The Puffer Forum

Hi, I just created an account and did some exploring but still have some questions on filtration for dwarf puffers. I have a 17 gallon tank and I'm unsure on what the filtration guidelines are for these little guys. I read they produce a lot of waste. What's the reason behind this? I used to keep goldfish. Surely they don't produce as much waste as goldfish right? As of right now, I'm debating between the fluval 106 and 206 canisters.

Pea puffers aren't as bad as goldfish, but some puffers are! I'd go for the 206, it'll provide enough filtration x10 and good water circulation. The aquaclear filters are also good, I have an AC30 on my 10g DP tank and it works awesome, super quiet too!

Welcome to the forum!

Puffers do create a lot of waste due to what they eat compared to other fish on pellet/flake diets. With only a 17g tank those Fluval models are way overkill but if you want to do it, I say go for it. That way you will be all prepared for a bigger tank upgrade in the future. Might have to set it up as a spray bar on the return or else the current may be too much. For your tank an Aquaclear 50 would be a good choice and they are around $40 online.

Okay, so 10x filtration would be good. I've had aquaclears before and I agree that they work great. However, I want to get a canister filter this time after reading their filtration is superior to HOBs so I'll most likely get the 106 (145 gph) with a spraybar