# Puffer Fish for Freshwater Aquariums



## Shark Bite (Apr 14, 2011)

I'm interested in getting a Puffer for my tank either a:
!.) Peruvian Puffer
2.) Green Spotted Puffer
I don't know much about them.

1. Are they aggressive towards other fish?
I ask because I have Platies, 2 Danios and a Red Fined Shark.

2. Do they nip?
I heard most puffers are notorious nippers of fins of flashy fish.

3. Are they brackish, or freshwater fish?


Thanks for the help.


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## spypet (Jul 27, 2007)

yes, yes, yes
don't get one,
you'll regret it.


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## Franco (Jun 25, 2010)

I've had figure 8s, green spotted, and indian dwarf puffers in the past. Only the green spotted was aggressive at all to other fish. I also converted him over to full saltwater because he was deathly ill being kept in FW by the previous owner. The figure 8 I had was in a brackish tank with mollys and wouldn't even eat their babies. It wasn't even a picky eater and would eat the tetramin tropic crisps as its staple diet + snails. The Indian dwarves never touched another fish but would chase other other fish away from their areas. They were a little harder to feed though and I had to have a 30 gallon daphnia culture running all the time to keep up with them + mosquito larvae and frozen bloodworms. I think docile puffers are just hit or miss. Some of them are mean and some aren't. I would stay away from GSP though unless you are wanting to switch to full salt. Mine was emaciated and 3 inches long when I rescued him from a friend but grew to 7 inches in 4 months in a 100 gal SW tank I was caring in a lab at Iowa State. That was 3 years ago and she is still in excellent condition and 9 inches long. She eats 5 inch crayfish but leaves the little reef fish alone as long as she is well fed.


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## Gordonrichards (Apr 28, 2009)

My dwarf puffs hang out together, there is never any fighting in the tank. Really a fun fish to have.

If you decide to get puffs, I highly suggest you provide them with a good source of snails.

-Gordon


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## rod (Aug 10, 2005)

franko, How did you convert your puffer to saltwater? My GSP is about 10years old now and he is doing fine so I've been reluctant to change him over. (If it aint broak don't fix it). 
Yes every puffer is different. I once bought guppies to feed the puffers, (used to be two of them till the heater stuck on one day while I was at work) something different for them. I had to tear the tank apart to get all the guppies out. The puffers never ate one. The only fish I've ever seen them bother is when my pleco has babbies they will hunt them down.


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## Franco (Jun 25, 2010)

I didn't really convert her at all. I just drip acclimated her over an hour. Within 2 days her belly whitened up and her colors improved. Within 2 weeks she was fat and sassy from munching on crayfish tails. As she started to get bigger we just threw in live crayfish and she would systematically rip them to shreds. First claws, then face, then legs, then tail, then she would suck out the guts. She did it the same way every time. She put on 4 inches in 4 months. Last I saw her she was 9 inches. Biggest puffer of any kind that I've seen in an aquarium.


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## Diana K (Dec 20, 2007)

To acclimate a fish to salt water the most conservative way set up the fish in a quarantine tank, and with every water change make the water a little bit saltier, using the salt and mineral blend sold for marine tanks. Increasing the TDS by about 15% twice a week is safe for most fish.

Drip acclimating is OK for small changes, but most fish cannot handle that great a change in TDS over such a short time.

For more puffer info, have a look here:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/
I have linked the fresh water puffers part of their 'pufferpedia'


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## Emily6 (Feb 14, 2006)

I had a pea puffer in a 100% freshwater community tank (never did my homework first) and he was incredibly well behaved- an instant favorite! The only problem was that we had a male beta in the tank as well and the beta found something about the pea puffer movement irresistible- wouldn't leave the puffer alone. So the beta went into isolation.

We had the puffer fish for over a year when I had to move and he didn't adjust well to the new tank set up. Moving always sucks for fish.


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## Muirner (Jan 9, 2007)

Do you think that having a small colony of these with a pair of orange cockatoo cichlids?? I just found a pair tonight and have a 55gallon tank i was going to put 6 DP's in. It's heavily planted. I just dont think the orange cocks will do well in a 10g vs the 55


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## superg05 (May 17, 2011)

i was actually shocked 3 weeks ago when i walked int walmart and saw spotted green puffs i almost sh!ted :jaw: myself and they where so darn cute staring at me with those big eyes


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## 21windowsamba (Nov 8, 2006)

I think the dwarf puffers are cool too. I had several in my nano tank and they do take care of snails especially if you have an infestation


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## abufisher (Jun 17, 2011)

i had a spotted puffer.. just 1 in my community tank... its actually loving it hahaha... its only there to eat snails lol. maybe thats why its thriving... in the tank.. platys, mollys, rainbows, neons, blackskirts, 1 angel, rubber nose. zebra loach to eat snails, and 2 assassin snails to help kill the snails... dont really see much killing going on but thats basically what i have with my puffer.


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## rod (Aug 10, 2005)

What kind of Puffer is that in the pic? Itlooks like a saltwater.


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