Looking to add a puffer fish

[AdamHorton]

I'm looking to add a puffer fish to my 150G Saltwater tank. For details on the livestock of the tank, go here: Roll Call | Adam's Flog. For details on the specs/hardware of the tank, go here: Tank Specs | Adam's Flog.

This weekend I'd like to start cycling my quarantine tank, so I'm a ways off from making any decisions that commit me to something other than "I want a puffer fish." I'd like to get more educated on how to acclimate a puffer to my tank and care for it properly.

Quarantine: it's going to be a 20G Tall tank, I have PVC pipes for hiding behind and he'll be alone in there. I'm going to fishless-cycle it like I do with all my tanks, so it will be 4-6 weeks before I'm ready to go out and get a fish.

I realize this probably depends on the type of puffer I end up getting, but I'm wondering what I should be doing in the quarantine other than just observing for disease. I've done preventative hyposalinity treatment when I added tangs to my SW tank in the past, and if that's a good idea for a puffer fish then I'd like to do that. Is this something I should do? I really don't want my display tank getting ich or something bad. The hyposalinity will take 4-6 weeks but if I don't do that, how long should I QT the fish for until I know it's good?

Type of puffer: I'm leaning towards a porcupine puffer, but I'm wondering what other possibilities there are that might be a good fit for my tank. Are there any recommendations out there? If any of them pique my/the g/f's interest then I'll look into what it will take to get one around these parts.

Feeding: In the short term I have a shrimp tank with red cherry shrimp that I can feed in a pinch, but in the long term I'd like to not have to target-feed the puffer when it goes into the display tank with the other fish. I've had small freshwater/brackish puffers before and I had a tough time feeding them, is this the same with saltwater puffers? Do you think frozen krill, in addition to what the tank is already getting, would be sufficient? There are plenty of snails in the bottom that I'm OK with them becoming snacks, and there are even more empty snail shells that the puffer will eventually find...

Is there any other advice that experienced SW Puffer owners have for me?

 

[dragonfisher33]

doesn't matter what kind of puffer you ended up choosing, but when in the QT tank, a nice dose(s) of internal parasite med would be GREATLY recommended. watch out for outgrowing teeth and i would say more snails/clams or inverts with hard shells are needed in the long term, you have no idea how fast a single puffer goes through them. other than that, nice little fish with tons of personality

 

[AdamHorton]

I've used PraziPro for the tangs, is this along the lines of the treatment you're suggesting?

 

[dragonfisher33]

I've used PraziPro for the tangs, is this along the lines of the treatment you're suggesting?

precisely, it's even better if you have some garlic supplement as well for immune system while preventing internal parasites

 

[bribo12]

I have no experience with puffs but I really like dog face puffers.

 

[J.Mcpeak]

I have a figure 8, T Biocellatus. It's really small maybe 5cms/2in. I've kept this one for 5-6 years. It will eat 4-10 snails a day and/or half a cube of chopped mussel. In fact it will easily eat more but that is my limit on it's feeding. It grows ok, the belly is an easy indicator on amount to feed. They need something crunchy, you could keep some snails in a separate tank bred as live food. This is what I do, I have a freshwater tank with fish and plants and no snail eaters. Free food just as nature intended. If left to its own devices I assume all puffers are the same, they just swim about biting at whatever they consider dinner. I learnt this with my first one, I put in 20 plus snails thinking when they run out I'll add more, the fish ate them all, it's belly looked fit to burst, I mean it literally doubled its weight and size in belly. It really looked like an 8 from the side!

 

[dragonfisher33]

my vote goes to porcupine puffer. darn little cute thing is just too irresistible. you have no idea how bad i felt when i learned that i couldn't add it to my reef tank.