Talk to me guys. I need some input.

kittenboo

kittenboo

Member
Alright so my son is totally taken with the dog face puffer. I have an extra tank that I could give him just for this puffer. The tank is 46 gal. I have LR and would need to buy sand. SO here is my question. Will he out grow this tank quickly? Can he even be housed in a tank this size? And if I have a tank already up and running can I use the water from it to get my son's up and running? I could hool up the filter for that tank on to my tank for a week or so too. Time line on how long this would take. I would LOVE to surprise him for his birthday. Is it pos. to do it in a few weeks?
 
el guapo

el guapo

Active Member
I would not try to house a DFP in a 46 gallon tank but thats me . As far as the rest goes yes it is possible but it runs a risk .
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
The tank being set up could work in a few weeks if you use your water and add the filters to your tank then add them to his. You would want to get started asap. The new sand may cause a cycle. If you get curred rock It shouldnt last too long.
There are two issues.
1 the puffer would outgrow the tank quickly depending on the size in which you purchase him. The smallest I have seen is 3 inches and that is pushing it in that tank already IMO.
Secondly.
Your son may not understand this but it would be no different than getting him a puppy then taking it away a year later because it got too big for your house. He will be heart broken regardless.
If he likes cool odd ball looking fish why not try a fuzzy dwarf lion or an angler?
 
kittenboo

kittenboo

Member
Well that is the other fish he likes. He loves puffers and lions. So maybe a lion instead then. Thank you for the input! I will get started on the filter asap.
 
sepulatian

sepulatian

Moderator
Originally Posted by Kittenboo
http:///forum/post/3035262
Well that is the other fish he likes. He loves puffers and lions. So maybe a lion instead then. Thank you for the input! I will get started on the filter asap.
You are trying to rush a project that takes several months to accomplish. You could get him a dwarf lion, but if the tank is not ready then it is not ready. It is a wonderful gift idea, but if the fish dies then your son would be heart broken. I would set up the tank and tell him that it is "his" for his birthday. Let him pick out a few inverts and then move on from there.
 
premilove

premilove

Active Member
how old is your son? lions are venomous im surprised noone stated the obv. what if the kid is extremely young and decides to pet his new lionfish?
lionfish are hard to get to eat. its very rare to find a lion that has been eating frozen food. def do some research before you buy anything.
 
kittenboo

kittenboo

Member
Yes I do know that about Lion fish. He is only 4 with the mental brain of a 6 yr old. No Joke. In special school programs. Still I would never trust him to not put his hand in the tank. I would have to find a way to latch the top if I went with the lion. But at this point I am kicking around the idea of getting him a bigger tank so he could have the puffer. Still kicking it all around though.
 
R

rcreations

Guest
I think a puffer is a better "pet" for a child. First it's safer and second, it is more active than a fuzzy dwarf lion which will probably sleep most of the day and be active when the lights go out. But I wouldn't put a dogface puffer in a 46 gal.
 
R

rcreations

Guest
100gal is the minimum size listed for a dogface puffer.
 
hlcroghan

hlcroghan

Active Member
It's possible. They really are enormous fish full grown honestly. And they eat a ton of food and produce a lot of waste. Why don't you go with a small puffer like a toby or valentini? Same personality and looks but would be fine in a tank like the one you have in mind. The blue spotted is beautiful IMO.
 
aquaknight

aquaknight

Active Member
Originally Posted by RCreations
http:///forum/post/3035873
100gal is the minimum size listed for a dogface puffer.
Not sure I agree, since dogfaces are pretty vertical water column swimmers too, I would fell better about a dogface a nice 90gal, versus the long but short 100gal.
Originally Posted by Kittenboo
http:///forum/post/3035964
you are telling me a dog face puffer will out grow a 125 gal????? OMG. lol

Originally Posted by hlcroghan
http:///forum/post/3036018
...And they eat a ton of food and produce a lot of waste....
The reason hlcroghan mentioon is pretty much it. They arne't terribly active fish, but the problem is with too small of tank, the tank is just not going to be able to absorb the bio-load. A good way to grasp the load, is picture the amount of food in a day a fish will eat, for a medium-sized dogface, let's say one clam, 2 silversides, a scallop, and some pellets, sitting in your tank, rotting anyway. Do you think a 46gal can handle that?
 
srfisher17

srfisher17

Active Member
Just reading the part about using your water and I suspect you belive this will help the new tank cycle faster. It won't. Water isn't cycled, the whole tank really is. The bacteria you need lives in the LR, substrate, filter media, etc; not in the water column. Water should be aged and aerated a few days; but using "used " water will do nothing but create work.
 
kittenboo

kittenboo

Member
When you put it like that, NO way can a 46 gal handle one. I see your point. Well at this point I think I'm on hold till I can find a good deal on at least a 90 gal tank for him. Maybe for Christmas. LOL Thanks for the info all.
 
R

rcreations

Guest
I just said 100gal because that's what's listed on some other site I'm not allowed to mention here. lol
But I can tell you from personal experience, having owned a dogface puffer that they grow fast and are a heavy bioload on your tank. You can probably have 2 triggers for the same bioload as one puffer. They just eat a lot and eat everything they see. Cute fish though but they need a large tank that is lightly stocked.
 
crypt keeper

crypt keeper

Active Member
why not set the 46 up with some cool fish? Personally I can see a bigger dogface biting your sons fingers and doing some serious damage since people are saying your son will stick his hand in a tank with a lion.
The 4 year old would have to climb on a chair or table that he brought near the tank. Im assuming the tank is on a stand. That would be almost 5 feet to the top of the tank. The kid would then have to Stand up on the chair and then damned near climb in the tank to grab the lion. I doubt that will ever happen.
Its a 4 year old. They are barely 3 feet tall. How about some people be realistic. Im pretty sure mom would hear him trying to reach in and grab the fish after all the noise will be made setting up a way to get in the tank.
Fuzzy dwarf you could add a few other fish.
 
kittenboo

kittenboo

Member
Well I would be down for just setting up a tank with some cool fish but my son is hell bent on a puffer. And we have 2 other 120 gal tanks in our house already that have tons of cool fish. LOL I really just wanted to see if I could do it for him since he loves them. Books, magazines, Sea World.... anywhere we go where there are fish he want to watch the puffers. LOL What can I say. Now that I think about it, I sound like a parent who gives their child everything at all costs. No really the case just thought it would be cool for his birthday. And yes.... I'm pretty much on top of my kiddos all the time. We have a pool in the back so I have to know where they are at all time. Ahhhhh the joys of be a stay at home mommy.
 
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