The Puffer Forum

i really should get a puffer, they seem very interesting and inteligent. what type freshwater one should i get? i have a 15 gallon and a 20 gallon that i can use. Tell me what type, how many i can get, what size tank it should go in and if it can live with anything. thanks!

The 15 gallon would be good for 4 or 5 dwarf puffers. They stay nice and small and are very curious and intelligent. They enjoy heavily planted tanks with lots of places to explore.

The 20 could hold a figure 8, but they like light brackish as they age.

All puffers are generally best kept in species tanks or as singletons.

i have considered figure 8s but i dont really want to do brackish yet. Arent there any more puffers? i do like dwarfs alot, what about like sap, red tailed puffers?, or some lurkers or something?

if i did do a 15 gallon with 5 dwarf puffers i could do it really planted with my 2 ottos. i am still looking for suggestions.

You can find all the basic info you'll need on the puffer list: http://www.pufferlist.com/

And you can't go wrong here: http://www.dwarfpuffers.com/

Hopefully you'll be able to find one that fits your tank/budget/etc.

Particular ones I'd pay attention to are...

irrubesco (red eye), travancoricus (dwarf), and asellus (south american).

They're all pretty easy and would do well in your smallish tanks. All freshwater.

Dwarfs are a great starter, and I still recommend them over the others. Personally, I'd love to have a heavily planted 15 gallon with 5 of em.

can i mix any of them in my 20 gallon?

Puffers in general do not mix well, it is not a good way to start with this group of fish. They are best kept as singletons, or as a group of conspecifics for some species. Only the dwarf puffer can be kept easily in groups in a 15 or 20.

i asked that becuase i have seen tanks with red eyyed and dwarf puffers together. i like all 3 types of puffers so its hard to chose.

There is a person on here (name escapes me) that I believe mixes dwarfs and red eyes, but in a very large system. I would think it would be a problem in a small tank like a 25. I'd do a group of dwarfs if I were you, if you want more than a single puffer.

I've seen SAP's mixed with dwarves aswell.

You have Tisho? In what sized tank? Very interesting...

so i think im going with 5 dwarfs in a 15 gallon planted.

That sounds good.

how do you sex them? do you only feed them small snails?

Male dwarves have a dark line of their belly and may have wrinkles behind their eyes. Look here :
http://www.dwarfpuffers.com