# Puffer Fish



## Deeks (Apr 23, 2003)

I saw a couple of puffer fish at my LFS and they look really cool. There are species for salt water, fresh water and brackish. Does anyone have any experience with any of these fish? What are your thoughts?


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

I don't own any, but I hear most of them are as aggressive as f*ck and won't tolerate anything in the tank with em

hit up this forum:
http://www.predatoryfish.net/ibforums/inde...php?act=SF&f=25


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## mak (May 7, 2003)

I have two dwarf Puffers. They are very picky eaters, mine won't eat anything but snails, pea sized and smaller or microworms. They are very aggressive for such tiny fish and I've had to move some fish around for this reason. You don't want them in with any fish that are even a little bit aggressive as puffers are able to pack about 10 times as much punch as their size would indicate. The fish they are in with should know to turn and run. I have mine in with 4 aenaeus corries, a pleco, 3 female guppies and varying numbers of guppy fry. I hoped the puffs would eat some of the guppy fry but that didn't happen.
The female puffer likes to sneak up on the corries and bite their dorsal or tail every chance she gets, my corries have become quite paranoid and neurotic as a result and jump at the turn of a leaf. I am working on setting up a tank where I'll just have puffer fish but I want to wait until I can get a few more and introduce them all at the same time. The males are very territorial and will fight to the death during breeding season and since I already have a male I'm going to add about 3 more females.
Puffers are great fish with loads of personality but I would recommend you deside which type you want and then research it thoroughly, there are some great puffer sites on the net with all the info you would need to keep everything from Mbu to dwarves. 
mak


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## Bcollins111900 (Feb 3, 2003)

I have a Fahaka Puffer that is 7" and a 4" Red Eye Puffer. They are both very agressive but the Fahaka hands down in alot more agressive. He will eventually grow to the size of a large football and require a large tank along the lines of a minimum of 125 gallons. He eats everything u drop in there to him. Both of my puffers are freshwater fish but I really do like them alot. I highyl recomend them to anyone as they are great fish and have sweet personalities.


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## yonderway (Apr 28, 2003)

I have had many many puffers over the years, and yes there are some nasty aggressive ones. At the _very least_ they are curious fin nippers (and have teeth). I have had a few puffers that had to be kept in solitary confinement. But I've had other that got along pretty well with other fishes that could hold their own.

So tell us what species you're looking at and if it's something I've kept before I'll relate some personal experience.

Puffers are without a doubt one of the _coolest_ families of fishes out there. But it is also large & diverse. Don't be discouraged because a couple of popular species have gotten a bad rep for aggression.


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## thePACK (Jan 3, 2003)

Bcollins111900 said:


> I have a Fahaka Puffer that is 7" and a 4" Red Eye Puffer. They are both very agressive but the Fahaka hands down in alot more agressive. He will eventually grow to the size of a large football and require a large tank along the lines of a minimum of 125 gallons. He eats everything u drop in there to him. Both of my puffers are freshwater fish but I really do like them alot. I highyl recomend them to anyone as they are great fish and have sweet personalities.


 any pic..me wanna see


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## Deeks (Apr 23, 2003)

Thanks guys. I was planning on getting a couple of black water puffers. Anyone have experience with this species?


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## Innes (Jan 13, 2003)

I have not had that species, but I have always had bad luck with puffers - they always die in my tanks


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## dead golfish (Apr 24, 2003)

bcollins you got an alligator wholy sh*t can I see some pics man thats so sick

how big will it get?


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## piranha45 (Apr 8, 2003)

dead golfish said:


> bcollins you got an alligator wholy sh*t can I see some pics man thats so sick
> 
> how big will it get?


 a good number of pet shops sell caimans and alligators...


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## yonderway (Apr 28, 2003)

Alligators? That's nothin. You can easily get Nile Crocodiles now via the herp shows.


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## o snap its eric (Feb 19, 2003)

i have had dwarf,fig 8,spotted,red eye,cyelons before. red eyes by far at the craziest puffers youc an find at the size of 5" and less. a puffer community is very cool. they are so cute, always have girls compliment on the fish when they come to my house.

yes they are extemely easy to keep. just make shure before you buy them, have the lfs feed them and see it eat first. although i kept all thsoe puffers in one tank and some are bw and fw i just added 1 tsp of salt per 5g. =)


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## BiteMeNipMe (Apr 26, 2003)

I have 2 pygmi puffers, which I told everybody they're dead in the monrning and I found them ressurected







in the afternoon. I put them in a bucket ready for disposal outside before I went for work, I dunno maybe too much ammonia concentration in the tank water or just played dead. Other points I can add to other comments:

1. Not all of them are aggressive. Mine arent at all.
2. They're very afraid of black/white striped cichlids (convicts?) I dunno why.
3. Salt isn't that necessary. (this is particularly for fluorescent pygmies originally from India)
4. They won't eat anything except for live bloodworm in my case. And no one present near them.
5. Don't stare them for too long, you'll get dizzy. (bobbing up and down all the time)
6. Don't like strong current.
7. Survive in cold water (like Ryukin Goldfish) but will die immediately in sudden water change esp. temp
8. They're solitary fish, but they like people looking at them. Will follow your movements !!! (VERY CUTE) :smile:

That's all folks


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## Bcollins111900 (Feb 3, 2003)

going to post a pic tomorrow of my fahaka and her.......EGGS!


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## BiteMeNipMe (Apr 26, 2003)

Ah yeah...forgot

9. Chicks love them. Or love guys who own them (maybe)








10. NO DONT ROLL THEM IN RICE AND SEAWEED!!! THEY'RE NOT THE SAME W/ FUGUS!!!!


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## Bcollins111900 (Feb 3, 2003)

yep seen a nile croc many of times, held a 3 footer at a reptile show before, sweet animals but very agrresive.


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