The Puffer Forum

Hi, I'm new here!
I've become interested in owning SAPs and have been trying to find information on them. Though I can't find very concrete information. What PH do they require? Do they have an plants they favor over others? I've seen some things saying that they're omnivores, if this is true, do they munch on plants? Are their any that are poisonous to them? I have a 55 gallon that I want to make a SAP home. That's enough room for three? Do I have to make sure that any decorations are not scratchy so their skin won't get damaged? Like you do with betta decorations.

Start here: library/puffers-in-focus/sap/

What is your tank's pH? Stability/consistancy is the most important.

+1 to JRC3's comments above. Puffers as a family arose in marine conditions and some secondarily adapted to FW. This means in part that puffer are more adaptable to water parameters than primay fresh water fish. In moving to FW they have adapted to conditions ranging from soft, acid rainforest floodwaters to hard, alkaline Rift lake waters. They are much less demanding than primary freshwater fish. However, this does not mean that they can do well in high-nitrate water conditions. Relative stability of their water parameters is as important to them as to any other fish.

Almost all puffers are wild caught, so in that they are a bit less adaptable than are fish which have been tank bred for many generations. Someday we will be better able to tank breed puffers, but we are not there yet for most of them.

SAPs are Amazon basin fish, spending much f the year in the main channels of the rivers, but they do move out into the flood plains for breeding. SFAIK, they have not yet been tank bred.

HTH

The reading I just took said it was 7.6.
I'm still in the process of cycling.

You're cycling the tank with the puffers in there? What's your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate?

Pufferpunk wrote:You're cycling the tank with the puffers in there? What's your ammonia/nitrite/nitrate?

I have a 55 gallon that I want to make a SAP home.

Don't think they are in there yet. Also the PH looks good.

Whew!

I know better than to cycle with fish in there! Especially since puffers are so sensitive. And yay!