freshwater puffers for 20 gallon tank?

[stingray94]

Hi,
Are their any freshwater puffers that I can keep in a 20 gallon tank? I know that I can keep dwarf puffers, how many do you think I could keep in this tank? And can I keep any tankmates other than khuli loaches? Thanks for any help in advance

 

[Dreamsofpeace54]

i think its like 3 gallons per dwarf puffer, maybe like 6 or 7?

 

[fishoverlivingspace]

I would definitely say it depends on whether its a 20-long or a 20-high. I know dwarf puffers are some of the least aggressive, but in a 20-high, i wouldn't keep more than 4, and in a 20-high i wouldn't keep more than 5. also, any fish that doesnt have ornate finnage and is a fast mover could be kept with the puffers, as long as it is not easily stressed by a bit of chasing. I'd go with some odessa barbs! They are beautiful in a group of 8-10, and they'd fit right in with the chasing and fin-nipping the dwarf puffers tend to do. No one should end up seriously hurt in the long run, it should just turn out to be a real active tank! Kuhli loaches are great too, though. keep em all!

 

[groovitudedude]

Nope, 1 Dwarf Puffer per 5 Gallons or more (Gallons per Puffer).

 

[fishoverlivingspace]

..and in a 20-high i wouldn't keep more than 5.

I'm sure you caught on, but I meant to say, in a 20-long I wouldn't keep more than 5. Also, although odessa barbs would be great, I'd say you could keep any of the mid-size barbs like a tiger or variants on the tiger, or roseys, maybe even black-rubies.

 

[groovitudedude]

Auriglobus Silus.

 

[stingray94]

Thanks for the replies, the tank is a 20 gallon long, so 5 puffers and some odessa barbs will be okay

 

[groovitudedude]

I think that 5 DPs is pushing the max.

 

[fishoverlivingspace]

Nope, 1 Dwarf Puffer per 5 Gallons or more (Gallons per Puffer).

The whole "one fish per 5-gallons" is an extremely primitive way of measuring the fish capacity of a system. If the tank were 1'lx1'wx3'h (a little more than 20 gal.), would you still say that you could put 4 dwarf puffers in there? I dont think so. Rather than considering gallonage, you need to consider the footprint of the tank, and how it can be aquascaped for fish to establish the maximum number of small territories possible. If the tank were very densely planted and aquascaped, I'd say you could put as many in there as you wanted as long as you were doing very regular water changes. I think that as more advanced fish keepers, we need to get away from that rule and take into consideration not only that rule, but other factors that matter just as much or more.