The Puffer Forum

Hi there I'm new to this site.

I'm considering getting a Puffer (fell in love with those faces many years ago) but I'm having trouble deciding which to go for. I'm not wanting a giant but I'd like one thats not too skittish and that's at least a little bit aware of their owners, exhibits the quirky behaviours and curiosity they are known for.

I quite like the little Amazonian ones but I read somewhere they can be timid and aren't as personable as some of the other varieties if that makes sense! (is this even true?)

Any advice would be appreciated.

FW/BW/SW?
Tank size?

Hi there, I don't have the tank yet so I don't actually mind what kinda water habitat we go for. Size will depend on which one I go for or how many in some cases.

I'm not bothered about putting other species in, it would be nice but if they nip I'd rather not go there.

The Amazon puffers are not so much skittish but not really interested in humans. The least personable puffers imo. Work out what sort of size tank you are thinking and get back to us, we can then better inform you of your choices

I have room for up to a 3FT, it's going to go on a large sideboard of mine, not sure how many g. I'm looking for a medium sized puffer, not a GIANTS like the MBU.

I was kinda wanting to pick the Puffer and then get the set up based on that since I have a fair bit of space but I don't want a giant one as I'd like them to have plenty of room to get about in.

My sideboard I want it on is 150cm long x 50cm deep. Theres nothing above it.

You have many choices for a tank that size, start looking at puffer pics and let us know what you like the look of. Alternatively see what's available in your area and we can advise of any good or bad points etc

I really like the porcupine puffer, however the guy at the aquarium said they can actually reach 2ft!

Green Spotted is nice. I saw some at one place being sold as freshwater but from what one read they are actually not once older but the guy there insisted they can be kept as fresh so I didn't argue.

Do you know what, I've looked a dog face, green spot, Dwarfs, figure 8, porcupine and MBU today and still came back to the little Amazonian ones. They are just so playful and they have tankful of them where I went today and they just follow you around when you go near.

I think that's what I'm gonna go for, I know they might be more skittish, although these certainly weren't but they are so damn cute. What size tank will I need for 3 to 6 to THRIVE in, what equipment and substrate should I go for etc.

Any tips etc would be appreciated, Ive not had fish since I was a kid so total newbie here, I do not know how to run in a tank etc I'm reading up on it now.

really like the porcupine puffer, however the guy at the aquarium said they can actually reach 2ft!

There are several species of "porcs", including the Burrfish. Only the hystrix grows to 2-3". The others grow to about 12".

Pufferpunk wrote:

really like the porcupine puffer, however the guy at the aquarium said they can actually reach 2ft!

There are several species of "porcs", including the Burrfish. Only the hystrix grows to 2-3". The others grow to about 12".

That makes sense, it seems like no one working at these places seem to know much tbh.

If you want Amazon puffers (saps, South American puffers) from personal experience a tank no shorter than 5 foot is best. Anything smaller they just pace up and down, round and round. It drives you insane. I tried everything with mine, rescaped really heavy which was a pain to clean etc. they are amazing and rewarding, if you don't mind sedating them to cut their teeth which grow insanely fast. You can expect to do this yearly or much more regular if their diet isn't 99% snails. In my opinion not a good first puffer. How about a pair or trio of f8 and a few bumblebee gobies to clear up food particles? A Ceylon puffer? If you want something really different one of the freshwater lurkers would be amazing in a 3ft

Oh that's a shame, do you mean vertically pacing up the glass or just the length? I definitely can't fit 5ft in my living room.

I quite like the figure 8, I've never seen a ceylon so I will have to read up on them. Are the 8s and ceylon quite active and inquisitive? That's what attracted me to the SAP, they were all chasing my hand as I ran it across the tank and busy bodying around.

Also how much harder is it to maintain a BW or SW environment, the people in the store said I could purchase premixed water but this seems expensive and a pain picking up heavy canisters constantly.

They just constantly charge up and down, left and right. When put in a long tank it seems to stop, the most bizarre fish I have kept. Other water types are no more difficult, just different things to consider. You can mix your own salty water in a tub. Easy peasy

By the way, I'm not saying you definitely shouldn't get them. You just need to be prepared to keep saps. Yours may not pace as my experience has shown. You may be able to avoid regular dentistry by providing a big snail only diet. Maybe a 3.5-4ft tank could keep the particular saps you are looking at. Anything can happen I just won't let you go into keeping them blind to the work they may need.