The Puffer Forum

I have read a couple of articles on here and also been reading some books regarding procupine puffers, but I have yet to really have my question answered.

I know they are very messy eaters, but I'm wondering if there isn't somekind of scavenger I can keep with it to help with the clean-up that it won't eat.

I haven't gotten one yet and probably won't for a year or so, but I would like to plan as much as possible ahead of time... Any advice?

Any cleaning crew will add bioload greater than the excess food, living creatures, even if living entirely off scraps, create additional metabolic waste. If it's uneaten bits of food you're worried about seeing, good waterflow will take care of that, but the idea that your cleanup crew reduces the bioload in your tank is a myth, if that is the effect you are going for.

Yeah thats right, if you are worried about scraps you can syphon them out. I think as long as your water perams are spot on you have no need to worry. Also assuming you have a huge tank this too will help dilute the waste even more

It was the waste I was worried about. Since my post I have done a little further research and I don't really believe I should be worried about the waste. As you said, Nick and Manutis, the tank filters should help to take care of all of that.

I'm debating if I would like to get another fish to go with the porcupine puffer? I'm sure that the procupine would be plent of entertainment, but what kind of fish would be compatible?

When I do begin setting up my aquarium I plan on having a 65+/- gallon tank.

Thanks for the responses!

may I say that as yu are not planning to get one for a year or so that you spend time saving up for a larger than 65G. thats way too small for a porc IMO. I'm not a big marine boff by any means but having seen one of these guys fully grown in a public aquarium that was the size of a rugby ball you will need a far bigger tank. The poufferpedia suggesta tank size of 125G as a minimum just for a single specimen so if you did want to get other fish you would need to go even bigger. Have you looked in the pufferpedia?

Of course if there is a smaller type of Porc puffer that I'm not familiar with then you might have better luck, but I still stick with 65G being far too small. A GSP would be great for that size tank

Manutis, good point. Thanks for pointing that out. I guess I didn't think about the carrying capacity rules of thumb I have learned, 10 gallons for every 2 inches of fish and procupines get about 6 inches.

I had hoped to have the aquarium middle of next year and give myself sometime with the live rock and getting the filters in good working order and just maintaining water levels before adding in a little guy. Looks like I may have to put that off for a little while.

Thanks again for refreshing my memory!

For the record that rule of thunm does not apply to puffer fish due to their larger mass and thier incredible ability to produce a lot of waste. With a larger mass for their length than a "regular" fish and a high protein diet a much larger tank is needed than the standard inches/gallon rule. You will see puffers tanks far larger than you would think necessarry but the extra water volume helps to dilute the waste that these fish produce.

Also I think you are confused about the porc puffers, they get very big as far as I know, none that I know of arefully grown at the size you state unless you miss typed and meant 16". Maybe one of the more qualified marine bods can help out here but I think I am right. Have a look here for some basic info http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug. ... locanthus/

90 gallon is the absolute minimum for a porc. They can be kept with a bunch of tank mates, they are incredibly docile but will eat small fish without hesitation.
Their are several types of porcs growing from between 12"-24"+ Most sites and books are incredibly innacurate about porcs which is a shame. I have read in books the reccomended size is a 36 gallon tank, which is horribly small.
Also the inch a gallon rule is generally for small slender fish like small danios and tetras.

I have had such a difficult time finding accurate information. The 6" came from a couple of books I've read including a Marin Animal Encyclopedia. I did more research yesterday and the discrepancy between minimum gallons and sizes is amazingly large!

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to stick with at lease a 125g and go from there.

Yeah I had a huge problem too finding information. They're awesome fish though, by far my favorite.

BrookElise wrote:I have had such a difficult time finding accurate information. The 6" came from a couple of books I've read including a Marin Animal Encyclopedia. I did more research yesterday and the discrepancy between minimum gallons and sizes is amazingly large!

Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to stick with at lease a 125g and go from there.

This is a problem not just restricted to porcs I'm afraid. I think going with a 125 would be a good start but make sure you are getting the smaller Diodon sp.

Thanks again to everyone for their advice. It's nice to know I have somewhere to go where there are experienced people not just books and internet.

Since this will be my first saltwater tank I'm going to try and establish a quarintine tank first to make sure I can keep up with the upkeep of the tank and so on. The graduate up to my larger tank and my wonder puffer I can't wait to have!

Again, many thanks!

I kept a 5" Porcupine puffer in a 75gal tank for about a year. It was really too small to keep up with the bioload, even at that size, with a good skimmer. Plus huge waterchanges in salt water gets expensive really fast.

I wouldn't recommend keeping one in anything less than 125 gallons, with a good skimmer. Myself, as much as I love them, I won't get another one until I can provide 180+ gallons.

Good luck

Starting with a smaller tank is more difficult, not easier, just as a warning.

I agree with Nick, small marine tanks are honestly more work. Any bit of evaporation can throw your salinity off big time.

Good job doing your research first, I wish more people would do that! Also, consider a burrfish too, very similar to a porcupine, but the species usually common in the trade stays smaller, so a 75+ gallon tank is a good size if you are more limited on space.