Keeping freshwater puffers together in a large aquarium?!?

[nickit863]

I have a 155 gallon bow front with a 125 gallon sump and a 40 gallon refugium all hard plummed oh with built in overflows. I have had experience with puffers for about 4 years now... Anyways I was looking for some advice on keeping a freshwater puffer species tank while also incorporating all of the equipment I have. And would also like to know what species of puffers you guys have had success keeping together. THANK YOU for all your help in advance!!!

[Camaro95]

If you do a little reading here, you will find a couple success stories but dozens of failed attempts. From my understanding, most puffers are fairly inconsiderate of many other fish, including their own. I'm sure with a tank that size, you can keep a couple of the small/medium ones in there. But as I've read many, many, many say, there is always going to be aggression, all you can do is minimize it and provide avenues of escape such as caves, tunnels, walls and the like.

Just do a little forum search for keyword tankmates and check the pufferpedia and you'll catch the pattern with a couple exceptions.

Feel free to try 20 dwarf puffers! It would only cost you $100 and with that 125gal sump, a kick buttocks snail breeder!

[nickit863]

I thought about dwarfs but i feel like i would never see them in such a large tank, and about the sump i know it will be great for snail breeding...

[j_wishbone]

I would suggest that whatever species you get to get them around the same size..as the smaller one gets bullied to death?!!?

[nickit863]

oh yeah i know, wouldnt wan that.

[nickit863]

Does anyone think maybe one of the Target species would work?

[Nick]

Definitely not something to try, IMO. You want south american puffers. You could probably toss between 12 and 16 in that tank, depending on filtration quality and enough water changes to keep wastes down. They school, and the more the merrier as long as water quality is still puffer quality. They grow about as large as F8s, so no issues seeing them.

[nickit863]

What would every one think about a fahaka in there alone?

[Nick]

Ideal comes to mind, when fahaka and alone are used in the same sentence.

[nickit863]

Do you think that the aquarium is big enough?

[Nick]

Ideal

[nickit863]

About what is there growth rate in aquaria?

[j_wishbone]

Definitely not something to try, IMO. You want south american puffers. You could probably toss between 12 and 16 in that tank, depending on filtration quality and enough water changes to keep wastes down. They school, and the more the merrier as long as water quality is still puffer quality. They grow about as large as F8s, so no issues seeing them.

Dat would be awesome!!

[j_wishbone]

oh yeah i know, wouldnt wan that.

kewl.. I was basing it on experience.. not good!

[Pufferpunk]

Problem with that many SAPs is catching them every 4-6 months for teeth trimming. +1 on the fahaka.