Saltwater & Reef

lyquidphyre · 07-25-2004, 09:30 AM

For the past several months, on and off, I have read up on puffers. I emptied out my 29 gal to specifically have a puffer tank. Now that I am getting closer to actually buying them im kinda afraid I will mess up.

As much as I read information, I just like having someone to say "What you are doing/about to do is correct, good job!" hehe just as reassurance.

I know I don't want dwarf puffers. But after that, im not sure. Figure 8's and spotted are BW and SA's are FW, right? How difficult is BW maintanence?
With those three mentioned above how many of each species can be kept (safely) in a 29 gal? Isn't the rule every puffer needs 10 gals of space?

Food and teeth "filing" I understand and am not worried about. Its just the quantity and water conditions that concern me.

I believe someone at my LFS said I could keep tiger babrs with puffers... is that true? Or would that not be advised in such a small tank?

Also, I asked a question at the end of someone elses thread about plecos.. but I figured I will mention it again here-
for the time being my 6-7in sail fin pleco is in my 29 gal (until I get my 75gal up and running). Will he be okay in there with any species of puffers? Or should I just wait to move him before I add puffers?

If anyone could personally answer my questions AND send me to some good links to read up some more I would greatly appreciate it. (I tried searching for the puffer articles but couldn't find them.. all i found was the puffer forum, which helped a little)

LittlePuff · 07-25-2004, 11:08 AM

You are right about the ones that are brachish v. fresh. I haven't messed with brackish, so I don't know much about that. I wouldn't keep barbs with puffers.The pleco will probably be OK with non-brackish puffers, but puffers are messy and plecos are WAY messy. Puffers like pristine water conditions. Ten gal per puffer sounds good unless you get some of the larger ones.

www.thepufferforum.com.

Kim 8)

puffergirl · 07-25-2004, 12:02 PM

Welcome to the world of puffers! They are great fish with lots of personality. You are right about the different species of puffers. The brackish puffers do get a little large (green spotted and figure eight), I would only suggest one of these in a tank your size. If you decided on freshwater SA puffers they stay small about 2-3 inch max and enjoy to be together with its own kind. They are not as aggresive as the brackish species. As you know you will have to do some teeth trimming with the SA puffers, which is not that bad. Dwarf puffers are small and like to be kept with its own kind, you could have a few of them in your tank.
As for your pleco....if you decide to go brackish I would wait as the brackish puffers can be nippy and aggresive. With SA puffers you will be fine, I have my two SA puffers in with angels! Tiger barbs are a bad idea though they are way to fin nippy and fast for the puffers.
Good luck with you choice!

TankGirl · 07-25-2004, 01:02 PM

I have kept tiger barbs with dwarf puffers and everything was fine - they kept to themselves. The tiger barbs are much faster and feeding as a minor issue, with the barbs getting much of the food before the puffers. I fed flake first so the barbs would be less ravenous, then the puffer's food second.

I think it might depend on individuals, though, and as a rule I think puffers are best kept in species tanks. Plecos might stand a better chance than other more free swimming fish.

Fruitbat · 07-25-2004, 01:17 PM

Puffers are the fish spawn of Satan's loins!!

I watched one of the little vermin rip the gill cover completely off a Rope Fish (Erpetoichthys calabaricus) after it had practically removed the poor Polypterid's entire tail and most of its dorsal finlets. All I could think of was how much pleasure I would get seeing that same puffer disappearing down the gullet of a larger, more aggressive Polypterus endlicheri!!!

Personal feelings aside....sounds like you're ready for your puffers! Personally I wouldn't put anything in with the evil, verminous things.

Fruitbat · 07-25-2004, 01:17 PM

Oh....by the way....can you tell that I am NOT a fan of puffers???

TankGirl · 07-25-2004, 04:28 PM

Nope. Hadn't noticed.... 8O

I had some go off on each other, dwarfs, when I removed the tiger barbs to be placed in a larger tank, as they were outgrowing the 15. It is not easy to catch tiger barbs, so it was a slightly stressful episode, and the 4 dwarf puffers in there lost it. They literally tear each other apart, like a dog shaking a rag doll to pieces. I wound up with one survivor - took mere minutes for this to happen, and I returned him to the LFS. It was traumatic for me, but I do think I will keep them again, oddly enough. Now I know to disrupt the tank as little as possible, and would probably keep them species-only in the future.
I have my eye on a SA.