belly colour but no wrinkles. The next two came later on but one is obviously a female, white belly, no wrinkles. The other one male. Then to complicate things I've read that the first one to reach sexual maturity when territory becomes an issue can, can release hormones to switch the sex of others in the tank to the opposite! So god knows how this will pan out. :)

I have however designed the scape with this in mind. There is a large piece of redmoor root built into the back right corner (cutting was interesting) with loads of caves and routes around it. Coupled with that the heavy planting (when the crypts don't melt) means there are lots of interrupted sight lines so if any aggressive behaviour does happen then if they dart behind something it tends to diffuse quickly.

It is pretty interesting the diverse personalities of the three puffers. Brain, the first one, has always been quite shy and kept himself to the back top centre area, where he sleeps resting on a branch when not looking for food.

The other two are always out at the front and begging for food or just looking around.

Very cool fish.

In regard to everything else in the tank. They have completely ignored them. Even the dwarf shrimp. Although i've read that is not always the case. And it probably helps them have an constant stream of live daphnia being fed to them.

Best Regards,
John

I have 7 adult puffers in a very heavily planted ada45p - about 35litres (about to move a pair out to breed though). I've had no issues with aggression - not sure if that is pure luck or maybe the benefit of a slightly larger group. Things get energetic most afternoons with breeding activity - unfortunately the females who aren't involved just follow the breeding group around and hoover up any eggs.

I'm assuming yours are quite young - once they start to mature you'll be able to sex them easily.

I'd also keep a close eye on your shrimp and nerites. Mine attack cherry shrimp with relish and while the snails are too large to eat, I would have thought they'll have a go at tentacles and/or try and take chunks out of any exposed flesh. Will most likely happen when you're away on holiday... (And they haven't been fed as much).

Regards, Mark
 
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