# When can I stock? Low tech 10g pea puffer tank



## Rnasty (Jun 30, 2017)

Hey all, I'm in the finishing stages of cycling my future pea puffer tank. 10g, well planted, been cycling over 2 months. Finally got my nitrites to drop from 5ppm to 0ppm. My readings are ammonia - .25ppm, nitrite 0ppm , nitrate 20-30ppm.

I can't seem to get my ammonia to reach 0. My guess is that since the tank is infested with pond snails, they're creating too much waste to reach that 0 mark. The snails however are going to be my puffers food source (I also have a separate 3g just to raise snails for him)

I currently have a betta in there which will be removed. Do you think it would be okay to introduce a few otos, then a puffer a bit later even with the .25ppm ammonia? I'm suspecting that once the puffer eats all the snails, the ammonia will drop. Also I will be more diligent about cleaning the extra waste once I have my stock in there

thoughts?


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## mgeorges (Feb 1, 2017)

Rnasty said:


> Hey all, I'm in the finishing stages of cycling my future pea puffer tank. 10g, well planted, been cycling over 2 months. Finally got my nitrites to drop from 5ppm to 0ppm. My readings are ammonia - .25ppm, nitrite 0ppm , nitrate 20-30ppm.
> 
> I can't seem to get my ammonia to reach 0. My guess is that since the tank is infested with pond snails, they're creating too much waste to reach that 0 mark. The snails however are going to be my puffers food source (I also have a separate 3g just to raise snails for him)
> 
> ...


Otos are extremely sensitive fish and do not do well in less than ideal parameters, I believe puffers are similarly sensitive. .25ppm ammonia is not ideal at all. Are you using the API test kit to determine ammonia? 

I'd remove the betta and start adding in 2ppm pure ammonia. In a 10g, this is 2-3 drops of ammonia. Once your tank can consume that completely in 24 hours, and zero out nitrites in 24 hours as well, you're all done at that point. 

What filter are you using? Do you have plants in there already and if so, are you fertilising? Snails have such a small bioload...how infested is the tank? Can you post pics?


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## Rnasty (Jun 30, 2017)

I'm using a fluval aquaclear 30 with a sponge filter, purigen, and two bags of bio media. It's well planted with anubias, java fern, and java moss. I'll post a pic when I can get home (and I will be adding more plants in the near future). As for how infested it is is hard to say, but there are a lot of snails. I'd say when I do a total cleaning, I begin to see piles of waste on plant leaves and substrate in 1-2 days. (so like 30-40 snails?)

and yes, I'm using the API test kit

edit: One thing I failed to consider is the feeding of the betta which is every few days, I'm sure he doesn't get it all and it contributes to the ammonia. I'll remove him and wait a day or two and retest


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## Rnasty (Jun 30, 2017)

Here is a pic. On the right side I am adding one more piece of driftwood and I'm going to plant it just like the one on the left


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## Rnasty (Jun 30, 2017)

*My 10g low tech pea puffer tank*

Started it a few months ago and I'm completing it slowly over time. My last step is to finish covering the driftwood on the right side with anubias and hygro ferns.

I have 2 pea puffers in here with ghost shrimp. 10 gallon low tech. Play sand only for substrate, driftwood is the only hardscape, and the plants are different java ferns, anubias, and java moss along with some type of water ferns I got from petco.


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## kcoscia (Jul 24, 2013)

why is that one piece of driftwood white?


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## Cokeman (Nov 3, 2013)

Are the puffers driving the ghost shrimp nuts?


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## Rnasty (Jun 30, 2017)

kcoscia said:


> why is that one piece of driftwood white?


It's fungus on the new driftwood. It will go away after a coupe weeks.



Cokeman said:


> Are the puffers driving the ghost shrimp nuts?


Lol not yet. I have a constant supply of pond snails so the puffers never run out of food. As long as they stay well fed, they don't bug the shrimp


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## -Sutekh (Feb 6, 2018)

I now want to do a 20G pea puffer tank. lol.


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## alexandria3142 (Feb 17, 2018)

Happy to see someone else is having good luck with puffers and tank mates. I plan on having a 10 gallon with a puffer and shrimp, maybe different kinds, but many people suggest not even trying tank mates, sadly. I know it all depends on the individual fish though. What do you normally feed your puffers? How many snails for each per day? If I get one I don't want it to be a gluttonous little thing with it's begging. And have you tried blackworms? Sorry for all of the questions


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## Rnasty (Jun 30, 2017)

alexandria3142 said:


> Happy to see someone else is having good luck with puffers and tank mates. I plan on having a 10 gallon with a puffer and shrimp, maybe different kinds, but many people suggest not even trying tank mates, sadly. I know it all depends on the individual fish though. What do you normally feed your puffers? How many snails for each per day? If I get one I don't want it to be a gluttonous little thing with it's begging. And have you tried blackworms? Sorry for all of the questions


I still have 8 of 10 ghost shrimp and I haven't seen my puffers go after the grown shrimp at all. I believe the two dead shrimp are from small ammonia spikes (they're super messy eaters, by the end of the week theres lots of half eaten snails laying around). They occasionally go after each other but there is enough cover that it doesn't happen much or for long, I also made sure to scape in natural barriers so they can form territory. It's funny how much they stick to their territories too . I'm going to go grab a few otos from the store later and see how they do, should work great.

I have a 3g that I grow pond snails in and that's their only diet right now. They seem to love it, their growth has exploded and their colors are getting very vibrant. I feed them until I see their belly get plump. Maybe 4-5 snails from me and then they eat whatever other little things they can find in the tank.

I haven't tried anything other than snails. They seem so happy eating them and it's their natural diet so I'm not going to mess with it. I've also noticed that as long as I keep them happily fed with snails they don't bug any of the shrimp in the tank.


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## alexandria3142 (Feb 17, 2018)

That's great, I may try some ghost shrimp first before moving on to more expensive varieties. I really want some invertebrate in my tank to add a little more life and to clean up, but obviously not many are suitable. I plan on raising snails for food, so thank you for telling me how many you feed yours. Good luck with your lovely tank!


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