The Puffer Forum

I recently adopted a very unhealthy porcupine puffer, tried to nurse him to health but was ultimately unable to save him, I have a thread if your interested in the experience, its in the hospital section.

So this puffer was so personable and awesome that I have decided I need another one of these in my life, preferably one healthy from the start and able to stick with me until he is full grown, fat, and awesome.

When I went to my fish store, I was allowed to look at the distributor lists and see what I may want to order. This is when I became confused. They had two porcupine puffer options (plus different size options.) the options were pacific porcupine puffer and atlantic porcupine puffer. I realize that this means they are from the different oceans, but other than that, does anyone have any idea on if this is going to actually CHANGE anything? Is one going to be more colorful? different shaped? Different resistances? Does it really matter or should I just go with whatever I feel?

Any help on this would be awesome!

Thanks!

There are generally 2 species of porcs offered. 1 grows to 3' ( D hystrix) & the other grows to 1' (D holacanthus). You don't want the 1st one!

Check the SW puffer article stickied in this forum.

That is a very good sticky.

I definitely want the D Holacanthus. They did not specify the technical name, just atlantic and pacific. I will have to confirm that they are D HOlacanthus before I order one. I am hoping to weasel my way into going to the fish distributor to hopefully pick my porc out personally. they have too much personality to just randomly get one. Either way my LFS might end up hating me, because if they order one and it looks like crap, i'm not taking it.

Do a search on http://www.wetwebmedia.com for both species. We don't have pics of hystrix here but you can see the other one in the Pufferpedia.

Holy crap I misread your statement. I thought the first one was a 3" puffer, 3'?! that'd be awesome! but I do not have room for one of those, but that would rock. they are kind of cool looking too, if i ever win the lottery, i'm getting a tank for a hystrix. Until then, Holacanthus it is!

I would imagine the hystrix is rediculously expensive as well, according to the prices, I am going to guess that they are the holacanthus species.

Any idea on if a longhorn cowfish would get along with a holacanthus?

Cowfish are best kept alone or with smaller fish that won't stress them out. They also grow quite large. How big is your tank?

Only a 75g for now.it will have approx. 40g worth of sump too though, most size seems to factor for swim room with these type of fish though not waste production.

I need to find something else to keep with the puffer, maybe a different kind of puffer or something, I plan on buying the porc small, hopefully 2" or so. So he will be fine in the 75 for a few years I think.

Hydrokal wrote:Holy crap I misread your statement. I thought the first one was a 3" puffer, 3'?! that'd be awesome!

It originally said 3" I fixed it for her though.