The Puffer Forum

Hi, recently visited my local fish store and saw green spotted puffers and fell in love with them!
Unfortunately my tank is only 29gals and don't think it will be big enough for a gsp an would prefer a freshwater fish.
Anyone have any suggestions for a nice tank set up with maybe 2 or 3 puffers and another fish that I could use for the initial cycle which could remain in tank - perhaps danios?
would my tank be big enough for that?
What are the best fresh water puffers to keep and why?

Thank you!

jademcfarlane wrote:Hi, recently visited my local fish store and saw green spotted puffers and fell in love with them!
Unfortunately my tank is only 29gals and don't think it will be big enough for a gsp an would prefer a freshwater fish.
Anyone have any suggestions for a nice tank set up with maybe 2 or 3 puffers and another fish that I could use for the initial cycle which could remain in tank - perhaps danios?
would my tank be big enough for that?
What are the best fresh water puffers to keep and why?

Thank you!

For you size tank you could have 1 GSP, a few dwarf puffers or 2 Fig 8 Puffers: ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Biocellatus/

Your setup would be just lovely for a handful (3 or 4) of dwarf puffers, which are freshwater. I have 3 in a 29 gallon and find them wonderfully entertaining and very easy to keep.

No need to use a fish to cycle the tank -- there are great links here to info on fishless cycling, which is kinder. (Also, DPs tend to be too nippy for non-DP tankmates.)

What's the "best" freshwater puffer to keep? That's all a matter of opinion, honestly. I happen to love dwarf puffs, but just ask the Fahaka lovers on here about their fish. Or the Abei folks. Or ....

I am not sure of a 29 gal... is that a 30 gal?

what are the dimensions? ... take the total volume and subtract 30% ... that is in reality what you are dealing with.

yeah 29 is too small for a GSP. It's been stated here before that with a 29 gallon tank you really only get 25 gallons. Plus you need to keep in mind that once you add decor and jazz you lose even more swimming space. Also, puffers kept singly (Dwarf puffers sometimes being the exception to this) are more personable. Figure 8 puffers are light brackish and have quite the personality.

Look at the recommended tank sizes for the FW puffers & then see if they are available. You could easily keep a pair of the smaller red-eyed species.

I would just be careful with sticking more than one puffer in any tank. They are an aggressive species and very territorial. The only puffers I have been able to keep in groups without any problems at all are South American Puffers. They are true freshwater puffers, very friendly IME and you could keep 2-3 of them in a tank that size. SA Puffers' beaks grow like crazy though, so tons of snails and other hard-shelled foods are a must.