The Puffer Forum

I think that there should be a change made in the PufferPedia Arcticle on the Modestus. I can not picture a Bronze Puffer living happily in a 20G tank, and I think that the minimum tank requiremnt should be moved up to at the ABSOLUTE LEAST 35 Gallons. I know that most Bronze Puffers don't grow farther than 4 inches, but this is still to big to be kept in a 20 Gallon aquarium. Please reconsider this absurd statement for the good of the unknowing puffer owner. Thank you.

I have a 4"er in my 20g long that has plenty of swimming room, IMO. Keep in mind, those are minimum tank size recomendations.

Well, I certainly wouldn't suggest it, especially to a first time Modestus owner.

What are your reasons?

First of all, not all modestus are created equal. Mine is very active, and would certainly die in a 20G, even by himself. Second, unless you are an expert (I'm not), it's slmost impossible to decide how a puffer would react to your conditions at home, just seeing it at the LFS. Additionally, although rarely, Bronze Puffers get a little bigger than 4 1/3 inches. What other fish that's over 4 inches belongs in a 20 G tank? Even so, we all know that puffers have special needs. A first time puffer owner might buy a modestus thinking it would work well in their 20G community only to find out it swims around a lot and needs a lot of space near the top of the tank. Thank you for taking the time to acknowledge my concerns.

When we post minimum tank sizes, it is for that fish only. If a person wants tank mates, they would have to add for that.

Shhh... don't tell anyone I have a 6" royal pleco living with my modestus. I do 75% weekly WC on that tank.

How are they... I mean how is your modestus doing with the 75% WC? What do you feed it? Have you ever considered putting it in with any of your other tanks? I have a 6 1/2 inch pleco in my not-so-friendly mix-up tank (see my sig). He's really healthy, and nobody bites his fins or anything. He also doesn't attack my bichir for one reason or another.

My puffer is perfectly happy in his 20g. My other choices would be to put him with my fahaka in a 125g , or in with my discus in a 90g. No thanks!

He eats live blackworms, frozen blackworms/mysis shrimp, earthworms, freeze-dried krill/plankton & pieces of preple shrimp. About ready to trim his teeth soon.

I do 75% weekly WC on all my FW tanks & 90% on my discus tank.

Keep me informed if you trim his teeth. How do you plan to do it? I tried using clove oil my first time a couple of weeks ago, and I couldn't get very much done, because I didn't want to leave him in the clove oil/tank water solution too long (it might kill him), and I didn't want to take too long out of the water, so I might clip it again if I can find a safer way to do it. I heard that they make products for this purpose. However, I could only find the clove oil solution, and it needed to be cut. Any product suggestions?

And I still think that 20G is too small for ALL Modestus. Plenty of Modestus are more energetic than yours apparently. I don't usually get to talk to other Bronze Puffer owners.

I forget what it's called but there are lots of other threads about a totally safe tranq that you can get at http://www.drefostersmith.com.

Thanks. I hope you understand... I just want the best for my Modestus.

I understand--my guy's special too! I'll be using CO this time around though.

What made you change your mind? Or did you just run out of the other stuff?

Never had any & keep forgetting it in my order.

Have you ever used anything else other than CO? I heard it's bad for the puffers, and that's why I'm concerened.