so what are they realy like

[jimi]

so every where you look you find different information on puffers thats all different on site says 15 gallons the other says 30 one says 3 inchs and one says 6 so how big sould i expect my figure 8's to get and i was wondering if i could get some ffed back on there personalitys for people that have keept them becouse the guy at my lfs ( which is the most wonderful store ever if you live in michigan by the ypsi area go to fish doctors on washtenaw its amazing and they all know there stuff) says there the nicest thing in the brackish puffer world and my friend clamed it ripped appart all his dads fish and his fake plants to so just how nice or mean are they in your opinions ( i know its puffer specific but if i can get there range i can get a general idea

[jimi]

ohh and while im here i also saw one of my puffers haveing "goosebumps" sort of speak then promplty attacked a passing and eating by gost shrimp im just wondering if its a sign of tank specs not being up to par or if he was just mad or hungry or both

[Happy_Puffer]

Mine is about 2.5 inches, mine is a sweety. I have never seen him go after any fish and won't even eat the ghost shrimp. I am no expert so I don't know if this is just mine or all f8s. I had a baby f8 that just died and my big one together in a 14 gallon and both of them were sweet. Mine has never done anything to mess up my plants or anything, I like the f8s better then GSPs. Good luck with your f8.

[jimi]

sorry you lost your puffer i lost an eel once and almost cryed but mine does eat gost shrimp with gusto also cuddles with my bbgs so it leaves me very confused

[crazedpuffer]

F8's are generally peaceful (much more than other puffs) but they are in no way a community fish.
For the most part they do well with gobies and mollies, but every puffer is different. They normally grow to around 3-4 inches, and the first puffer requires 15 gallons with every puffer after that needing an extra 10 gallons.

By goosebumps you mean all over the whole body right? Those are actually where the spines are, it's normal don't worry.

[Happy_Puffer]

Thank you I know losing fish is never easy. I have a bumblebee goby and they get along great. Its so hard to tell you what a puffer is going to be like. Its like getting a new puppy, you could have the best dog in the world and then you decide to get another one because your is so well trained and then you get the new puppy home and its a monster (which has happened to me!) Some are nice some are mean. I have had 2 f8s and 2 GSPs and I really like the f8s better. I think they are eaiser to take care of IMO. You just have to watch him for awhile (either in the pet store or at home) before you can really tell what he is going to be like. The one I have now was kinda mean in the tank at the store but when I got him home he mellowed out alot since he was in the tank with only one baby puffer instead of 3 or 4 bigger f8s. Ya as for the bumps mine has then as well just make sure its not ich spots!

[jimi]

yeah its spines ( thats what i had that a fist buyt it never hurts to check) and i know every one is different but like dogs you know that if you get a lab expect chaos for the first 3 or so years and they can range from mean to nice but if its a nice puffer it will share personalitys with other nice puffers so i was just checking ( and i do watch them they help me sleep with there slow fat bellied bob ( there feed an hour before i go to bed and when i wake up ) all over and through the tank ( its so relaxing )

[Nick]

There aren't really much in the way of consistently nice puffers, even the most docile can nip sometimes. Expect puffers to range from monster behavior(common in fahaka and most lurker puffers) shredding tankmates for fun, to mostly docile(figure 8 puffers and South American puffers). But some F8's may still be pretty wild, and every now and then a Fahaka will be a pushover. As intelligent fish, they vary more than you'd expect on an individual basis.

[jimi]

yeah my figure 8s are so nice but will attack everything but there goby friends ( i was stocking the tnak with some food for them the other day ( like 30 snails 2 dozen gost shrimp and 14 and once of tube flex worms ) i do this so they can have what they please they simply have to spot it and eat it which they do with the utmost happyness) and they devoured half of 3 gost shrim gollbed about 4 snails apiece and when i got home form work there wasnt a tubefelx any where in all this carnage i figured i sould check the golby and where were they... they where sitting next to the sleeping puffer so i guess golbys are pretty safe but i fear adding more ( which moveing to a 50 i would love to ad a knight or desert golby becouse i have the space ) becouse anything that comes into the water seems prime and desiered food