The Puffer Forum

Hi, my three SAPs, now having been living happily in their current 36G tank for seven months (and one tooth trimming later!), may be in luck: I may be upgrading to a 55G tank (or possibly to another 58G tank to match my current community tank size).

I don't want to increase the numbers I have (the three of them seem to get on well and I don't want to disrupt the group mechanic). They're currently housed with one LDA08 plec who would be moving in with them.

My question is; if I upgrade to this tank, is it possibly to house them with suitable tankmates, and what recommendations do people have? I've read they can be fin nippers, or would need 'robust' tankmates, but mine seem generally oblivious, mostly spending their time weaving around the wood/roots I have, and occasionally being naughty and biting my java fern They've never once bothered the plec, but then it is armoured after all...

Armor is nothing compared to puffer teeth.
I'd get some tankmates in a bigger tank, SAP's are generally more tolerable to tank mates then most other FW puffers, and it sounds like you will have little problem with yours.

I'm going to upgrade my SAP tank too. However, i'm going from a 25 gallon to a 60 gallon tank, so i'm going to get my 2 another 3 friends, so I have 5 SAPs in total and hopefully they'll shoal with each other. I currently have 4 otos with mine too, but will probably up the number. How many do you think I could have in there? And do you think I could add a couple of plecs, of the smaller variety? I'm also going to make it a properly planted tank and try to do some good aqua-designing!

Otos are small you could get about 5 or more. You could try the plec I: don't see it as a problem,just food shortages between them and the otos.