The Puffer Forum

Hi I'm new here. I am thinking about putting a puffer in my 35 gallon. I want a fw (MAYBE bw) puffer that if semi-very active, in other words I don't want one that's going to be hidden in the sand for most of the time.

Thanks
Mike

hi there, you could house 2 figure 8 puffers in there, but i believe they are the only brackish water puffers small enough to live in there?
they are very active and will hunt for food, so ideal if your looking for something on those lines.

freshwater, i think south american puffers like to be kept in groups, but im not sure on tank size, i think maybe only 2 in that sized tank? i think someone else might be able to offer advice there.

You could keep some dwarf puffers in there though, they max out at about an inch.


have a look at the pufferpedia at the top of the forum.

someone please correct me if im totally wrong with my advice, im sure theres some great advice coming along.

I would like one main puffer as a wet pet...

Welcome topoftheline77

An A. Modestus or T.Abei, either would do fine in that size tank and both are freshwater.

How easy is it to find Tetraodon cochinchinesis's?

topoftheline77 wrote:How easy is it to find Tetraodon cochinchinesis's?

Depends on your location and what your LFS's can get hold of from their importers.

I would recommend finding out what you have available to you, then looking them up in the Pufferpedia to get some information on their basic needs. That way you don't get your heart set on something that you can't find anywhere.

Boxermom has great advice, see what you can get and then decide which you like best. A modestus is pretty active, nice looking, freshwater and would be a good size for that tank, that would probably be my suggestion.

If you can find some of the red eyes, you could maybe keep a pair, but I think they are generally more rare than modestus.

A single GSP would work well, and they are easy to find locally, and are very attractive fish, but then you'd have to commit to going brackish and eventually full marine.. not necessarily difficult but more expense with having to buy marine salt.

hey boxermom I'm in Wisconsin too, where in Wisconsin are you (PM me if you don't feel like putting it on the board)

Thanks
Mike

No worries, its common knowledge. I'm in Racine and spend most of my time, due to work, in Milwaukee. Downtown to be specific.

Yeah I live in Germantown (know where it is?) and my bro goes to uw-parkside so I'm down there often. Now what puffers have you seen around here?

Thanks
Mike

Yup, I know exactly where that is, neighbor! Best fish store in the area, hands down, is Aquatics Unlimited in West Allis. http://www.bestfish.com will have the exact location, directions, etc. They generally have Figure 8s, GSPs, dwarfs, Valentini and porcupines. Lately they've had some South Americans, too, but they don't have them very often. Their new stock list has something called a long nose puffer, but I'm not sure what exactly it is. I'm going there tomorrow though so I'll hopefully see it.

Hoffers up on Good Hope Road also has puffers, but you couldn't pay me to get one there. Well, maybe if you paid me A LOT. They keep all of their puffers in brackish water, regardless of what kind it is. Their clerks are also pretty stupid, compared to the really good, pretty knowledgeable ones at AU.

Yup I've been to both of those stores. I got my jagaur cichlid at AU. I've also been to the fish factory on oklahoma ave. (I think) have you been there? If you have, have you seen any good puffers there? The last time I was at these stores I wasn't looking for puffers so I wouldn't know what they have. One quick question, have you seen any irrubescos anywhere around here? (or anywhere in Racine)

Thanks
Mike

LOL.. Hi Mike, I'm over in Hartford, not too far from you either.

I usually go to Hoffers because it is closer and they carry live blackworms, and I have a somewhat better opinion of them than Boxermom does. But I've had good experiences with good clerks (they asked questions, etc) while AU they were pretty dang rude to me. Guess its just the luck of the draw. Hoffers does keep dwarf and lurker species in freshwater, but they do keep some of the other, less known freshwater species in brackish (modestus, south americans). What they have at what times varies, so you just have to keep an eye out there and at AU, and look closely, often the puffers are hidden away and you don't even know they are there! Generally around here you'll find modestus, GSP's, Figure 8's, dwarf, sometimes south americans, sometimes ceylons and extremely rarely lurker species will show up (arrowheads, bailiey, etc). In the last ten years I've seen a red eye species ONCE! Still kicking myself for not buying them but at the time I didn't know what they were.

Boxermom and I also tend to post in the "Puffer Locater" section if we see something interesting locally, so keep an eye out there!

I didn't know there was one on Oklahoma. I've been on the waiting list for irrubescos for a year. Haven't seen one yet.