A puffer tank

[isu_guy]

So I've only done minimal research (although that will change before I actually go through with it). I am contimplating turning a 20 gallon into a puffer tank.
I would prefer FW and am thinking it wil lbe a species tank.

What species should I go with and how many? Keep in mind price, availablity, relative ease of care and just an astetic tank (ie, if I just have 1 in the tank he better be active enough to justify having his own tank).

your guys help is appreciated. I ask so I can know how to limit my research.

 

[Fish00]

4 dwarf puffers
2 south american puffers
a male & female red eye puffer
1 spotted congo puffer
2 figure 8's brackish

puffer are not genaral grouping fish i'd go with 2dp's & a south american.
puffers are active intresting & inteligant but you must repay them with aatention read my south american puffer profile in the user subbmited fish index.

 

[Black_Ghost_Guy]

(ie, if I just have 1 in the tank he better be active enough to justify having his own tank).

I'm sorry to say that fish often to go by what we want them to, particularly puffers.

Fish00's list is fine, you could also keep an arrowhead puffer in there.

 

[Jason_S]

from everthing I've read the real spotted congo puffer (T. schoutedeni) hasn't been imported in over a decade. the spotted puffers you see in any lfs are Green Spotted Puffers...Tetraodon nigriviridis.

an arrowhead would be fine and they are awesome fish though they're not very active. they can also be rather hard to find. your best bet for an active puffer is the South American puffer (Colomessus assellus).

 

[pufferking]

You can also mix south American puffers with dwarfs.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i wouldn't mix a S. American with Dwarves, but that could be just me. a 20 gallon is still pretty tight quarters and you might provoke one or the other into attacking. i don't think i'd be comfortable mixing species in anything less than a 30.

i'd stick to either 2-3 Dwarfs, 2 S. Americans, 1 pair of Red-Eyes, or 1 Figure 8 (but only an f-8 if you're prepared to go brackish). they should be plenty lively, especially if you provide live food like ghost shrimp or feeder guppies/platys.

you'd probably have the most fun if you got a pair of something. most of the dimorphic puffers are relatively easy to breed and i doubt you'd have a hard time unloading any surviving fry. also, if you're planning on using feeder fish, i'd set up another small tank to breed your own or at least quarantine your purchases.

 

[TorPeteO]

they should be plenty lively, especially if you provide live food like ghost shrimp or feeder guppies/platys.

Would puffers even be interested in live fish as food? I don't think they eat other fish. They'll nip them to death (literally), but, in my experience and from what I've heard/read, they've never been interested in actually eating the other fish.

 

[isu_guy]

thanks for helping me out everyone. My search is now narrowed quite a bit. I still have plenty of time to get everything planned out since I won't be getting any puffers until at the earliest june.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

my SA will eat guppy fry up to 1 cm in length. he goes crazy for the little ones, but will completely ignore anything larger than he can eat in two bites. i guess i should have been clearer when i mentioned the livebearers. i think that keeping a few full-grown livebearer feeders in with the puffer works pretty well; it gives the puffer a couple of tankmates and periodically infuses interesting things for the puffer to chase. of course, not everyone is as cold-hearted and callous as i am, so they might be upset by momma-fish getting nipped on, which is why i reccommended a secondary breeding tank.

puffer + fry =

PS: there are some puffers who are terrible piscavores, but none of those can be kept in a 20 gallon. i think all of the larger Tetradons, the Mbu of course, and any of the mature-in-marine puffers will take generic feeders.