Puffer Tank

[Timmy_Bee]

Hi,

I am constantly thinking of what to do with my tank next. Recently i have had ideas of a SA cichlid tank, but now my heart is going back to puffers...

I have got a 180L (55 gal?) tank and was wondering if you had any suggestions on what puffers i could have. Are there any community fish that can live with them, or is it very much species only?
Also, when it comes to food, is frozen OK or do these little nippers have to have live? (im assuming flake is out the window)

Please let me know your thoughts. Any suggestions welcome!

Edit: if you havent guessed, i know very little about puffers, so any tips would be helpful!

 

[gbailey141]

Hi there. I am no expert on puffers but know they are very picky when it comes to food. My SA Puffer will only eat live bloodworms. I have also put some live snails in with him but haven't seen him munch them yet! So definately no flake food. As for tank mates I think you may get away with a plec but they have a tendancy to fin nip other fish. Also make sure your tank has plenty of plants/ decor for them to explore. Good luck.

Gav

 

[Ceramicbull]

If you want a tank focused on puffers, there are two freshwater "community" puffers of which I am aware. The "South American" Puffer, Colomesus asellus, and the Red-eye Puffer, Carinotetraodon irrubesco. SA puffers must be kept in at least a small group of 3 or so, and irrubesco may be kept alone or in groups, it doesn't matter. nmonks, our resident expert about all things brackish, oddball, and just about everything aquarium, has kept the two species together successfully, and if I remember right in a tank about that size. That link also has a few example non-puffer tankmates. One thing to warn you about the SA puffer is that their teeth grow at a ridiculous rate, so you will have to trim them. Also, all puffers have varying personalities, so although these two species are "community", individual puffers may not be good citizens, and should be watched closely when first introduced.

There are dozens of other puffer species out there, but just about any of them must be kept alone. There are also dwarf puffers that you can keep a large number of in a species tank, although with the size of tank you have thats a bit overkill. If you don't mind going brackish, you can keep Figure 8 puffers together fairly well, some of them may even get along in a community, but the success rate is far lower than for irrubesco and ascellus.

 

[lilacamy931]

Welcome to pufferdom! Puffers are excellent pets and really intelligent. I would really suggest having a species tank only to be honest as most puffers tend to not tolerate other species or even their own kind at times. There are some species that are considered "community" safe but it is always going to be a risk. As to a 180 litres, here are some suggestions on basic info, I would suggest looking or asking more specific questions as to upkeep etc as some have varied needs from others. First of all are you wishing fresh or would you be willing to go slightly salty to brackish?

For suggestions where mention more than one puffer, this is based on them growing together, the puffs personality indivudally and also tank being heavily decorated/planted - line of sights broken

Here are some suggestions:
Figure 8 Puffers - 3 inch adulthood - require low brackish fairly easy to keep and some have had success keeping with bumblebee gobies, knight gobies and others with mollies! Could try 3 together (4 would be really pushing as need good filtration as well)

GSP (green spotted)- these require higher salinity levels and some take to full marine eventually, mentioned depending on what you are after. 6-6.5 inch adulthood. Would say one, two possible but pushing

Red Eyd / Irrubesco - these are good if can get male/female groups and ratios, freshwater, get to 2 inches roughly. As to numbers not excellent with these though from reading bigger tanks better for them and a male and two females wouldnt go amiss, these have been mixed successfully in communities but pick occupants with care (that wont be nipped or in return wont bully).

Dwarf Puffesr - freshwater and get to an inch, these are tiny but mighty and a good first puffer! They require about 5g per puff though some work on 5g for first and 3g for each additional, again with these need 2f per 1m. Could have about 10 puffs working on 5g per puff rule. I have read interesting things on these in larger groups as generally people try 1-4. People have also kept successfully with otos and also communities but again depends on longevity and personality etc.

SAPs (south american puffers) - extremely active, get to 3 inches, need to be kept in groups to keep happiest they need good flow as always on the go. With these be aware that most have to keep regular teeth trimming on these guys even wth regular crunchy foods in the regime. These have been kept with other species of fish but they are pretty nippy. Freshwater

Abei - need to be kept by self. Pretty active fellows and minimum tanks are 95 litres, get to 4 inches. My fellow is cheeky, depends if happy with one fish in that size tank. Freshwater

Baileyi "hairy" - singular get to 5 inches, freshwater. Tend to lurk abit though mine is pretty active again, interesting and quite rare depending where situated.

Palembang - freshwater, singular, get to 8 inches, pretty inactive though a larger species.

Hope that gives food for thought, I have had a fair few species by now (with a lot of help on this forum) and settled myself on abei, fahaka, baileyi and miurus in their own tanks. I have tankmates with the fahaka but this is my own risk.

Have a read, google the images, see what you can get in the area and what takes your fancy!!

In terms of food, most of the species mentioned above are easily trained to frozen food including bloodworm, cockle, mussel, prawn, oyster, squid, etc Some takes more patience than others and some take to any food straight away. Flake will very rarely be taken and not appreciated. Setting up a snail breeder tank is always a good idea for free crunchy food, ramshorns or pond/bladder snails will do and if regular water changes are done then no need for filter and heater depending where placed in the house.

Hope havent scared you off but a bit of a fan when it comes to puffers

 

[Shovelman]

As everyone is saying, yes you can obviously do puffers! My recomendation is planting your tank and doing 3 or so SAPs (south american puffers), as they form a sort of "shoal" in the wild. Also the bigger the better with these puffers, since they actually migrate throughout the amazon's many rivers and tributaries and etc, throughout the season! As noted above the SAP's teeth grow way faster than any other and you CANNOT substitute teeth trimming with snails/crunchy diet as it will only prolong their dentistry needs! I have read that these puffers in particular are even more so hyperactive than others, so even though their not very territorial towards one another they do still need a bread in the scenery to stimulate their minds!

 

[nmonks]

I'm going to reiterate what Shovelman just said about trimming the teeth of SAPs; while you can minimise this perhaps down to a once-a-year thing, it does seem to be very difficult to avoid. Conceivably you could give them nothing but snails and in that case their teeth would be worn down just as in the wild, but in practise most people find it easier to give their SAPs a mixed diet. Trimming their teeth is not difficult.

On the plus side, SAPs offer a unique combination of activity and sociability. Whether they're truly schooling fish is up for debate, but they certainly enjoy company and work extremely well in groups. They are fin-nippers, but not aggressive, so you can keep them with livestock able to avoid nippy fish: fast-moving loaches and barbs, for example, if there's enough space and/or hiding places under rocks. SAPs also get along very well with C. irrubesco. I haven't found either species difficult to feed, and while dried foods and flakes aren't going to work, you should be okay with bloodworms, snails, frozen seafood, small pieces of tilapia fillet, and so on. Variety is key to health, especially with regard to thiaminase.

Choosing between groups of small puffers versus one big puffer is a tough call. Bigger puffers tend to have more personality and can become more tame. They're more likely to exhibit the kind of intelligence we associate with the pufferfish family. But the small puffers are often more active and easier to keep in mixed species settings. And while SAPs are nervous, they can be hand-fed without problems, and even C. irrubesco becomes tame in time, especially if there are floating plants to provide shade at the surface.

Cheers, Neale

 

[Timmy_Bee]

You mention SAP's could be OK with barbs. Do you think i could go ahead and add some (2 or 3?) now? my current stocking is in my sig.