Pick a puffer

A place to discuss general puffer care or news.
martini57
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:40 pm
Location (country): US

Pick a puffer

Post by martini57 »

So, unfortunately I was told today that we are moving in December, so I can't get any more tanks until we get down there. But the fiancé told me that I could get any kind of fish that I want!!! Naturally, I have to get a puffer. I am not limited by water type, size, anything. No restrictions. So I want to start planning, naturally. So if you had your choice of any puffer, what would you pick?
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Arny
Mbu Puffer
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Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:33 pm
Location (country): uk
Location: London

Re: Pick a puffer

Post by Arny »

They're very expensive to buy but I would get a golden puffer. But when you think you'll have it as a pet for 15 years its not really that expensive.
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martini57
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:40 pm
Location (country): US

Re: Pick a puffer

Post by martini57 »

What is the price range on those? I looked it up and it said like 350?
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hadla
Mbu Puffer
Posts: 1626
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:33 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: 2 gsps and a big Stars and stripes
Location (country): California
Location: Sacramento, CA
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Re: Pick a puffer

Post by hadla »

Porky! :D
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
RTR
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Re: Pick a puffer

Post by RTR »

How many years have you been keeping fish?

How many and what size tanks have you had?

What water conditions have you expeience with in tanks? Fresh water, brackish water, salt water (marine)?

What other pets have been in your sole or primary care & responsibility?

Without some information on your history and ability to care for pet animals, I could not in good conscience suggest any puffer for a novice, so please tell us a bit more about yourself.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
martini57
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:40 pm
Location (country): US

Re: Pick a puffer

Post by martini57 »

Haha leave it to RTR. Experience with freshwater and brackish. Also, I am a veterinary technician. I am just recently getting back into tanks, other than bettas. Animals that have been in my primary care are too many to name, currently an African grey parrot, hermanns tortoise, 2 dogs, betta, African dwarf frogs. I know you guys are serious about your puffers, and I understand that. But any pet that is in my care is given the best care possible. I do my research extensively.
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DMD123
Fahaka Puffer
Posts: 573
Joined: Tue May 13, 2014 3:39 pm
Gender: Male
My Puffers: Tetraodon baileyi (Hairy Puffer, named Gizmo)
Location (country): USA
Location: Lakewood, WA

Re: Pick a puffer

Post by DMD123 »

Well, I have been thrilled with my little hairy puffer 'Scruffy'. He has a ton of personality wrapped up in that little furry body. Its funny that my wife did not like him when I got him because he was 'ugly' but he won her over with his charm. Yep he sits like a lump when your not in the room but as soon as he see us he begs for food or swims around trying to see whats going on. Was not a cheap fish but worth every penny. I have mine in a 40B with an AC110 filter and he is doing very well.
Here he is puffing up
Image Image
300g Pearsei x1, Bala Sharks x 3, Dabola endli (Tinkisso river) x1, Ansorgii x1
65B Hairy Puffer
65B Angel fish x1, Monk tetra x7, BN Pleco x2
90G red devil
90G Trimac
46G Bowfront Community tank
30G Growout
RTR
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Re: Pick a puffer

Post by RTR »

OK, I am reassured.

I like the looks of the Hairy puffers, but they are ones I have not personally kept. They seem to among the more out-going/active lurkers. They should be an interesting puffer and certainly take the prize for "weird fish".

FWIW.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
martini57
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:40 pm
Location (country): US

Re: Pick a puffer

Post by martini57 »

Haha they definitely do, I think they are kinda cute though. I like fish with personality. The hairy puffer is definitely on my list though, I like that they practice puffing. I'm sure it would scare the crap out of me though for awhile, thinking it was stressed out and sick lol
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DMD123
Fahaka Puffer
Posts: 573
Joined: Tue May 13, 2014 3:39 pm
Gender: Male
My Puffers: Tetraodon baileyi (Hairy Puffer, named Gizmo)
Location (country): USA
Location: Lakewood, WA

Re: Pick a puffer

Post by DMD123 »

It was just a little back that I was trying to find the right puffer.

I considered a Congo but could only find light brown ones and really wanted one of the cool red ones. The other thing I did not want is a fish that buries itself all the time. I have this motto, that if I cant see it-its just a waste of tank space. That being said I do own an expensive pleco I never see. :D

Another one I liked was the Humpback. This one really was one of my favorites in regard the size and color but I read a lot of things that spoke about their inactivity. Some were saying you almost had to just drop the food in their mouth and they never came out of their caves. Granted every fish is different but this did not appeal to me.

The Arrowhead was really high up on my list but no on had any so I kept looking.

