Thanks for all the advice, puffers came home today!

[AZL]

I really appreciate all the help and advice. Our two little GSP's came home today. One re-homed and the other from the same batch as him at the LFS. Tricky operation as had to drip acclimate one for an hour as coming from lower salinity then float him in a box while getting the other so they could go in at the same time. So far no scrapping, both look happy, and both are voracious so while it's been a stressful day for them I'm hopeful

[Pufferpunk]

Great job!

[AZL]

Ah, I'm going to be worried for ages but they seem fine this morning, just checking water perimeters. Weirdly, they actually got upset about me turning the light out before bed last night, the one from the LFS I'd needed to drip tried to jump at me. It was a lot like leaving puppies for the night, similar behaviour. Lol really do behave like dogs!

[Pufferpunk]

[AZL]

Once again, sorry for all of the questions, I just want to do right by my puffers and am conscious of being a noob. As I've said I had one young GSP re-homed with me and got another from the LFS that he'd come from originally, from the same batch. That left 2 in a less than 10 litre tank at the shop that have been there for at least 4 or 5 months getting stunted and depressed. I was bemoaning having to leave them there to a friend who keeps puffers and works at another shop and he is sure that I could take the other two on if I upgrade to a 4 foot tank when they are bigger rather than 3 and a bit as planned and that they'd be happier all together in a group of 4. I can do that but seems small to me for 4. I'm hoping the little guys have been bought and have gone to a good home but if they're still languishing there does that sound reasonable? I could probably talk the Mr into letting me do a 5 foot and move more furniture to make space but that would be the maximum in the space we can make and for the floor to not cave in. Would a 4 or 5 foot tank be comfortable rather than minimal for a group of 4 with good filtration, plenty of live rock, and a well planned layout? Thank you!

[Pufferpunk]

Figure about 10g/1" of fish. They grow to 6".

[AZL]

Thank you, yes I know they get that size and need extra room to explore. That is over twice what everyone else suggests but you clearly have more experience with puffers than most and the general recommendations don't seem sufficient to me even with as little experience as I have. The best I could do for them would be a 5.5 foot tank that would be approaching 150 gallons, more than twice what everyone else is recommending but just over 60% of your guidelines. There is so much disparity in fish keeping that generally I would go with the majority view but puffers being so specialized in their needs and not many people being extremely experienced with them I am hesitant to do so. I would never take on animals that I could not accommodate comfortably at their full size.