The Puffer Forum

hi im new to the forum and also puffers. i have got hold of a 15 gallon tank and was thinking of keeping puffers. i would like to stick with freshwater as im comfortable maintaining a fw tank as i already have an established community tank. because of this i was thinking about getting a pair of sap's so my main questions are:
1. would the tank be big enough for them?
2. as they like to be in a group would 2 be enough?
3. if the tank is not big enough would a single sap be happy?

any advice would be greatly received

Hello here
And welcome to the forum! I would suggest taking a peek through the puffpedia at the top at different puffs and their requirements.
As to your questions:
1. 15g is not big enough for 2. Just about big enough for 1.
2. These puffs really do well in groups especially of 4 plus, this is one of the pufs that is not recommended for singleton.
3. Oops answered that! The general results on here have been they arent very happy single.
Here is a link:
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/C_Asellus/
These are one of the puffs that also require regular teeth trimming, and prefer long tank length so the larger and longer the tank you go to accomodate a group the better.

That tank would be ideal for dwarf puffers who are chock full of personality. A 15g you could have 3-4 puffers.
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/C_Travancoricus/

If you could be tempted to maintaining a low brackish (salt tank) you could have a singleton Figure 8 in there:
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Biocellatus/

Or even if you could upgrade to a 20g - 25g the world of possibilities really would be opened up with red eyed puffers, red target group puffers, etc.

Welcome to the forum!
As Amy pointed out, your 15-gallon tank isn't big enough for SAP's. I believe that SAP's are happiest in odd numbered groups, with the minimum being 3 but a good start out number is about 5. SAP's can be nervous puffers and I think they need the security of the group to be happiest.
If you are new to puffers, why not start out with dwarf puffers? They have a great personality, lots of character and are very easy to keep. They don't have the dental requirements that some of the other puffers have. You could have 4 or 5 (I like staying with odd numbers with puffers) in a tank your size. Just make sure, if you do go with DP's, that you get lots of plants and/or ornaments to break up line of sight. DP's can be territorial so they need their own places to retreat to.
But I think you'd be quite happy with the dwarf puffers, they might be small, but don't let that fool you!

I would recommend DPs or a F8. I had SAPs in a 50gal and IMO that tank was too small for them. I'm not actually convinced that they are a species which should be kept in captivity.

Definitely consider dwarf puffers -- they're awfully fun! I didn't think I'd be entertained by such small fish, but those little guys pack a huge punch personality-wise. A 15-gallon tank would be perfect for DPs. And they're 100% freshwater, and just as easy to keep as any tropical fish.

thank you all for your advice

i think ill save the sap's for another tank! im not too keen on a brackish tank just yet but after doing a bit more looking around at the dp's i'm quite taken by them. i was thinking of starting off with 3 dp's (1 male, 2 female) as ive heard its about 5 gallon per fish? also the thought of not needing to feed them snails daily but weekly as a treat is a bonus as the lfs is only round the corner and i shoudn't need to set up a seperate snail breeding tank.

on the subject of snails how many would u give them as a meal ( 1 snail per fish? )

You want to feed until their bellies are slightly rounded.

I had DPs years ago, they're awesome little fish. I kept mine with some kuhli loaches.

I wouldn't make snails their primary food though, only has an extra food or treat.

Good call, a 15 gallon is not a good home for SAP's. Years ago, I tried two in a 29, moved them to a 33xl and they still weren't happy. I recently saw a full grown SAP at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, and man can they get BIG! I mean, its still a small puffer compared to a fahaka of course, but if you could see the full sized potential of one, you'd never even consider trying to keep it in a 15 gallon tank.

There are a few other freshwater puffer species that are larger than dwarf puffers, but they are very hard to find. Irrubescos, lortetis, etc. Dwarf puffers are easier to find, and cute as all heck. They are somewhat picky eaters though, so see if you can find a local source of live blackworms, those are their favorite!