Dwarf Puffer Fish in a 55 gallon

[Daytonpuf]

I am considering dwarf puffers for a 55 gallon tank I'll be getting from a friend. It will be heavily planted and completely cycled before the puffers are added. My concern is that even with a fair number of puffers, they won't be noticeable in a tank that large. I'm thinking I could have 2 males and 6-8 females. Would you do it, or should I look for a smaller tank with fewer puffers?

[Walla2GSP]

If it were me, I would not consider this combination. If I wanted DPs I would get a 35 and stock it with 4-5 Dwarfs, and run it for 6 months or a year to see what the bioload was. If I wanted to do a 55, I would do a single GSP, or 3-4 Figure 8s or South American Puffers. Or I would pick a rare FW puffer that would be perfect in a 55 such as a hairy puffer, target-group puffer, arrowhead, or something along those lines. IMHO, I'm not a puffer expert, but if it were something I was considering again that is what I would do.

[Alleycat]

I am considering dwarf puffers for a 55 gallon tank I'll be getting from a friend. It will be heavily planted and completely cycled before the puffers are added. My concern is that even with a fair number of puffers, they won't be noticeable in a tank that large. I'm thinking I could have 2 males and 6-8 females. Would you do it, or should I look for a smaller tank with fewer puffers?

Do you have another tank you can borrow some filter media from to help with the cycling process of this new tank? Is the tank currently set up, and they're going to tear it down to give to you or sitting somewhere not in use?

[Pufferpunk]

When did the tank last have fish living in it?

[Daytonpuf]

The 55 tank last had fish a few months ago, right now it is dry. I'll be getting new filters and a heater. I will be planting it and cycling using media from another well established tank. I'm getting an excellent deal from a friend so 55 is the size I need to work with.

I'm not interested in changing my established tank or moving those fish to the 55.

My main question is whether dwarf puffers will be/look lost in a 55.

[Pufferpunk]

I guess it all depends on what you're looking for. If you're the kind of person who pulls up a chair & sits patiently watching the interactions of your fish, you might just love this. But if you're looking for a fish that has a ton of "out there" personality--then a single, larger species, like the GSP, may be a better choice of fish.