The Puffer Forum

Looks like I'm getting a 100 gallon tank (please o please) Which puffer would best in that size tank? Thanks in advance!

Have a browse in the pufferpedia and see what you like. There are minimum tank recommendations in there. As you've posted in marine I assume you're wanting a marine puffer. Then if you see something you like its just a matter of finding one for sale in your area.

I have a great fish guy, and he said any puffer I want he will try to get. I really do trust him and his judgment.

Oh, so many choices!

I'm partial to burrfish myself, but they aren't very hardy and have a hard time eating well so that may not be the best choice. A Dogface puffer is an option as well. What are the dimensions of the tank?

You could also go with a few GSPs, or a couple of Ceylons, or a GSP and a Ceylon, but that's dependent on whether or not you want to deal with brackish for a bit. I also LOVE the personality of the Canthigaster, or sharpnose puffers. I had a Hawaiian Spotted and he was a blast. There is also a member on here that has a reef with two Canthigasters.

Do you have any preferences as far as relative compatibility with tankmates, size, water conditions, etc? Also, do you know what equipment you are going to use? If you get a puffer such as a Dogface that requires a minimum of 100 gallons, you'll want to have a good skimmer, LR, and possibly a DSB and a refugium to be sure the nitrates will stay down when he is mature.

Have you kept a marine tank before?

I do like the Hawaiian spotted, and i know my roommates also like the dog-faced alot also. I was reading that the dog-faced is the most passive out of the bunch. I would like to have tank mates, but i am more worried about have the puffer happy and live long.

The tank itself is 110 gallon. The actual size I am unsure of, I'm going to go check it out tonight. (thank god for cragislist) It did say it came with "a dual hang-on overflow box (handles about 1200 gallons per hour) and a 15 or 20 gallon sump/ wet dry as well." I figure I'm gonna have to get a couple other things for it.

wow the tank sounds great, can't wait to see how this turns out

I'd pick up a skimmer and start curing some live rock so the tank will be puffer-ready just in case you come across exactly what you want at a LFS.

All puffers are iffy with tank mates, and though there are some generalizations that can be made about puffer species, it ultimately comes down to the individual's personality.

The tank sounds like it will have plenty of water volume if you went with a Dogface, but going with a large puffer will limit the amount of tank mates you'll be able to add (for aggression and bio-load reasons). If you added one or two Canthigasters (in such a large tank it is more likely than not that you could get away with keeping two sharp nose puffers) you would still have a lot of options open to you as far as tank mates go. You still will want to avoid slow-moving or long-finned fishes that may get nipped.

Good choice for a 100g tank it’s the Arothron nigropunctatus(dog face) or the Arothron manilensis with one or two toby.Canthigaster valentine and Canthigaster solantri it’s the more easily and common of this Genus.

TAN wrote:Good choice for a 100g tank it’s the Arothron nigropunctatus(dog face) or the Arothron manilensis with one or two toby.Canthigaster valentine and Canthigaster solantri it’s the more easily and common of this Genus.

I'd definitely wait on adding something risky like a Canthigaster with a larger puffer until he has a very good idea of the larger puffer's temperament. Otherwise there could be a lot of stress caused by spats. Also there's always danger when two puffers go for the same piece of food, and that can be deadly for the smaller puff.

Tan- Have you had any success keeping Canthigasters and the Dogface puffers together? If so I'd love to hear about it.

We ended up get for a 130 gallon tank, complete set up for 300 dollars we just got into the house today! So now were gonna set it up and start the cycle.

Alright! That's a fantastic size to work with!

What are the dimensions of the new tank?

6 feet long... 2 feet tall ........ 2 feet deep.

YOu could do a Fahaka in FW, they're HUGE, and would fill the tank nicely.

Those tank dimensions are awsome! You are quite free as to what to choose. just make sure the puffer reaches less than about 18". That would be me preference for maximum size in a 2' wide tank.

We are currently looking at a golden dog face (so much money) and maybe a figi, but who knows, where just happy to have a tank this size for cheap. Cant wait intill the tank is done with the cycle.