puffers....

[Art_Gecko101]

Hi all, im buying some new fish for my community tropical tank, its 4ft and got various gourami, tetra and catfish in at the moment, as well as some clown loaches and my lovely plec. I've always longed after a puffer of some description, but know that certain species can be too aggressive for a community set up.

I've been recommended spotted and pygmy puffers, but does anyone else have any suggestions?

[Duzzie]

I have both GSPs and Dwarfs but wouldn't put either in a community tank for the following reason.

GSPs are brackish fish. They will survive in fresh but need brackish to thrive. Putting them in fresh water will shorten their lives.

Dwarfs are aggressive little beggers. Don't be mislead by their size. they are very teritorial and can ve very aggressive.

Im not sure, but have heard of amazon puffers being kept in community tanks but i don't know how successfully.

Just my tupence worth,

Duzzie

[Art_Gecko101]

Thanks for that, i dont want to risk my current fish, or shorten its life hence the research before hand, as every fish store clerk has a different opinion!

do you know of any fresh water puffers?

[WeThePeople]

There are loads of freshwater puffers mate, but none of them really community fish. The only time ive kept them with others was an mbu puffer, i kept that with freshwater stingrays the tank was big enough that any contact was almost none exhistant though.

[Art_Gecko101]

i'm working at the london aquarium at the moment and the rays are just stunning, i dont think i'd buy one unless it was CB though knowing whhat i now do about their situation. Very cool though! we have a blue spotted stingray that is just amazing! marine though obvs.

I've been doing a bit of reading on the more common freshwater, and the amazon seems to be by far the best choice, this site seems to think so particularly anyway!
Amazon Puffer, South American Freshwater Puffer, Bee Puffer, Asell's Puffer, Brazilian Puffer Colomesus asellus

I cant find much about price and availability of these though? anyone own 1 or seen any for sale?

[Duzzie]

AFAIK, amazons are one of the more placid of the puffers. I've seen them for sale here in my LFS but as its in Dublin, I doubt that helps you much. Not sure what they charged for them but I'd expect them to be a similar price to GSPs and Figure-8s.

Duzzie

[WeThePeople]

My LFS shop sells them too but they have a sign saying they dont tend to last too long if your water levels are not spot on. They follow your finger across the glass too

Cowfish are the daddy though they will swim up to the surface and spit at you, go down to the botton, pick up a pebble and spit that at you too Marine only though.

[Art_Gecko101]

Oh hell yea i love those and dogfaces!

The absolute best (and to be honest the reason for my renewed enthusiasm for looking into puffers) is one particular Porcupine puffer called Cheeky! He's at the london aquarium, and is called cheeky cause if you dont feed him soon enough he spits water at you! and he eats from your fingers and is just generally my little darling! (not forgetting Boris the tiger shovel nosed catfish and the snowflake moray that are also on my rounds)

i've got a slight problem with 1 of my clown loaches that has arisn this weekend so will be buying a water test kit soon anyway, so fingers crossed i can make it perfect enough for an amazon!

any other puffer keepers? or any cool recommendations for a 4ft community tank?!

[emma1974]

i also had a mbu very very placid but can grow very big and very quick mine was 4inch when i bought him and about 10inch 6months later and never even looked at another fish for his dinner.but having said all of that it is down to the fish,if he wants to eat you angels etc he will.i would also like to add 6ft minimum tank size for a mbu.

[fridayman]

I really wanted to get some puffers when I set my tank up, but was also told that they aren't really good community fish and that most require brackish water. They are also very prone to disease such as white spot - since I was told this I have noticed quite a few with it in shops.

I added some Rainbows (Banded Rainbow (Melanotaenia trifasciata) with photo / picture) to my tank this weekend. They are beautiful fish that appear silver at first but keep changing from red to blue to silver as they swin around (very hypnotising to watch them). The biggest surprise has been the effect that they have had on the tank community. I added 6 of them to my tank and within a couple of hours the Danios (9 of them that have gotten quite big and think they own the tank) and Hatchetts (3 silver and 1 shy marbled) joined them and the whole lot are happly schoaling now. Even the Mono's seem more chilled out and less territorial.