Puffer Species

[jsescher25]

Fair do's
Im considering investing in a small tank to keep dwarf puffers
What size tank do you think i would need and which species can you recommend?
thanx a lot

Well think about 1 dwarf puffer for every 3 to 4 gallons so a 10g would hold 3 DP's

 

[tommy_yellowbellie]

O cool thanks for the advice.
A puffer fish called Carinotetraodon travancorius has caught my eye. I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with/information on them?
for example are they easy to keep/ can they be kept with others of there own species, or even if they are readily available?
thanks

 

[Chasing Puck]

C. travancoricus? That is the fish more commonly referred to as a dwarf puffer.

 

[Pufferpack]

Does any one know what the SG needs to be for a Chelonodon patoca (Milk Spotted Puffer)

I believe they are a Marine species....so 1.025 I believe.

A puffer fish for a large aquarium (freshwater)
&^ it must be ok with gouramies.

IMO NO Puffers will be compatable with Gouramis....the long fins are too tempting.

 

[SirMinion]

Does any one know what the SG needs to be for a Chelonodon patoca (Milk Spotted Puffer)

According to Aqualog's The Puffers of Fresh & Brackish Waters (and PufferPack!)
The milk-spot is a marine puffer that make forays into brackish water to feed. Juvenilles are also often found in strong brackish waters, moving out to sea as they mature. They cannot survive for very long in fresh or mild brackish water.

Adults grow up to 30cm (12 inches)

 

[arbok]

I was wondering if anyone has seen a puffer that looks like a white floating cigar stub, with large brown eyes.
It is about 2-3 inches long and its fins and tail weren't noticeable as it stares out of its tank. Pretty cute.
Is it an immature puffer and what could it look like as an adult?. There was no obvious belly.
I have looked at many puffers and can't quite place this one.
Do people connect with their puffers? Are they happy being alone?
Do they like plant snails?
Are they hearty?
Where would be the best place to purchase a healthy puffer?
So many questions.....
Thank you,
Arbok

 

[Pufferpack]

A little too hard to ID a "white floating Cigar stub". Pretty much any puffer can have washed out coloration at times, but if there are no visable markings I would start looking at Marine puffers first.

I like to think that I've connected with my puffers, they all respond a little differently (I like to think happier) when they hear my voice or see me near the tanks, as opposed to others in the house.
All my puffers have different personalities, some would be more than happy to have a tank to themselves, while others seem to prefer the company of other puffers.
I breed pond snails, which are usually found on plants in the lfs, for food for my puffers and they seem to love them....just be cautious of the Malaysian Trumpet snails (they are shaped like an icecream cone) as their shells are too hard for some of the smaller puffers and may cause chipped teeth.
Kept in good water conditions I find my puffers to be quite hardy, but they are extremely sensetive to chemicals found in poor quality water, so pristine tanks are a must. One of the nice things about puffers (at least the ones I keep) is if you are observant you can tell if there is any potential trouble with your water by their coloration, they start to get darker and dingier when the water quality starts to slip.
The best place to purchase a healthy puffer is from a private breeder that loves puffers (if you can find one) otherwise find out all the info you can and quiz the staff at the LFS to see if they have any puffer knowledge. Unfortunately many folks have to nurse puffers back to health after bringing them home due to a general lack of knowledge at the lfs about puffer keeping.

 

[Dingleuk]

Hi all I am new to this forum I want to get a puffer for my tank I have in my tank at the moment some tetras, red tailed shark, leach`s, what would be the best puffer to get I was thinking of the dwarf puffer but I am easy as long as I like the look of them, and also where would be the best place to go to buy one I live in the west midlands in england.

Puffer Pack what is that in your pic

 

[Pufferpack]

Puffers don't usually mix well with other fish, they have a tendency to nip mercilessly at the other fish. You might be able to get away with South American puffers (Colomesus asellus), but even then it is a risk to the rest of the inhabitants.

***The pictures in my Signature are Dwarf Puffers - South American Puffer - Golden Puffer. The one under my name is an Emerald puffer.***

 

[Gimli]

Dwarf Puffer's have a strange scientific name but I needed that today. Thanks!

 

[DRD1812]

Hi I'm wanting a figure 8 puffer since thats all they have in the pet shop I do have a spare tank that I can make brackish but how much salt is needed per litre also if they get anyother types in I would love to but some so would puffers be alright with Black Widow Tetra's and Khuli Loaches?

 

[Pufferpack]

how much salt is needed per litre

Your best bet is to find out what Specific gravity (Sg=Salt content) the lfs is keeping the Fig 8's in, then buy a Hydrometer (about 5-10 bucks) to measure the Sg, and match your tank at Home with what the lfs is housing them at. Optimum Sg for the Fig 8's is between 1.004 and 1.008.

if they get anyother types in I would love to but some so would puffers be alright with Black Widow Tetra's and Khuli Loaches

The puffers would be fine.....unfortunately the other fish would not...Puffers are best kept to their own species for the most part

 

[Fish00]

THe rule for puffers is only put it in if you wan't to take out the dead savaged body.

 

[Karah's_Mommy]

I'd really like to convert my guppy tank into a dwarf puffer tank. The tank is 10 gallons and it's cycled and I've had no problems in it for 6 months. I have 4 guppies, 3 neons and a pleco in it. I plan on rehoming the guppies and neons. Does this need to be done all on the same day to keep the tank cycled? If I can't do it on the same day would I need to add ammonia to keep it cycled? I'm thinking of getting 2 dwarf puffers, should I keep the pleco? He's still small, maybe 3 inches long. Or is there a better bottom cleaner to go with the puffers? The tank has a gravel bottom, but I want to switch to sand and I will be adding lots of plants since I've read that they like them. Would it be best to switch to sand before or after I get them? Also, FW snails are illegal in this state, although I do have a few I ordered on line. I suppose I'm going to need to continue getting them that way. Any tips for a newbie puffer owner are welcome as well, although I have read the rest of this thread and have absorbed a lot of information from you all. Thanks in advance!

 

[Pufferpack]

I plan on rehoming the guppies and neons. Does this need to be done all on the same day to keep the tank cycled?

I wouldn't think so, you could leave the tank empty for a couple days with no problems. If you think it will be more than a couple days from the time you move the other fish out and the puffers in, just leave a couple guppies in there until you get the puffers, then when the puffers are floating in the bag, move the guppies.

I'm thinking of getting 2 dwarf puffers, should I keep the pleco? He's still small, maybe 3 inches long. Or is there a better bottom cleaner to go with the puffers?

I guess that depends on the species of pleco. If it is a common pleco I would remove it, they grow way too large and are poop machines that don't touch algae when they mature. If it is a bristlenose or rubberlipped (or other dwarf spaecis) It should be fine with the puffers. Otocinclus are a good cleaner for dwarf puffer tanks, but they may need veggies to supliment their diet if you don't have a lot of algae (they are voracious algae cleaners).

Would it be best to switch to sand before or after I get them?

I would do the switch before getting the Dwarves. Easiest way is to put all the gravel in a clean nylon, or other type of netting, and hang it inside the tank, this keeps all the good bacteria in the gravel working until a colony can get established in the sand. When adding sand I like to use a length of pvc pipe, just pour the sand down one end of the pipe as you move the other end around the tank, about an inch off the bottom, I find this helps reduce some of the cloudyness.

If you can get ahold of a few pond snails from the plant tanks at the lfs, add them to another tank and soon you will have more snails than you know what to do with....then you'll have to look for a few Khule loaches to keep them under control...lol

good luck.