The Puffer Forum

just want an explaination on why f8 which i guess get 2.5 to3 inches max need such a big tank. 10 gallons plus. why would a 5 gallon not work

because he needs room to swim around plus dont forget he live's in his pwn poo and week, too much poo/wee leads to bad things including a dead fish, would you like to live under the stairs without coming out for a strech lol

AWWWW...This is a lesson I leaned recently learned...the hard way!

I have GSP..also tiny when they are young..I thought the same thing as you!

One reason for a bigger tank is that puffers are sensitive to ammonia and other nasties in the water and they require frequent water changes. If you have a bigger tank you can reduce the amount of times you have to change water (as long as you keep it clean)..From every day to once or twice a week.

Next..puffers see space differently..to be happy they need more real estate..

Also..too small of a tank will stunt you puffer..

When I had to buy that bigger tank...I was frustrated...but as soon as I put my puffers in an appropriate tank they were SOOOOO much happier!

There are way more reasons..but I am not an expert..so I will let the experts tell you those other reasons..

I wouldn't consider a 10 G tank as big. It's a small tank, and small tanks are more difficult to keep with stable water conditions.

When it comes to keeping F8s in anything smaller than 10 G, it's because of the two things mentioned over:
They need the room to swim in. Puffers are fishes that need an stimulating environment. They are very intelligent, and will get bored in too small space. There's just not enough to investigate for them.

The other reason is that puffers are messy eaters. When you combine it with them being very senistive to the water quality (which puffers also are), you have a bad mix. So what seems to be much water for just one fish, is actually what's needed to keep the water quality in a way that the puffer needs to survive and be healthy.

We actually recommend 15g for a single F8. You should see mine swimming around in their 29g. They'd be miserable in something smaller.

You can kind of compare them to people. I myself wouldn't mind a small room; I spend most of my time at my computer or with a book. My little sister, on the other hand, is an athlete; she's active and always on the move. She needs more space. So, I'm like a 3" fish that is okay in a smaller space, like a betta; a F8 is like my sister, always moving. Some fish might be the same size as others, but they need more space.

And the fact that this is where this fish will live day in and day out, not like in the wild where it can swim here and there and then somewhere else tomorrow. So I think it's up to us to provide as big a space as possible (and within reason) for these little guys who, as it has been said, are very intelligent and need stimulation.

AND they can live for 15 years. Imagine that - 15 years spent laying in a 5gallon tank of water that you eat, exercise, toilet & breathe in. Nice.

I don't think any F8 has or will live half that long in a 5. And they can live longer than 15 years. My personal record with them is 18 years and that was in a 15. I might do better now though, but also would not keep one myself in the small a tank anymore. They do need space and they use it all, all of the time.

Puffers are not guppies - which are commonly abused anyway. The more experience with fish I have, the larger allowance per fish I give them. Have I mentioned how healthy and long-lived my fish are? I currently have 5 elderly fish -each 20-25 years in my care. They each have 30 or 40 gallons tanks of their own. Some have support crews, some are singleton fish in the tank. It took me over 25 years to begin to learn how much better and healthier fish are with more room. By 30years I really started getting generous. If you always go for minimum space and water and exercise allowances, minimum filtration and upkeep (with reduced water quality), you will only have equally minimum success with fish. If you do it right, you will keep most of the fish you care to own for many multiples of their wild lifespan.

Personal choice, but on puffers (chunky, heavy-bodied fish, messy eaters), the hunter-predators are mostly but not entirely very active fish, all are very intelligent fish, all require complex environments and pristine water quality with appropriate space and current for exercise. If that is not your aim in keeping fish, puffers will not succeed for you as well as they do for many of us. Your choice, your fish. As with others here, I can only tell you what has been proven to work for me.

HTH