# Figure 8 Puffer



## Sylar_92 (Dec 15, 2010)

Hey guys I got a baby figure 8 a month ago and its 1" now not including tail. I was wondering how to train this guy to eat pellets, when I first bought him as a baby just about half an inch I feed him black worms. Now that he's 1" he eat snails and shrimp(with shell), I've been trying to get him to eat some Hikari Marine A but he just samples it and spits it out. I even tried grinding the Hikari into paste and stuffing the empty snail shells but I guess my puffer reconizes the taste so he leaves it. He enjoys snails so much he completely wiped out my apple seed snails and assassin snails. Do guys have any advice on how to train him to take pellets? Thanks in advance. These pics were taken last month when I got the little guy.


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## lorteti hr (May 29, 2011)

very cute lil fella...I also have puffer fish..mine is carinotetraodon lorteti(red eye puffer)..he likes to eat bloodworms,snails,and shrimps...and thats it...just watch out the figure 8 puffers are great jumpers..


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## Sylar_92 (Dec 15, 2010)

lorteti hr said:


> very cute lil fella...I also have puffer fish..mine is carinotetraodon lorteti(red eye puffer)..he likes to eat bloodworms,snails,and shrimps...and thats it...just watch out the figure 8 puffers are great jumpers..


How are F8s temperment wise, I want to buy a few more but Iam not really sure how aggressive they are. Is it also possible to mix the spotted green ones with F8s? I hear they grow up to be the same max size of 6" if given a big enough tank.


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## Nzac (Oct 13, 2010)

green spotted puffers need higher level of brackish to full salt as adults, F8's require low end brackish 1.005- 1.008 for their entire lives.


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## lorteti hr (May 29, 2011)

you can not mix puffer species..I had 6 lortetis and one female killed 2 males after spawning..they are very aggressive always hunting and lurking..now I have 3 of them in 80g aquarium and that is not ok for them,they want more space,little boggers....


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## Sylar_92 (Dec 15, 2010)

Nice red belly Puffers







Those ones are pure freshwater right?


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## lorteti hr (May 29, 2011)

Sylar_92 said:


> Nice red belly Puffers
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yeah pure freshwater puffers...


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

puffers are tricky eaters. the hard reality ive found with owning them (and i havent owned a puffer in YEARS) is they will only eat what they want. i never trained mine. always fed him frozen foods. the pellets, all i can suggest is keep trying randomly. maybe adding a pellet or two with his normal food so he will associate pellets with meal time.

try and try again. at the end of the day if he doesnt want pellets tho, it might be a no go.


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## bob351 (Oct 23, 2005)

lorteti hr said:


> Nice red belly Puffers
> 
> 
> 
> ...


yeah pure freshwater puffers...
[/quote]
there are no "freshwater" puffers... only brackish that will tolerate fresh but will not thrive nor gain full size as adults and die premature.


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## scent troll (Apr 4, 2005)

bob is correct
i will always recommend you keep your puffer (whichever type) in brackish water. they can certainly live in a freshwater environment, but it may complicate things if you try to do this yourself.


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## lorteti hr (May 29, 2011)

The red eyed puffer is one of the more uncommon types of puffer. It is completely freshwater, with no salt at all being needed. They are small puffers with a big personality and an even bigger attitude. They are very aggressive and the only suitable tank mates are more of their own kind or invertebrates, and some puffers are so aggressive they must be kept alone. 
for bob and central....









o yeah and figure 8 is a brackish water puffer....


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## Nzac (Oct 13, 2010)

there are actually several "true freshwater puffers" they are not as common as the brackish or marine varities but there are several. For instance there are the south american puffers which come from the amazon basin, there are also Mbu, Fahaka, Congo puffers which are all true freshwater along with the dwarf/pea puffers that are seeming common these days.


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## lorteti hr (May 29, 2011)

Nzac said:


> there are actually several "true freshwater puffers" they are not as common as the brackish or marine varities but there are several. For instance there are the south american puffers which come from the amazon basin, there are also Mbu, Fahaka, Congo puffers which are all true freshwater along with the dwarf/pea puffers that are seeming common these days.


yeah man that is true.....







I just ordered for myself a congo puffer(tetraodon miurus)called the beast....


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## bob351 (Oct 23, 2005)

I always thought they lived near the mouths of the rivers and migrated to higher salinity when they matured? I have never seen any of those species at any lfs its always green spotted or figure 8's.


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