The Puffer Forum

Just joined today as I finally got my SAP's yesterday. Been reading up on SAP's on this forum since I first fell inlove with them and puffers in general after seeing pictures and videoes just before X-mas last year. My girlfriend is the real aquamaniac but after seeing the wide range of puffers and totally falling for the SAP I am catching on.

I now have a 34gal/130l up and running with 5x SAP, 10x pangio-kuhlii and 4x common ancisturus.
Looks like all the fishies are getting along, but the puffers are a bit stressed (more than usual) from all the travelling they've been through, so they might still cause havoc in the tank once they feel at home

I'm not sure if you got this far in your research: library/puffers-in-focus/sap/
Be sure to follow the link to Pufferfish Dentistry--get familiar with it!

How was that tank cycled? Which species of ancisturus is it? Does it have bristles/whiskers? You say "common" species & I'm afraid the common pleco grows to 10-24".

Hello, welcome to the neighborhood!!!

Sorry, not trying to rain on your parade,...but a 34 gal is way too small for 5 SAP's, especially with all those other fish. SAP's are swimmers and they need lots of space and a heavily planted tank. Not having enough room will definitely add to the stress of the puffers.

It may be o.k. now if the fish are small but you may want to consider a larger tank.

I figured I'd let him read that article & hopefully he'd realize the tank will need an upgrade.

Hi, I have read about puffer dentisrty and also seen videos, not sure how im going to go about it yet, but I'll deal with it as it comes (any tips?). And to answer the question on the ancistrus (witch is not a Pleco) question. It's a bushymouth catfish witch in Norway is the most common ancistrus and it grows to around 15cm/6". I have seen movies and read about others that keep a wide range of bottomdwellers and other fish with SAP's and I guess I just have to wait and see, as for now it doesn't seem to be a problem. I had the tank up and running for 16 weeks since they didn't get the SAP's after 6 weeks. The watervalues are satisfactory to the SAP needs. I know my tank is too small for grownup puffs, but being around 2" they have alot of water too swim in for now. I will however get a 55gal or bigger probably sometime this year. I have decorated the tank with mangrove roots, anubias barteri, microsorum pteropus, pogostemon helferi, taxiphyllum barbieri and vallisneria spiralis (latin names cause I don't know the english names. )

All the tips you need are in the article here. I'd find a supplier of MS222 now.

It's always nice to see other Norwegians here. Am I right that you are the one who recently had questions about puffers on AF? I read a thread there.

I recognize your avatar. I've been on akvaforum for a while yes, reading and asking about puffers. My username is Puffer.

Oh and btw: thanks for the "dental" link.