Finally I found a Hairy and started to do some hard core research and found it was the right fit. It is a puffer that does not really bury itself where you never see him. In fact mine lays out in the open. I have a couple cave structures set up and he never uses them. He is also very active and outgoing when he see us with a ton of personality. But of course the absolute best was the 'hairy' appearance! When he looks at you head on it looks like a little puppy, thus the name Scruffy.
Image
300g Pearsei x1, Bala Sharks x 3, Dabola endli (Tinkisso river) x1, Ansorgii x1
65B Hairy Puffer
65B Angel fish x1, Monk tetra x7, BN Pleco x2
90G red devil
90G Trimac
46G Bowfront Community tank
30G Growout
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Arny
Mbu Puffer
Posts: 1081
Joined: Sun Dec 12, 2010 4:33 pm
Location (country): uk
Location: London

Re: Pick a puffer

Post by Arny »

Porcupines are great puffers to
TrevorA
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 51
Joined: Wed Aug 06, 2014 5:04 am
Gender: Male
My Puffers: 1 Fahaka
5 GSPs
Location (country): South Leicestershire
England

Re: Pick a puffer

Post by TrevorA »

I have only had my Fahaka a couple of weeks but think he's brilliant.

He's always floating about when we're in the room, he goes for a good 81- hour sleep every night once his lights are off, buried in his sand duvet. And if we keep him up late watching telly he won't get up the next morning until he's had his sleep quota. And his "where's my worm dance" is something to behold, even to people on the TV :)

Best pet I've ever had.
RTR
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Re: Pick a puffer

Post by RTR »

Fahakas are very attractive fish, but are also the largest puffer practical for most hobbyists. Starting out with a 2x2x6' tank is quite a subtantial commitment for most folks and IMHO should only be undertaken by folks with no intention of relocating anytine in the foreseeable future. I have had three of them - two were good pet fish, the third was the only fish I have ever kept of which I was physically afraid. I would never keep another. Been there, done, that, not going back, ever.

Palembangs puffer's are really cool looking and in the right set-up (well planted but not too densely planted 30-long or better 40-long tank, w/two driftwood refuge shelters). They are not very active, but with enough sheltering places and some plant cover w/o being too dense, they will lurk atop their shelters and will move out under Crypt-type plants in search of live foods. They move glacially on such forays, but they do look like they have broken backs and I suspect may be seen as carrion by such prey items as ghost shrimp and largish ramshorn snails. They are perhaps a specialist's fish more than for a novice, but I find them endlessly fascinating and beautifully and highly adapted meat-eating predatory fish.

GSPs are quite high-personality fish which should end up in a FOLWLR tank with a good skimmer and a 24/7 macroalgae refugium (preferably with a passive return to the display) They are highly interactive with their keepers whom they do tend to train quite well. Keeping more than one is problematic. They can be quarrelsome with conspecifics as often as not. Peaceful coexistence is never guaranteed. Incompatibles should be separated permanently.

F-8s in light BW are active to hypeactive, attractive and well marked, and not demanding of large tanks, but do need swimming room.

South American Puffers (SAPs) are also smallish, well-marked and quite active fish which like F-8s can be kept as singletons or in small groups, but are kept in FW tanks. If they have any drawback at all, it is that they rarely school tightly, but are only really secure if they can see others of their own kind. They are FW and are quite demanding on tank space, well planted bot wit areas of current for swimming against. They also need a basically snail diet, so the hobbyist pretty much need to be in large-scale snail production.\

FWIW, YMMV.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
martini57
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 105
Joined: Sun Aug 03, 2014 8:40 pm
Location (country): US

Re: Pick a puffer

Post by martini57 »

I do love my figure 8's. They are very funny and personable. I think I am going to pet them in a 40 or 55 when they get a little bigger. They are very small and already use the entire tank. I have always wanted a porcupine puffer, that's what started this whole tank thing again, but I wanted to wait until I could get the perfect setup for one. Which may be possible when we get to south Carolina, I will have to see. Gsp, hairy, and porc are all on the possibility list. But my fiancé said that if I am going to get a big tank, then he wants there to be other fish in there besides the puffer.
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Re: Pick a puffer

Post by RTR »

Why wait to upgrade the F-8s? Long-term they will be better off and healthier and more long-lived the sooner they are in their permanent home. I generally move from QT to the permanent home. I really believe that is a big part of how and why my fish tend to live long healthy lives.

Folk who want confetti tanks don't realize what they are missing. Their loss. Specimen or species fish tanks are especially for high-personality fish. Many to most puffers can live up to that. I was very pleaqsantly surprised that as inactive a fish as the Palembang's puffer held my eyes on feeding days better than the GSPs. Puffers tend to poor tankmates. Most are better as species or specimens.

IME, specimen tanks are the best way to have long-lived fish. Confetti tanks hold short-lived fish from insufficient exercise and intraspecific stresses. Those can be as damaging as over-feeding and under maintaining. Hobbyists tend to get greedy - they want everything they can cram into any given tank rather than what is really best for the fish to be kept.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
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