The Puffer Forum

Sorry 'bout the last post, I was just surprised that after all the suggestions you got and the research you were doing that you would stick a porc in a 20 gallon long. I honestly didn't mean to be rude, I posted without thinking.

For right now the Porc should be OK in the 20, he will not thrive though and if you don't get him in to a larger tank soon (next month or so) you will definitely stunt him. I agree with looking on Craigslist for used tanks. I have acquired most of my tanks there for dirt cheap (250 gallon for $150). There really isn't a point of buying a new tank unless you are putting up a big display tank and are looking for specifics or special setups. Right now people are selling off tanks dirt cheap because of the economy and the cost of up-keep on these huge tanks. I had to put my big SW tank on hold for a while and went to FW. While you are on Craigs list, look for a smaller tank too that you can use for a sump and also look for return pumps and a good skimmer if you don't have them. If you don't want to Craigslist for the smaller tank, post an ad on Freecycle. Sometimes you get lucky and people are willing to give away 40-50 gallon tanks that they don't need anymore.

LGP is correct when she says that even though some people keep fish in certain conditions, it's not necessarily the responsible thing to do. The fish you see sitting in those 60 gallon biocubes will live a shorter life than if they were kept in better conditions. When you look at cases like that, sure, the fish lives for 10 years, but that only half their true lifespan of 18-20 years.

Solace wrote:you said there was a point to buying a new tank over a used one.
what is it?
Not trying to be rude, i know sometimes texts can come across that way. I just want to learn.

No, I meant not NEW, just another one besides the one you have - a bigger one. Sorry.

Definitely.
Ideally what would be the best size for one of these. Many sources say 100 is fine, is this true?

Dadof4 wrote:Sorry 'bout the last post, I was just surprised that after all the suggestions you got and the research you were doing that you would stick a porc in a 20 gallon long. I honestly didn't mean to be rude, I posted without thinking.

For right now the Porc should be OK in the 20, he will not thrive though and if you don't get him in to a larger tank soon (next month or so) you will definitely stunt him. I agree with looking on Craigslist for used tanks. I have acquired most of my tanks there for dirt cheap (250 gallon for $150). There really isn't a point of buying a new tank unless you are putting up a big display tank and are looking for specifics or special setups. Right now people are selling off tanks dirt cheap because of the economy and the cost of up-keep on these huge tanks. I had to put my big SW tank on hold for a while and went to FW. While you are on Craigs list, look for a smaller tank too that you can use for a sump and also look for return pumps and a good skimmer if you don't have them. If you don't want to Craigslist for the smaller tank, post an ad on Freecycle. Sometimes you get lucky and people are willing to give away 40-50 gallon tanks that they don't need anymore.

LGP is correct when she says that even though some people keep fish in certain conditions, it's not necessarily the responsible thing to do. The fish you see sitting in those 60 gallon biocubes will live a shorter life than if they were kept in better conditions. When you look at cases like that, sure, the fish lives for 10 years, but that only half their true lifespan of 18-20 years.

Don't worry about it. sometimes things need to be said. Wow they really grow that fast?
Maybe I should take it back, I would not want to hurt it or kill it with my inexperience.

That might be the best idea. If you really want one, then get the tank set up before you go out and get the fish. I'd imagine that upgrading a marine tank would be a serious PITA, so you might want to just go with the bigger tank for the adult size, rather than transferring the contents of the smaller tank to the bigger one.

Makes sense. I made sure that this tank, small as it is, was set up for marine when I made the decision that I wanted a marine tank a while back.
If I kept him in the twenty (keep in mind, golf ball size), and finished the stand for my 100 and set it up asap, would that be ok?

Well, I b'lieve the PufferPedia says 120 is the minimum. But if you really want to keep him, then 100 would be a great interem tank, I think.

Puffers really, really need to be in well established tanks. You said you still had to finish your stand for your 100? Is the 100 empty right now, bone dry? You said you have the equipment for the 20 to be a marine tank, do you have the equipment for the 100 to be a marine tank as well? Even if you finished the 100's stand ASAP, you would still have to cycle the tank. That could take a while, and you definitely don't want the porcupine to be in there for that. Plus, like everyone else said, the porc will grow fast and 120 is the MINIMUM suggested tank size. I think you should bring the little guy back and wait until you have the optimum set up. In the meantime, research as much as you can about the porcupine puffers. I think it would a much more enjoyable experience for you and the puffer if you did it this way.

Makes sense, I was a bit confused as alot of the profiles i found said minimum tank size ninety.
No I do not have all of the equiptment for the 100 but I could get it this week.

They have the capacity to reach about 20". IMO, 90g just isn't appropriate for a 20" fish.

If I had a 20" fish, I'd go with at least 200, but then that's just me.

I've never seen a 20" common porc, even in the wild.

I went with what was in the 'Pedia. Does it need to be changed? What would you say the usual max size is?

12"

Yeah, 120 seems more reasonable than I thought. Still not 90, not by a long shot.

Pedia says 19 inch. Do we need to make a correction?