The Puffer Forum

is a spiny puffer the same as a porcupine puffer? i looked in the pufferpedia and could not see a spiny puffer,
my lfs dont have puffer now so i must order one in next time they go to tmc but they said get a spiny puffer he "thinks" its the same as a porcupine and it will grow 10" MAX according to the book he had....

but are these different fish or the same fish with 2 names?

No, they are not the same species. Spiny puffers/Burrfish always have their spikes sticking out. They also usually have severe problems with IPs & are difficult to get eating in captivity.

Pufferpunk wrote:No, they are not the same species. Spiny puffers/Burrfish always have their spikes sticking out. They also usually have severe problems with IPs & are difficult to get eating in captivity.

ip? are they ok once they have started feeding or are they a continious battle? is 10" a real size of an adult? many thanks,

IPs - Internal Parasites

I have seen them much larger than 10". Myaj, our Tech Admin, has one & she has to repeat IP meds every year or so.

daffydase burrfish really are best kept by a very experienced fish keep. Porcs are a little bit easier to keep but right now the tank size that you have isn't quiet large enought. I myself would just concentrate on the puffers you have now and then in the future when you are more prepared consider one of these. Just my two cent worth.
Did you ever get the 2 GSP you were talking about for your 200L / 54 gl ? Your 92 gallon tank could hold a couple of GSP and if you go full marine you could possible add a few smaller fast moving fish such as a clown and a few others

Porcupine fish and Burrfish are very closely related, and the "puffers" are their closest relatives. The big differences between them are that the porc/burrs have two teeth for incisors while the puffers have four, and the puffer spines are generally hidden except when inflated and the porcs/burrs spines are always visible but often not erected other than during inflation.

There are big differences in size between species, and also in ease or difficulty in captive handling.

Puffers are the family Tetraodontidae. (4-toothed)

Porcs/burrs are the family Diodontidae. (2-toothed)

trekenk wrote:daffydase burrfish really are best kept by a very experienced fish keep. Porcs are a little bit easier to keep but right now the tank size that you have isn't quiet large enought. I myself would just concentrate on the puffers you have now and then in the future when you are more prepared consider one of these. Just my two cent worth.
Did you ever get the 2 GSP you were talking about for your 200L / 54 gl ? Your 92 gallon tank could hold a couple of GSP and if you go full marine you could possible add a few smaller fast moving fish such as a clown and a few others

sold all my other tanks, just have my 300l rio and my girlfriends reef tank,