Porcupine Puffer

The forum for those beautiful marine puffers!
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poolguyjason
Puffer Fry
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:37 pm
My Puffers: 1 Baby Fahaka

Porcupine Puffer

Post by poolguyjason »

With the demise of my Fahaka, I'd decided I would like to try another puffer with some personality, and I started thinking "Why not Salt?"

So while at work, my manager said that making a fish only w/o LR+Coral etc would be very easy to make and maintain.

So would a Porcupine Puffer be able to survive in that kind of tank? Its a 125 Gal. It would house him, and maybe a few other fish that would go well, though a Porc would be the most important, and could keep him alone if I had to.

Would this work, and what else would I need to know for keeping the fish in optimal conditions (substrate, etc)
saynever
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 151
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:18 pm

Post by saynever »

i think 125g is minimum for that puffer.

I myself am setting up a 15g with a 10g sump as a Fish only with live rock(FOWLR), no puffers though. I would definetly do a sump on that size tank and a spend your money on a good protien skimmer.

From what i have read, these are pretty easy to maintain compared to a freshwater planted tank :D, just water changes and top offs, clean empty the protien skimmer cup, and every few months de-calcify your pumps/powerheads. Oh and ofcourse, feeding.

You wont be able to add coral though in the future because the porc will snack on it(i believe). Try a search for porc and see what comes up. They get big fast and are messy like others puffers.
poolguyjason
Puffer Fry
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:37 pm
My Puffers: 1 Baby Fahaka

Post by poolguyjason »

I'm not looking for corals, so I'm happy. I did do other research, but people like Pufferpunk are of much better help because people here actually care about puffers. I'm sure people here with experience will be a great help to me.
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mikeosoft
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 247
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:35 pm
Location: Farmington Hills, MI

Post by mikeosoft »

Most porcupine puffers are actually quite coral safe.

My advice if you decide to get one. Do it right. Get a good sump and a good skimmer. Do it right, dont skimp, quarantine anything you add to the tank.
JustinPSmith
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 209
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:21 pm

Post by JustinPSmith »

You WILL need Live Rock though, unless you plan on other methods of filtration along with the skimmer. LR is needed for filtration along with the skimmer, the skimmer only breaks down certain organics after the bacteria on the LR has broken them down from ammonia, nitrites, ect. LR will keep your nitrates in check, which is an important part of a marine system. You could keep the LR in the sump if you do not want it in the display tank. I did this with my old reef tank (which I no longer have...) to keep more swimming space for my tangs! I had a 65G set up with only 30lbs of LR in the display tank but another 40 in the 40G sump...Worked great. You will need a sump too Im sure for a Porc in a 125G! They get very big and messy so the extra water volume will be great! A friend of mine has a porc in a 100G which is now 5 years old and very happy. Lives with a Yellow tang and a few clowns...Never bothers the other fish! No corals though, he tried a few softies and mushrooms before but they all ended up as very expensive treats! Anyways you probably already know most of this but I thought Id put it out there anyways!...Im bored right now!
poolguyjason
Puffer Fry
Posts: 20
Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 9:37 pm
My Puffers: 1 Baby Fahaka

Post by poolguyjason »

I have two Eheim 2217's and two airstones. Would this be enough in addition to the skimmer, or would Live Rock still be necessary?
JustinPSmith
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 209
Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:21 pm

Post by JustinPSmith »

I dont really think that will work out too well in the long run but someone else may have more experience with marine tanks and NO LR...Ive never done it! I do know that you would have to remove any sponges from the filter or clean them very well and weekly because they become nitrate factories...As well as the filter media itself! Bio balls or ceramic rings from most canister filters are not good for keeping nitrate levels down in marine set up either. Basically LR makes saltwater fish keeping very easy and keeps the water very stable! LR does not need special care or even lighting really, if this is why you do not want it...It is the best filter you can get for marine set ups! Downside of course is the cost but you can sometimes find someone who is tearing down their system and selling great LR cheap. I just got 80lbs from someone at my reef club for $160! Very cheap. Its beautiful stuff too! I personally would recommend a skimmer, sump and Live Rock...Best for your puffer in the long run. Porcs are very sensitive and its sometimes hard enough to find one that is healthy to begin with and dont want to put them in anything less than perfect conditons.
saynever
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 151
Joined: Thu Aug 24, 2006 9:18 pm

Post by saynever »

canister filters are generally a no no unless they are basically empty and filled with a bag or two of charcol or purgien or other chemical needed.

buy good live rock and buy a good skimmer and do water changes and life is good. 8) and for what its worth, with a sump, a good skimmer will be cheaper and skim alot better than if you try to do a hang on the tank kind.
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