The Puffer Forum

Hi everyone, I'm new to this forum, hope to get the best and kind advice from all!

A brief introduction, I'm hailing from tropical Singapore, age/sex 27/male. Temperatures in my country are 25-33 degrees Celcius all year round, perfecto for tropical aquarium of all sorts.

Personally, I have a burning interest with regards to fish-keeping, and have gathered experience in a few areas:-

- Raised discus, from breeding to spawning fry and upkeeping to juveniles, before selling to fisheries for export
- Dedicated 2 50gal tanks to aqua-landscaping, but had to give up cause of work, too busy for maintainence. But I'll definitely pick it back up; it has became my core interest, the chemistry and creativity of planted tanks.
- Owned a cross back golden arowana from juvenile, but sadly passed away.
- Presently keeping African cichlids, hoping to raise them to maturity and spawning fry!

With my broad interest, I've come to realise that a pufferfish could be a interesting and full of personality fish to keep!

Thus, I've decided to dedicate a 50gal tank (36inches by 18 by 18) to a puffer only environment. I've read quite a bit but still have not decided on which breed I should keep, kindly post your comments!

Preferably I will like to keep a solitary one, raising it from juvenile to adulthood. And also will like to keep the size of it at optimum; it does matters! ;p

You will get no such thing from me, beside cutting sarcasm....but welcome to the forum. And discus are my 2th favorite-ist fish, next to the puffer....

Welcome to the forum.. We're getting several ppl from S'pore .. I am sure you can all relate very well and help each other out with selection.

viewforum.php?f=38

is a good place to start looking, but you are kind of limited to the selection of puffers provided by your LFS.

Is it noon already? Where's my miller lites.....

Hey there! Welcome to the forum! Another fellow countryman!

Welcome to the forum. Im not sure witch puffer you should get but i really like lurker puffers, but there not very active.

Hi Cocopuffs, discus still remain as my no.1; I can never forget the sight of which my first pairing of discus that spawned.

Hi J-p, have u been to S'pore? I thought only our own people spelt it as "Spore" lol

Hello scpion, how are u lah! Haha.

technotango wrote:Hi Cocopuffs, discus still remain as my no.1; I can never forget the sight of which my first pairing of discus that spawned.

Hi J-p, have u been to S'pore? I thought only our own people spelt it as "Spore" lol

Hello scpion, how are u lah! Haha.

New life is a wonderful thing. And 2 puffers I really would love to own are the Congo & the Arrowhead....

Yes, When I was younger I went to Borneo (Sandakan) for 3 months a year every year. There was always a side trip to S'pore for a week. The young and naughty days.

Cocopuffs, yes new life, and the fact that we are acting like the 3rd parent/nanny makes it even more endearing. I believe the congo and arrowhead are v intresting puffers?

Hi J-p, ah Sandakan, eastern Borneo. Must be a nice place. How was Spore in your younger days? Nevertheless, Spore would hvae been a city of vice. Lol.

Welcome to the board, technotango. As far as options for your 50 gallon goes, it is too small for a saltwater tank unless you wanted to set it up as a FOWLR and get a Toby pufferfish. Even though the tobies don't get bigger than 4 inches or so they're personalities are just a big as any porc or dogfaced puffer. You could also get a green spotted pufferfish and acclimate him to full marine water and keep in the 50 gallon.
Now, if you wanted to go freshwater you have more options. You could get a Congo, or any of the Monotrete genus, such as the arrowhead or brown puffer.

Keep in mind though that most puffers are territorial predators that will not tolerate the presence of another puffer in 'their' tank. Certain puffs, like the congo, fahaka, and some of the monotrete pufferfish are highly aggressive and will attack and kill most anything they see.

technotango wrote: Hi J-p, ah Sandakan, eastern Borneo. Must be a nice place. How was Spore in your younger days? Nevertheless, Spore would hvae been a city of vice. Lol.

Sandakan was absolutely beautiful. For rugged life, that place still holds a special place in my heart.

S'pore... yea ... it was fantastic! It also holds my #1 most embarrassing moment in my life. Off topic but it is a funny story that I will share with you and the other S'pore members:

The first time I visited Singapore was on a semi-business trip. I was to stay with a friend / ex-coworker but the wife said no and he put me up in this business hotel. The Hotel lobby is glass on 3 sides.
Prior to that I was on Malaria pills from trekking in the jungle.

Note: the layout of the hotel room was the EXACT opposite of my former apartment.

So... a few drinks and a malaria pill later I was obviously not straight. I got up in the middle of the night to use the toilet, but ended up in the hall way. The exit door was where my washroom door was here in Canada.

I was locked out of my room... only in my underwear and in desperate need to use the facilities.

There were no courtesy phones (like in Canada) so I took the elevator down to the lobby. The boy in the elevator looked at me.. (only in my underwear) and said "The pool is on 5 but it is closed now." I replied "Yes, I know".

Upon reaching the lobby I had to haggle with the front desk for an undue amount of time. The night girl only spoke Cantonese and my Cantonese isn't good enough to explain "My friends were playing games and I got locked out of my room. Please, I need another key."

Then it happened.... While haggling with her and her manager... a tour bus pulls up and unloads. Here I am dancing in my pants.. 60+ people outside watching me (mostly elderly), and I have only 1 little bit, covering my bits....

The management promptly got my a key, escorted me to my room and I let them see my ID.

That is a moment that will live with me forever. It is funny and I don't mind sharing. I have my personal views on the pills in hind sight but I think that is all for now

P.s. I have 100's of photos from those trips stored in a box that have yet to be scanned and put on line. I hope to due so some day.

Ever know anyone that's been caned?

Thanks everyone for their advice!

Haha Jp that will be a "shameful" act, with regards to Asian culture.

Yes Cocopuffs, I know a few guys that have been given few strokes of the cane, by the court of Singapore...