The Puffer Forum

I have a 72 gallon bowfront tank. It has 8 different cichlids about 2 inches long each. I also have a bristlenose pleco about four inches. I saw a spotted puffer at the store and I like it. The puffer is about 2 and a half inch long. Can I put this puffer together with the cichlids? There is a lot of space in the tank. I have added one tablespoon of sea salt for every 5 gallons to the tank. I've had these fish for about 7 months now, but don't know exactly if adding a puffer could be possible. If anyone could help me, I would appreciate it. Thank you.

No. It has very different requirements, needing high end brackish to full marine conditions as it grows. In addition, GSPs do not make good community fish.

Spotted puffer is probably T. nigroviridis, a brackish fish, have a look at the pufferpedia or search for green spotted puffer. While no sea salt is needed for most cichlids at all, these puffers will need about 55 g/gallon salt and would not thrive in your tank.

Welcome to The Puffer Forum Pablo!

Check the puffer pedia to clarify which puffer you mean. I'm assuming you saw a Green Spotted Puffer. Unfortunately these guys need brackish water (marine salt mix, not aquarium salt), and by adulthood need full marine conditions. Your cichlids will not tolerate high-end brackish or marine conditions.
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug. ... roviridis/

Another problem is that puffers are very aggressive, and the Green Spotted Puffer is a prime example of this aggression. They grow to 6"+ in size and become very territorial by that time making it risky to keep other tankmates with them.

It would be a much better idea to set up and cycle a separate tank for a puffer. Visit our library and our Pufferpedia to get an idea of what the needs are of different puffers and which would be easiest for you to start out with.

Thank you everyone for the help. I will check exactly what kind of puffer I'm getting and will set up another tank for the puffer. Thanks again!!

Do you guys think I could put two small puffer in a 29 gallon tank?

It really depends on what you would class as small puffer. What do you have in mind?

You could do two Figure 8s or five DPs.

I was thinking two GSP about half inch size in the 29 gallon.

Nope, 1 GSP in a 29g is pushing the limit already. Figuring in decor and whatnot, there's only actually about 25 gallons in the tank. We recommend providing the appropriate size tank for the fish as an adult, which would mean a minimum of 60 gallons for 2 GSPs. Moving puffers from tank to tank is stressful for them and they tend not to handle stress well. Trust me, a 29g isn't enough for a single full sized GSP. My GSP is only about 4" right now and I'm moving him from his 29 into a 38, the 29 is just too small for such a large, active puffer.

If you want multiple active puffers, I'd recommend going with the two F8s.

You could keep 2 juvies in there but plan on upgrading to 30g each (minimum) once they grow larger than 2". After that, they grow quite quickly & will become stunted in smaller quarters.