I Want To Get A Puffer

[l.michelle]

I have been getting interested in puffers lately, I have read and re read all those pinned topics up top there, super informative!! And yesterday my boyfriend took me to this awesome pet store, Aquarium Warehouse, which even has a 4 foot shark! eep. Anyway, I have been looking at puffers at another store, and they were all very small, and spotted and one had a neon figure 8, which i liked, but found out it is brackish, and i am still trying to wrap my head around doing brackish water.

Anyway, last night at this aquarium warehouse, the guy I was talking to showed me the puffers, told me he actually had a fakaha (sp?) one, and they had these ones called Fugu Puffers, now this type is not on th epinned topic, but they look very very big, these ones were about 4" were dark grey and had two or three red spots on them. I was wondering what these were? I don't know if I really liked the look of them, but they wouldn't stay very still for long for me to see. Can anyone help me out with this?

Also, I found a 28 gallon tank, complete set that they were selling for 160$ So I am going to buy that, but I was wondering what puffer would be best in it, and with what, and how many. I do understand that puffers are agressive and are not usually kept together. The guy at the store told me that puffers can be kept with nothing, contrart\y to what the people here say (and quite frankly, I trust the people here much much more so than him)

Also, I am wondering if brackish is better than freshwater for puffers, because if it is for some of the puffers, then if someone would explain to me verrrry simply how to get brackish water, I will lol. I am good at following step by step instruction, I know it may seem exhasperating, and I don't have any learning difficulties, I just don't understand th stuff with a hydrometer and salinity, and gravity stuff, at all, it goes waaaay over my head.

I will also need to know what sort of decoration and bottoms and whatnot puffers would need. I know they like driftwood and hiding spots, but that's about it.

Sorry for the long winded post lol I am just getting started with this, and know I will not be getting the puffer and friends for probably well over a month, but I want to start getting my information from the people who really know what they're doing

Any help is appreciated!!

 

[syntax_error]

Hello Michelle!
Not every puffer needs salt. There are FW, BW and SW puffers.Here is a link to a list of FW puffers. The site also lists BW and SW puffers that you might want to have a look at. However, they are very sensitive to water quality as they lack scales on their body, so you should make note of that. Puffers need a varied diet including hard foods such as snails, mussles etc. as their teeth grow through out their life time.

they had these ones called Fugu Puffers, now this type is not on th epinned topic, but they look very very big, these ones were about 4" were dark grey and had two or three red spots on them.

hm..I am not familier with this puffer.

As for a 28g stocking may be 5-6 dwarf puffers (Carinotetraodon travancoricus)?
Here are some more information on them;
http/www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSum...e=travancoricus
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=136616
http/ www. dwarfpuffers .com

 

[DarkEntity]

Which Fugu Puffer?

Takifugu niphobles, Takifugu oblongus, Takifugu ocellatus, Takifugu pardalis or Takifugu rubripes? These are all Marine Puffers and will require full marine conditions, full salt water, and all the gubbings. Mosty grow to about 13"+ (Takifugu Rupripes hits 30") the other exception is Takifugu Ocellatus which is a modest 6-8"

It most likely that it was Ocellatus as this is the most common one ive seen and has 2 or 3 red dots on it with a grey/silver body.

Fahaka Puffer also are a large Puffer which will easil outgrow your tank..For an adult you are lookin at a 120Gall +

28GAlls is a great size for Fig8's (Brackish) or the smaller freshwater Carinotetraodons or Tetraodon species. If you want an active Puffer then look at the Carinotetraodons or the Fig8's.

You need to choose a Puffer and then find out all you can about it, these fish really arent for beginners as will require perfect water and also in most cases a colony of snail and other crustacians to feed them on. They are really messy for their size so make so you are ready for the work

 

[syntax_error]

Takifugu niphobles, Takifugu oblongus, Takifugu ocellatus, Takifugu pardalis or Takifugu rubripes? These are all Marine Puffers and will require full marine conditions, full salt water, and all the gubbings. Mosty grow to about 13"+ (Takifugu Rupripes hits 30") the other exception is Takifugu Ocellatus which is a modest 6-8"

Oh marine puffers, that's why I'm not familier with them.

 

[l.michelle]

If I have never kept anything other than betta fish, do you guys really think it's a good idea for me to get a puffer fish? Please be honest, I don't want to hurt the fish, and I'm wondering if you guys think it might be better to start off with a mix of other fish, and figure them out, then move on to puffers? Please be honest, is it really that difficult with them? And if I work 9 1/2 hours a day, plus about an hours travel time home, would I be able to care for them properly? I mean, I am on schedule with my water changes and water testing and such, but if they need very close care, I am wondering if I would be able to do it?

 

[DarkEntity]

If I have never kept anything other than betta fish, do you guys really think it's a good idea for me to get a puffer fish? Please be honest, I don't want to hurt the fish, and I'm wondering if you guys think it might be better to start off with a mix of other fish, and figure them out, then move on to puffers? Please be honest, is it really that difficult with them? And if I work 9 1/2 hours a day, plus about an hours travel time home, would I be able to care for them properly? I mean, I am on schedule with my water changes and water testing and such, but if they need very close care, I am wondering if I would be able to do it?

Puffers require far more work than other fish, they will need weekly water changes of about 20-25%, they will need meaty foods, snails, cockles etc. They are really not a fish to have if you dont have time to look after them properly. You are jumping from one end of the scale to near the other tbh.

Betta=beginner very easy low maintenance fish
Puffers=experienced and moderate to high maintenance.

Ive got 2 puffer tanks and that means 4 water changes a week twice for each tank, then the weeklty water change for the Oddball/Plec tank, lastly the snail tank for the Puffer food neads done...These fish make some amount of waste against their size, so be prepared for the work.

If you dont think you can do it then dont, go for something in between

 

[l.michelle]

I have had betta fish for the past 7 years or so, And yes, they are easy, but I do take care of them, and I don't let water changes etc., go, if it is 20-25% a week, and doing my regular water testing, it shouldn't be too bad, I mean, I usually do 2-3 water changes per week on my other tanks. I do give my fish the time and money needed for them they require, I wasn't sure if they were a fish that you would have to keep a very close eye on, because I do work a lot

 

[syntax_error]

oops double post..hm...but how did that happen...
Sorry

 

[syntax_error]

In short if you can keep the water pure and give them a variety of good foodyou'll be fine. IMO you can handle puffers.

 

[l.michelle]

Thank you, and I think I might go brackish, and get a figure 8, now in a 28 gallon, is there anything else than can go in there?

 

[syntax_error]

I think I might go brackish, and get a figure 8, now in a 28 gallon, is there anything else than can go in there?

Puffers are best kept in a species only tank.

 

[demonmagus]

people usually combine F8's with bumblee gobies, although it is still a risk but has been done many times before

 

[jayjay]

F8's could go with knight gobies also.

As for puffers being harder than other fish to keep, they aren't hard to keep in my opinion. Though I only kept dwarfs, also there's no reason to test the water on an established tank, unless you believe something to be wrong.

As long as you can do water changes and feed it and also have the correct setup I don't see why you couldn't keep one. If you used an external filter it would probably take less work again as you will not have to clean the filter out as often, or if you could a wet/dry trickle tower and sump, though it's over the top, you'd only have to clean the filter floss every week or so, along with water changes, which with the larger water volume would be safe to let slip if you had to. Though it's unlikely you'll do that...