The Puffer Forum

hey everyone i am currently in the proces of setting up a 120 liter freshwater aquarium and i would really like some pufferfish in them (or one if thats better)
now im still orienting so forgive me if my questions are a bit noobish

1 - what kinds of pufferfish could i keep in my tank together? i have read that there are some species that can live together but on the other hand i have read that there are species that absolutly cant live together.

2 - what kind of pufferfish is the most compatible with other aquarium fish? i know that octos are nice companions for most pufferfish but because by tank is pretty big for lets say dwarpufferfish and i would like a bit variety in it in the upper and mid lvls of the tank im pretty curious if there other fish that could coexist well with the puffers.

3 - do they need snails or is it just a nice treat for them? i read that puffers need snails to keep there teeth from overgrowing but is that one snail a day? week? or more?

i know i am asking alot here but i like to prepare myself as much as possible when keeping any kind of new fish in a tank of mine but im sure you can understand that

thanks in advance!

Hello.
Your tank comes out to about 31 gallons US.

1. You can keep about 6 dwarf puffers your tank, heavily planted to avoid territory disputes. Or one Congo. There are more options and great information in the PufferPedia, check it out :http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug. ... ?g2_page=1

2. I personally think it is up to the puffers personality. Several members have kept other fish with their puffers whilst some cannot keep fish with the exact species. Ultimately I recommend something small enough that won't put pressure on your bio-load yet something large enough that won't become puffer food. Also you want quick fish that can get out of a puffers way if need be.

3. Yes, puffers need a diet of snails, mussels and other crunchy foods. Check out the feeding articles in our Puffer library: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... y/feeding/

There in nothing wrong with asking questions, that is what we are here for!

yunachin wrote:Hello.
Your tank comes out to about 31 gallons US.

1. You can keep about 6 dwarf puffers your tank, heavily planted to avoid territory disputes. Or one Congo. There are more options and great information in the PufferPedia, check it out :http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug. ... ?g2_page=1

2. I personally think it is up to the puffers personality. Several members have kept other fish with their puffers whilst some cannot keep fish with the exact species. Ultimately I recommend something small enough that won't put pressure on your bio-load yet something large enough that won't become puffer food. Also you want quick fish that can get out of a puffers way if need be.

3. Yes, puffers need a diet of snails, mussels and other crunchy foods. Check out the feeding articles in our Puffer library: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... y/feeding/

There in nothing wrong with asking questions, that is what we are here for!

i think i will go for the dwarf puffers then, having just one fish in a whole tank doesnt look nice to me (personal preferences:p)
and what kinds of other fish could coexist with the dwarf puffers? like a small group of tetras or other small colorfull fish?
thats for the advice and the links you have given my so far they were very usefull

In my personal experience with the dwarf puffers, they are super aggressive. When I had mine shipped in, I had to have them sent in separate bags to keep them from killing one another. (I don't know why my supplier didn't do this anyway.) I would not keep them with any other fish, they do best species only. Just make sure you get plenty of decor to help block the lines of sight so they do not fight each other. All in all they are great puffers and are probably the most social and inquisitive of all the puffers I own.

verlengsnoertje wrote: having just one fish in a whole tank doesnt look nice to me (personal preferences:p)

I'm not going to try to change your mind, but from what I've seen, 1 puffer = 10 other fish in terms of entertainment and joy. So although it may seem like you will only have 1 fish, it would actually be pretty entertaining (moreso than 10 tetras, for instance)! Dwarf Puffers are a tad different in larger tanks since they're so small, but having 6 would be pretty fancy!

I'd also recommend taking a look at Figure 8 puffers. They are brackish, but they stay in low-end brackish for their lifespan, so it's not all that expensive in terms of salt.

yunachin wrote:In my personal experience with the dwarf puffers, they are super aggressive. When I had mine shipped in, I had to have them sent in separate bags to keep them from killing one another. (I don't know why my supplier didn't do this anyway.) I would not keep them with any other fish, they do best species only. Just make sure you get plenty of decor to help block the lines of sight so they do not fight each other. All in all they are great puffers and are probably the most social and inquisitive of all the puffers I own.

alright then i will keep them as species only, agression against other fish (or nibling) is something i hear quite often. one more thing: are they agressive against eachother as well? or is that something that depends on individual fish?

