The Puffer Forum

My 11 year old daughter has been begging me for a puffer for over a year now. Her birthday is coming up and thought, well...maybe.
I need help. I plan on reading this site extensively, but thought I could get some recommendations from all of you that have FRESHWATER puffers.

I have been fish keeping for over 20 years, currently I have a 120 gallon reef and a 72 gallon planted discus, so I know about cycling a tank, plants, feeding, etc.... But in all my years, I have NEVER had a puffer fish. I have a 30 gallon oceanic cube tank, ready to set up with cool white lighting and an pro clear aquatic sump. Is this setup suitable for puffers? Which type of puffers can be maintained in a 30 gallon cube? And lastly, what tank mates, if any, can I have in a planted puffer tank?

Thanks in advance for all your replies...loco

Freshwater puffers primarily do best as singletons - with the exception of dwarfs and south american puffers.

In a 30 cube, you could have 2 south american puffs, or 6 dwarfs. Dwarfs can be nippy - so tankmates are iffy. South americans are the same - but some people have had success keeping them in tanks with other fish.

check out http://www.pufferlist.com/ for pictures and requirements of freshwatter puffers.

best tank mates for puffers are snails (required diet)

dwarfs IMO look better in a smaller tank, 20g or under.

Can you tell us what puffers you can get in your area?

Actually, I like my DPs in the 29 better than in a smaller tank. I disagree strongly with that opinion.

oh man I love Discus, such a majestic fish!

Thank you perek, I love my discus. They are babies, 4-5", but just beautiful. I'm considering keeping Carinotetraodon irrubesco (Red-tailed Red eye puffer). I'd like to keep several females and one male...any comments? Thanks all...Loco

demented_lullaby wrote:dwarfs IMO look better in a smaller tank, 20g or under.

Really? I think putting mine in a bigger tank was the best move I have made. I came across this tank and wondered what to put in it puffer wise. With it being so big I was a bit stuck on ideas. So I introduced 14 Dps to it lol

IMO dwarf puffs are so cool there about an inch long and need loads of plants and they do attack each other (hence the plants) although mine haven't injured anyone yet they do kill other tank mates so tank mates that stay on the bottom are good like kuli loaches and otos and SOMETIMES shrimp (go for cheap feeder shrimp first just in case) and i have 8 in a 29 its pretty cool my setup as of current is

heavy plants
8 DPs
3 kulis(soon to be 6)
1 shrimp (ghost although I'm considering rarer ones later)
1 BBgobie