The Puffer Forum

Hi guys

Advice please......

looking to set up a new tank & i am VERY confused. I have had a successful tropical tank for many years but have always wanted a tank of puffers, ideally gsp's. So why am I confused you ask? most aquatic shops in the UK sell fw puffers, but I understand that they are not really fw creatures and I don't really understand the whole fw to brackish transitiion. Also would like advice on size of tank for ideally 3 fish. I guess with brackish water real plants are out of the equation too? Ideally i would like an internal filter, is this a good idea? So many questions, but I want to get this right, also I buy treated water for my tropical fish, witha scoop of nutrients. what sort of water will i need, also confused about this whole cycling thing, HELP!!

there are some true f/w puffs so have a browse through the pufferpedia also read the fishless cycling article in the library. first stp would be to look at a few puffs and decide which you would like then you can choose an appropriate setup and go from there. as for internal filters i wo not and would not use these as i personally find them inadequate especially in puffer tanks however some may disagree lol. treated tap water is generally fine also.

In the pufferpedia as bertie suggested you will see a "minimum tank size" requirement which is how many gallons you need for a single specimen. So if you decide you truly want 3 GSPs then you will need 90+ gallons

+1 to nuclear. they are minimum size and everyone will agree that at least a little more is better a lot more is best. you can then maintain much higher quality for little puff to enjoy

I have a 2 inch GSP in a 20 gallon tank right now. I will be upgrading him to a 40 gallon within the next month or so. If you do wish to go the GSP route just know that there is A LOT to learn about them and A LOT of false information on the internet related to them. They are a brackish water fish meaning that they should be kept in water mixed with MARINE SALT (not aquarium or table salt) to a specific gravity of around 1.013. When they begin to get a bit older (2 inches or so) their SG can be bumped up to 1.015 or even in the 1.017 range. When they are adults (4-6 inches long) they require full marine conditions. They are an extremely aggressive fish and you can't even have more than 2 little ones in a 20 gallon tank. Maybe a 40 but eventually you'll have to give one away when they get bigger. And that's if they don't kill each other before then. They NEED snails and hair shelled creatures to keep their teeth filed down. If they don't get these types of food their teeth will grow so long that they won't be able to open their mouth, ultimately leading to starvation. They produce a pretty big bioload (poop and whatnot) so they require a lot of good filtration and weekly water changes. They're a REALLY cool, cute, and fun little fish but they DO require a lot of knowledge and a bit of work. If you're looking for an easier route to take I suggest you take a look at Dwarf Puffers. They're a pretty tiny freshwater puffer. You can put a good amount of them together in a smaller sized tank also. Also, PLEASE read up about how to properly cycle a new tank. There are sites ALL OVER the internet that can explain the process and what it's for. If you do not cycle your tank before adding fish (especially puffers that are sensitive to ammonia and nitrite) I can assure you they will not survive. Hope this helps you and good luck!