Agnate wrote:

verlengsnoertje wrote: having just one fish in a whole tank doesnt look nice to me (personal preferences:p)

I'm not going to try to change your mind, but from what I've seen, 1 puffer = 10 other fish in terms of entertainment and joy. So although it may seem like you will only have 1 fish, it would actually be pretty entertaining (moreso than 10 tetras, for instance)! Dwarf Puffers are a tad different in larger tanks since they're so small, but having 6 would be pretty fancy!

I'd also recommend taking a look at Figure 8 puffers. They are brackish, but they stay in low-end brackish for their lifespan, so it's not all that expensive in terms of salt.

wow those figure 8 puffers are really beatifull im certainly going to think about those aswell
(why cant i just have them all?! )

Dwarfs tend to be aggressive towards eachother. That is why I nice array of plants will keep them happy and from attacking one another. I have 3 in a 16 gallon and it is heavily planted.
I am hoping for some babies when they get a little older. I actually have 2 in there that have seemed to pair up, I am just going to wait and see what happens.

yunachin wrote:Dwarfs tend to be aggressive towards eachother. That is why I nice array of plants will keep them happy and from attacking one another. I have 3 in a 16 gallon and it is heavily planted.
I am hoping for some babies when they get a little older. I actually have 2 in there that have seemed to pair up, I am just going to wait and see what happens.

nice set up! what about the female to male ratio? something like 2 males and 4 females? i know that you cant give me quarentees but with a nicely planted tank how big is the risk that the fish just dont match and end up hurting/killing eatchother? i always have an emergency tank of 50 liters but just asking to be sure.

edit - deleted the picture from my post to keep the topic from clutering up.

Well it depends on how big they are when you will be able to sex them. I agree with the male to female ratio, though I have not sexed mine because they are still small, or I can't see.
When your tank is heavily planted, and the lines of sight are blocked, there shouldn't be an casualties. Feeding time might be a little hectic but if there isn't constant harassment then everyone should be just fine.

yunachin wrote:Well it depends on how big they are when you will be able to sex them. I agree with the male to female ratio, though I have not sexed mine because they are still small, or I can't see.
When your tank is heavily planted, and the lines of sight are blocked, there shouldn't be an casualties. Feeding time might be a little hectic but if there isn't constant harassment then everyone should be just fine.

awsome it will still take a couple of weeks before the values of my water are suitable for fish but i think i have made my discision about what fish to have. i will go with the dwarf puffers because altough the figure 8 puffer and the congo are both realy nice but i dont know if only 1 or 2 fish would be nice for me (however i never had puffers before so might be very very wrong) thank you guys for helping me figure out my choice.

You are welcome! I am excited to see the finished product. Did you check out the article about fishless cycling? :http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... s-cycling/

i gave it a quick glance, i will look into it more tomorrow when i have some more time. and i will be sure to post some pictures of the tank when i have finished setting it up !

verlengsnoertje wrote:i know that octos are nice companions for most pufferfish

I assume you mean otos, as in otocinclus; I would certainly NOT recommend an octopus with a puffer, lol.

just came from an aquarium shop in the neighbourhood and well i can order them from them but the problem is that they are being shipped young and there is no way to tell what sex they are when there young, so its really a gamble if i order them from there. And since i order then, i cant take them back to the shop i could end up with a bunch of males that could be agressive to eachother...

CoreyK wrote:

verlengsnoertje wrote:i know that octos are nice companions for most pufferfish

I assume you mean otos, as in otocinclus; I would certainly NOT recommend an octopus with a puffer, lol.

yes i meant otos :p however an octopus with a puffer would be really cool hehe