The Puffer Forum

I have a 20 gallon rimless ADA style tank fully planted with brackish plants. My water is very hard like all of southern California which should suit the puffer nicely. The one cause for concern is this tank is not setup to have a top. Do F8's jump at all? If so I may have to consider a Red Eye or Red Tailed puffer if one of them does not jump. I would not be happy to see my puffer outside of his tank.

All puffers can jump. I wouldn't keep them in a tank without cover. I've lost a puffer that way myself. Actually that tank did have a cover, but the fish jumped out through the feeding hole in the cover. And that was a large m. abei.

Dang I guess its time to hunt for some sort of lid system, so it is all but guaranteed an R8 would jump out eventually ? Since the tank is freshwater currently (so I can acclimate the puffer form the store to brackish slowly) and the chance I can obtain a lid without building one is very unlikely, would Dwarf Puffers be out of the question? MY GSP's never jumped when I had them but their tank also had a lid. I wish the puffer pedia had said they jump, I would have a different tank right now. Oh well my research failed me but now I can put something else in there and build another puffer tank!

I lost 2 F8s to jumping when I forgot to close the lid.

Your article is why I asked. I thought that was what you meant when you said what great jumpers they are. You had mentioned a Goby as well so I figured I should be sure you weren't referring to the Goby.

YES! I lost a F8 because I didn't have a cover. I really think that any tank with fish needs a cover. If they are surprised, harrassed, nervous, whatever, just about any fish will try to jump.

Yeah I doubt my target puffer will jump too busy getting ready to ambush a shrimp. BUt I made a nice cover out of acrylic and spent 10 dollars at Lowes I could submit a write up/ how to.

Please do!

Ok making a post in the tricks of the trade section right now.