Community Puffers

[JamesTasker]

I was wondering if there are any puffer fish suitable for inclusion in a small freshwater community tank?

 

[untilitsleeps]

Interesting question mate, im very interested in its answer because i searhed all my LFS and found nothing.

 

[A.K.A Zak]

i'd say if you have atleast a 10 gallon then you can go with 2 dwarf puffers, but if you get tank mates get fast and around the same size as the puffers. puffers are nippers so don't get any long finned fish.

 

[CFC]

What fish do you already have? Puffers are best kept alone but some people have had a little success keeping them with small gobies like bumble bee or peacock gobies.

 

[carppy]

they're best kept if you want them in a community tank with fish that are bigger and faster then them. DOn't try to mingle them with smaller species and don't keep them with fish with long flowing fins. Read my fish list. My puffer has never been a problem.

 

[MAM]

check out some of these links, some have suggestions on things like tanksize and mates:

http/fishinthe.net/html/fishguide/fishgu...?FC=4&nl=2&nt=6

http/www.aaquaria.com/aquasource/8puffer.shtml

http/www.pufferfish.co.uk/aquaria/specie...types/index.htm

http/home.earthlink.net/~snebluemoon/index.htm

http/puffernet.tripod.com/

i really wouldn't recommend it. even the smaller ones, like the red-eye(suggested by someone) and the dwarfs can be extremely aggressive. you'd need a large tank. keeping puffers in a specied specific tank is best.
pm pufferpack, hes sort of our resident puffer expert, he could probably tell you more.

 

[ste2k3]

I had an amazonian puffer with some other simular sized fish for a long time.

 

[Pufferpack]

Hi JamesTasker

Although I have seen posts about various species of puffers working well in a community setting, most are only short term. Puffers are a long lived species that have a tendency to get grumpier as they age. There is a chance of getting a mellow sociable puffer no matter what species you look at, just as there is the chance that the puffer you pick out will be a psycho killer that will not tolerate any other fish in it's tank....as well as every temperment in between.
If you are tempted to try a puffer in a community setting your best bet would be Colomesus asellus - South American puffer (Amazonian puffer) , they are generally the mildest tempered puffer, but even with the S/A's there is no guarentee.
I presently keep 3 S/A's in with 8 Dwarf puffers with no signs of friction between the 2, but I also keep guppies in the same tank and I don't think there is 1 without some fin damage (even though the guppies have learned to avoid the puffers).

carppy...you list a "Red-eye" puffer in your signature, what species is it? (there are about 4 types sometimes called red-eye) If it is Tetraodon lorteti keep an eye on it, I have read that they can turn nasty without much warning, you just start finding dead fish in the morning. Love to see some pics

 

[wuwu]

i got two baby puffers about a month ago. I knew about their temparent and took the risk. 6 or 7 fishes got killed the first few days and that was it. they have not killed any fish after that. also only one of the puffers is aggressive, the other one has never biten another fish or nipped their fins.

 

[Lithril]

I'm with pufferpack there are few fish you can try with them I keep Ottos and Bristlenose plecos that are fine but not going to to risk any others. Tried putting some dwarfs in with the SAs and they and the SAs hunted each one down within a couple of days.

Only to be recommended if you're not keen on the other fish in the tank