# Puffer Fish



## labmad (Sep 23, 2007)

I may look into getting a little puffer set up going.....along with my other projects  ........just looking into them and getting a bit more info until i go for it..........just wondering if one species is better to go for than another.......they have the red tail/red eye puffers in the lfs if anyone has any experience with puffers of any sort really........

I know some can be fin nippers, but just not 100% on tank size for the different species.........

if anyone has some experience and info that would be great ;:

Thanks


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## Bobbie (Jun 25, 2008)

the majority should be kept alone i think.. we have one at work. hes massive, costs 175 pounds. hes a stunner and has a huge beak.(i would put my fingers in)

id also say the bigger the better when it comes to tank too.

i dont know too much about them, but they do have some lovely markings


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

Bobbie said:


> the majority should be kept alone i think.. we have one at work. hes massive, costs 175 pounds. hes a stunner and has a huge beak.(i would put my fingers in)
> 
> id also say the bigger the better when it comes to tank too.
> 
> i dont know too much about them, but they do have some lovely markings


probably a Mbu puffer then.

generally with the freshwater puffers, the bigger they are the easier to keep.

Obviously the Mbu (at 18+ inches) is a serious commitment, but they are much more forgiving, water quality-wise. whereas the pygmy puffer can be quite delicate.

The best to keep for most people would be either Green spotteds or figure 8 puffers. Both are quite hardy, not too big, not too small, look great and can be kept with other fish (nothing too small, nothing with long fins etc)

Find the species you want and go from there.

I'd love to have a Mbu again but I'll never find one as great as my last one. Used to take food from your fingers (gotta be real careful doing this).


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## labmad (Sep 23, 2007)

are the red eye/tail classedas pygmy puffers then.....think they max out at 2inch...


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

red eyes are a dwarf puffer. The true pygmys are smaller.

But red eyes are quite cool. Can be delicate but keep the water free from toxins (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate mainly) and you should be ok. Quite reknowned for fin nipping. Never had an issue myself but never kept them with fish that had long fins or were slow enough to catch so no issue could happen


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## labmad (Sep 23, 2007)

As always cheers pal........can you keep the smaller but different species together in the same tank though......or is it asking for trouble or cross breeding 



mike515 said:


> red eyes are a dwarf puffer. The true pygmys are smaller.
> 
> But red eyes are quite cool. Can be delicate but keep the water free from toxins (ammonia, nitrite and nitrate mainly) and you should be ok. Quite reknowned for fin nipping. Never had an issue myself but never kept them with fish that had long fins or were slow enough to catch so no issue could happen


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

best off in species tanks.

They can be very aggressive to members of their own species as well as other fish.

I've always kept my puffers seperately with catfish usually. No problems yet.

My Mbu was kept with malawis and tanganyikan cichlids because thats the part of the world they are from.


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## labmad (Sep 23, 2007)

cheers pal  .........would hunt down some figure 8 puffers i think......


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## nuttybabez (Jul 21, 2007)

I have kept pygmy puffers and South American puffers.

Both pygmys and Figure 8's are very aggressive and should be kept in a species only tank, if you had them in a community tank, even if your community fish had short fins, they would be shredded overnight. I speak from experience - how 4 tiny baby pygmys can destroy a well established community tank overnight is beyond me but they did it! 

Anyway, if you want a species only tank, you have your pick of puffers. I'd go for pygmys as they are soooo cute but its up to you.

South American Puffers however, I have kept successfully in a community tank for several years. I had a female siamese fighter, angel fish, cherry barbs, gold barbs, corydoras, ancistrus, peckoltia and a panaque - so mostly catfish and nothing with long fins, but my little "squishy fish" (SA Puffer) fit in just fine and never nipped anybody.


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## labmad (Sep 23, 2007)

I was thinking of a puffer or a pair, with something like cherry barbs, or cardinals possibly, and some small plecs/pekoltia etc or some cory's .......and plenty of plants


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## mike515 (Sep 12, 2006)

never had an aggressive figure 8 and I've had a fair few


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## labmad (Sep 23, 2007)

Do the figure 8 and green spotted puffers need a 'brackish' tank or are they ok in the 'normal' tropical set-up?....i know some people dont have them in brackish water but just wondering if they are likely to die in the normal tropical set-up 

cheers


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