Need Puffer guidance from the Pro's

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Danger_Chicken

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
May 22, 2008
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Baltimore
I've been wanting a puffer for a while and I'm finally ready. I looking for suggestions on what to get. I want one that is pure fresh water and can live in a 90g, perferrably for life. I can dedicate a tank to a single fish if it has personality. We have a porcupine puffer at work and he is great but sw.

All ideas and suggestions are appreciated. I'll be reading the 6 pages in this forum over the next few days :nilly:
TIA
 
Do you already have the tank? If you were just willing to go a bit larger--120-125g, a fahaka puffer would be the perfect choice. You woulsn't regret it, I'm sure!

Check out the puffers here: PUFFERPEDIA
 
Go for a fahaka, but get a bigger tank. These are great puffers, with a ton of personality.
 
If 90G is what you have and you want them for life then my recomendation would be to do a brackish tank.

You could get Green spotted puffers that are a lot of fun.

The only problem is they are born in fresh, then move more and more salt as they get older until they are full marine.

Tankmates could include any of the four types of scats (green, ruby, silver or striped), any of the archers fish, monodactylus sebae or argentus (gorgeous fish), the FW snowflake eel (can go full marine), the knight goby, or another awesome fish with tons of personality the butis butis or as commonly called the crazy fish.

I have always kept GSP in pairs and they tend to swim with each other which is alot of fun to watch.

If you get scats with them be aware that they are messy eaters and will need really really good filtration since puffers are vulnerable to medium-poor water conditions.

On my puffer tanks I have at least three times he needed filtration on each tank. May be overkill but I love my fish.

Live plants may be out of the picture with many of the tankmates above, but I would make sure to add plenty of fake plants or other decorations for the fish to hide and swim arround in. My butis love drift wood and blend into it perfectly (normally at wierd angles).

These fish have tons or personallity, are absolutely gorgeous, and will be very rewarding if you choose to keep them.

Good luck on your puffer quest, I hope you will join us.
 
Thanks for the replies. Fahaka was one I'm interested in but everything I was reading was conflicting so I needed to hear from people that actually own them. Mbu would be my first choice but I can't house one right now (how big a tank is needed for one?).

I'm not ready to commit to brackish.
 
You need a more varied diet for a puffer:
FEEDING PUFFERS
 
MonsterFishKeepers.com