Figure 8 Puffer

Here is a dim and grainy photo of Otis' tank. I've had him about 4 years now, and not too long ago upgraded him into a 20-long, which suits him very well (if you click on the pic you can see him at the bottom near the left archway). I am currently having a bit of a falling out with my camera and he is too fast for me to capture a clear image.

The tank is empty-looking, for sure, but this is a messy, busy fish that is constantly exploring and poking around the rocks, and keeping the tank clean is a chore with a smaller tank. Even so, I have a constant battle with diatom algae and hair algae.


The tank is open on all sides, sitting out on a desk, so the rockwork is stacked in the center of the tank, and Otis goes through the openings from one side of the tank to the other. He does not seem to have a preference for one part of the tank or the other, and he's never still that I can see. From time to time I rearrange the rocks in a new formation to keep him interested, and to change his paths of travel.


Otis will actually come up out of the water if you put your hand over the top, and he will also splash the surface with his tail to get my attention to be fed, even if he has recently eaten. I know fish are pets, but this fish is the most pet-like of any I have ever owned.


This is a brackish tank, and this is not a problem at all to maintain. The only complaint I have is "salt creep," which means caked salt accumulates around the rim of the HOB filter, and will literally travel, adding onto itself, until it flakes off onto the desk. The heater cord also is a conduit for salt crystals, and it will travel down the entire length of the cord, if I let it. I generally keep on top of it by flaking it back into the tank as it accumulates. I keep an eye on the salinity and keep it brackish, which means my water changes will utilize varying ratios of fresh to marine mix water. As the water level in the tank goes down due to evaporation, the salt that used to be in the evaporated water is still in the tank, so you can't simply use the same ratios every time. 


Fortunately, he can tolerate some fluctuations in salinity (many swear these are full FW fish and keep them that way, though I'm convinced they are happiest brackish) so it is not terribly challenging to maintain a brackish tank for him.