The Puffer Forum

Hi Guys,

I am a newbie to saltwater tank and am thinking of starting a 4x2x2 fowlr. Still in the midst of reading up, not gonna rush into this project. Maybe can slowly gather equipments in the meantime, as i want to keep the budget to the minimal.

need advice regarding the stock list, whether is it feasible. listed below are some of the fishes i plan to get.

Porcupine puffer
Saddle Valentini Puffer
Flame Angelfish
a pair of clownfish
and probably 1 of the lesser aggressive triggerfish
1 tang

As a puffer lover, they will be the main fishes i would want. Will the list be overstocking and is there other recommendation on the other type of fishes to get? i doubt i can fit in another dogface puffer into the 120gal tank right?

May i also know how often do you guys do water change for your puffer tank?

Thank You!

Welcome

120gal of water is only enough for the porcupine puffer. To add any more fish you'll need a larger water volume. For example, to keep a porc and a valentini (I don't know if they would even be able to be housed together) you'd need 120gal for the porc and another 25gal for the valentini, which gives you a total of 145gal minimum

Thank You Flutter =)

So the tank will be too small for me to keep other fishes with the porc puffer? Even if i have a sump tank?

If you have a very large sump, it will depend on the degree to which the fish compete for space in the tank.

So glad you found us! I definitely wouldn't put 2 species of puffers in there. With a large sump, you could add a few smaller fish but it will all depend on the personality/aggressiveness of the puffer. Get the tank set up, cycled with all the live rock you'll need (1.5-2lbs/g) & then start picking out a healthy puffer, that is fat & interacts with you.

Thanks for the warm welcome =)

I didnt know there is a specific amount of liverock you'll need for a marine tank. That means i actually need around 240lbs of liverock??

Is it better to have more rocks or more swimming area for the porc puffer? and how often do you guys do WC for your tank?

Thank You =)

depending on your money situation and space, you could always go with a big sump that you can fit some(or all if you choose) of the rock and that will provide plenty of space to swim

Since the bacteria & creatures living in LR is your main source of filtration, it is best to have that much rock filtering the waste out. Believe me, rocks weigh a lot--there will still be plenty of swimming room left, if you aquascape them correctly. I have 70lbs in a 46g tank & there is more than enough room for my fish to swim everywhere, even between the rockwork. You'll also need several strong powerheads to move the water around the rocks & a good, large protein skimmer.

As far as WC, I premix the water in a Brute garbage can in the basement & then pump it upstairs to the tanks. I use a python hose to drain into the basement floor drain.

I believe that most people do weekly water changes.

Thanks for the replies =)

Oh i am actually asking if porc puffer will prefer a complicated rockscape or prefer more space to swim? as some puffers need to have many things inside the tank for them to explore. or does this applies to all puffer?

how much water do you guys take out when you do your WC?

Thank You

i didnt see that question. most people do 30-50% weekly depending on stock. i do once every week to week and a half. depending on my work schedule at my part time job. sometimes its put off for two weeks but thats only when my schedule calls for that.

Ok. got it

Lets say the that porc puffer im getting is quite docile, is there any recommendation on what kind of tankmates i should get for it?

There are several views on this subject. Many puffers are more docile as juveniles but when they reach sexual maturity their aggression will increase. You could try raising it with other fish and see what happens. People seem to have the best outcomes when the fish is raised with others. The problem with this though is that you'll have to come to terms with the fact that everything may be fine until one day you wake up and find the other fish dead.

Yeah i understand puffer may 1 day go crazy and kill the rest of the rest. Will comm them from young. I plan to add the puffer as the last fish into the tank, will it be alright?

I think so but I have no experience with marine puffers. Others will be better able to help you with that. I know you don't want fish that will stress the puffer out. When they're comfortable they have wonderful personalities.