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Things You Need To Know Before Purchasing A Puffer
Author : Carrie Johnson
Submitted : 2011-11-08 Word Count : 870 Popularity: Not Rated
Tags: tropical aquarium fish, fahaka puffer, freshwater pufferfish
One of the most important things to remember when purchasing a puffer is that they require regular dental maintenance - a puffer's teeth are always growing, which makes them a little bit harder to keep as pets. In order to prevent their teeth from growing so long that they can't eat anymore, you will need to provide them with food that keeps them naturally trimmed. An example of a good puffer food is snails or whole shrimp.
Starting your first aquarium is a really exciting thing! However, there are some things that you really can't rush if you expect your fish tank to succeed, like letting the biological filtration mature before adding your first fish.
Don't add a freshwater puffer until you let your tank cycle first. If you add fish the first day, you will most likely kill all of them within the first 24-48 hours because your fish tank will have extremely high amounts of ammonia (from the fish waste, decaying organic matter and fish food), and no beneficial bacteria to help convert it to a less toxic form. The best thing you can do for your fish is to wait at least a week or two - however, I personally would recommend waiting until your tank is fully cycled. You'll know when this has happened by testing the water.
That being said, true freshwater puffers have the potential to make wonderful long-lived, engaging pets. There are a relatively small number of puffers that are actually freshwater, which can make finding one somewhat difficult - especially since many pet stores are not very knowledgeable when it comes to a specialist type of fish like this. It's a good idea to have a general idea of what you're looking for before you go to the pet store, so that you aren't tempted to make an impulse purchase - something that almost guarantees you won't be successful with your puffer.
One of the most commonly sold puffers in the aquarium trade is the green spotted puffer. This is really a shame, because they are more often than not sold as freshwater aquarium fish. In reality, the spotted puffer is actually a brackish water fish, which means that they won't thrive in freshwater - they need a certain amount of marine salt added to their water.
There are definitely other problems that you will run into, especially if this is your first aquarium. However, the above mistakes represent some of the most common ones that people have fish problems with.
Author's Resource Box
If youre having problems with your freshwater pufferfish, then head on over and check out the freshwater puffer site! Youll find tons of great tips and tricks, including how to keep fahaka puffers!