Holy Poopie....

[alexarae]

So, I brought Hermie home and wow...he's stunning. I will post pictures soon.
However, I've been sitting here looking up information for hours on the internet and so much of it seems to contradict itself.

Some articles are saying that Hermie will need salt. Others are saying he won't even tolerate aquarium salt.
Some articles are saying that it's normal for him to be kind of curled and moving it's fins very fast and others are saying he should be straight and very active.....
Then, worst of all, some say feed him snails but the variant types of snails are crazy..what snails can he eat? How big should they be? Hermie is maybe 3 inches.

I am getting a little spazzy because I love him and I don't know how to take care of him.

[imagirlgeek]

What kind of puffer is Hermie? Sorry if I missed this in another post.

[CichlidFan]

I think she is so excited, she forgot to tell us a little bit more about Hermie.....

Well....fill us in....I'm very curious, and don't forget the pics when you get a chance....

Best of Luck..

CF

[Nickintex]

a Mbu puffer.

[alexarae]

Young Herman is a MBU.
Sorry, I did get excited.

He is about 3 inches long...I plan on posting pictures tomorrow.

[edmlfc]

So, I brought Hermie home and wow...he's stunning. I will post pictures soon.
However, I've been sitting here looking up information for hours on the internet and so much of it seems to contradict itself.

Most of the information will contradict itself on the internet. I have seen one that says min. tank for a Mbu is 55 gallons. We all know that's far from the truth.

Some articles are saying that Hermie will need salt. Others are saying he won't even tolerate aquarium salt.

He is totally a freshwater puffer. There is no need to add salt to his tank on a daily basis. Aquarium salt and higher temps are used to treat ich. You can add aquarium salt to his tank if you feel it's necessary. Most of the puffer owners only add salt if the puffer has ich.

Some articles are saying that it's normal for him to be kind of curled and moving it's fins very fast and others are saying he should be straight and very active.

Yes, curling up and moving his fins fast is normal. Puffers will sleep with their tail curled to feel more secure. Some puffers will even turn extremely dark when sleeping. This is all totally normal. Elvis will move his fins so fast I can't even tell he has fins, and sometimes he dosen't move them at all. It's nothing to worry about. Your puffer is in a new home and will need time to adjust to his surroundings. Once he get's settled in he may not curl up with his tail clamped to his side anymore. You might also notice that he hides alot. This is also normal, or that when the lights are on he goes into hiding. Again normal for a new puffer. After about a week or two you will start to learn his personality. Then you will see how truely amazing he is.

Then, worst of all, some say feed him snails but the variant types of snails are crazy..what snails can he eat? How big should they be? Hermie is maybe 3 inches..

He can eat ramshorn and pond snails, when larger mystery snails. Do not feed him MTS, they will break his teeth. You can also feed shrimp, mussel, clams, squid, octopus, blood worms, crab, crayfish, freeze dried food (soaked first), etc. I feed my puffers mussel and clams on a weekly basis to keep their teeth trimmed. I have not fed them snails in over 9 months.

I am getting a little spazzy because I love him and I don't know how to take care of him.

You will do fine.

[edmlfc]

I forgot to mention: I buy all my puffer food from the fresh seafood department at the local grocery store. I always freeze it first then defrost in tank water, soak in vitamins and feed.

[alexarae]

so...should i stop by krogers today and buy him one clam?
then i just stick it in there...still alive?

[CichlidFan]

I suppose live is the freshest you can get...?

Good Luck with Hermie the MBU....sounds soooo cool....dont' forget the pics please....

And you and Hermie have a good weekend getting to know one another....

CF

[Kiovo]

not sure what your options in Galveston are Alexa, but I know usually HEB or any asian stores have a great selection of fresh seafood, like clams, crabs, mussels, etc. Wow, puffers and I mostly like the same foods!

[alexarae]

Me too....I wish I could eat what Herman does!

[eklikewhoa]

I would start breeding those crawfish everyone is keeping.

[Nickintex]

Try a Fiesta store or an Asian food market. Fresh and frozen seafood can be found in abundance there.

[edmlfc]

I would not feed it fresh. Buy it fresh then freeze it, defrost in tank water then feed. By freezing it you will kill any parasites that may be living in or on the clam. I buy puffer food once a month, put it in ziplocks and freeze, then I defrost it when it's feeding day. Also it's a good idea, once he settles in to treat him for IP's, even if he shows no signs of them.

[alexarae]

I have him in a 14 gallon cube for isolation before i put him in the 100 gallon later today.
Should I treat him now? He looks like he has a few tiny white spots on him...but i can't tell if they are sand or ich...