How to care Puffer fish

The pufferfish is an adorable-looking creature with a comical and chubby appearance. They are particularly interesting because they have the ability to swallow air or water and inflate until they look like a spongy ball as a means of self-defense. However, many new fish keepers do not know how to properly care for a puffer. To avoid harming your new pets, follow this guide to take care of your puffer fish.

Think twice before buying a Puffer fish

You will have to stay with it often because it requires feeding once a day, and maybe more if it is kept around other fish. This means that if you were going on vacation, you would need to find someone to take care of your pet. Understand that this can also be an expensive pet, which means you may need to adjust your budget.

Choosing your fish

They range from tiny puffers to about 1 "up to 6" or more. Note that a larger balloon requires a larger tank, so like other fish, it is necessary to find a balloon that fits your tank. The puffs range from semi-aggressive fish to no companion at all. With the only exception being the Amazon puffer (which needs other Amazon puffers), the puffer fish requires no tank mate. If you decide that you want to keep your puffer with other fish, you must look for the puffer fish that you want to see which (if any) other fish can live with.

Fish Tank

Puffers are very territorial creatures, so they need a lot of hidden places. Buy decorations such as stones and caves for them to hide. Take note that if your puffer is fresh water, you need a tropical facility. A brine spray (semi-salt) requires a brackish installation while a marine spray (salt water) requires marine habitat. Check with your local pet store to see what type of tank you need for each species of puffer.

Tank setup

The instructions must come with it. Most puffers need a temperature of about 78 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius). Add a biological activator to allow good bacteria to colonize the substrate and the glass. Dechlorinated water to make tap water safe for fishes. Leave the tank alone for one week before providing a water sample to the pet store. Allow them to test to see your water levels (pH, ammonia, nitrites and nitrates) are correct and safe. If all the nitrates, nitrites and ammonia are at a safe level, then you can buy your puffer fish.

Introduce your fish to new tank

Let it sit in the bag floating in the water so that the temperature is equal to that of the bag. After twenty minutes, free them in their new home. In the first week, watch the fights between the puffers (if you have several, including other fish). If the fish starts to beat, you can be-be buying another replacement buffer fish.

Feeding

In order to keep them healthy, feed them two to three times a day with small bloodworms (give them a frozen block of mini-bloodworms a day in total for the eight puffs). If they do not finish the food, then you overfeed them. In addition, make water changes once a week to keep above ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. To do this, remove about 20% of the water from the tank (the more the water changes, the better, but not to exceed 40%). Replace with tap water that has been cleaned with the water cleaner. Also throw a shell each week to grind the teeth of the puffers. If they become too long, you will have to see a veterinarian.

Monitor your fish

If you notice signs of harm or unusual behavior, talk to your local pet store until you learn to respond to certain behavioral changes or damage to the puffers. This may be your decoration, water conditions, other fish or diseases that cause problems. However, unusual behavior is common and there may be nothing wrong.