Can Puffers Live In Community Tropical

[jenny6165]

i was at my lfs today and there was a really lovely puffer fish in there. he couldnt go in a community cos they apparently eat smaller fish,.
anyway, i asked if there were puffers that could go in a community, and he said that there was smaller ones that could.

does anyone know what puffers he might be talking about, cos i cant seem to find any info on them. the only ones ive found are said to be aggressive or need saltwater

 

[nmonks]

Almost no commonly traded pufferfish is a good community fish. The most reliable exceptions are a few of the marine species, particularly the shortnose puffers, Canthigaster spp., which are generally pretty well behaved. The South American puffer Colomesus asellus can work well with fast tetras and barbs, but it is a fin-nipper and will go for slow species, particularly livebearers and Corydoras catfish. Among the brackish species, figure-8s, Tetraodon biocellatus can sometimes work, but they're aggressive for their size, and some specimens are fin-nippers.

The best thing is to choose a pufferfish, and create a tank specifically for that species. Some of the small ones can work well even in 10-20 gallon tanks, so setting up a single-species aquarium isn't especially onerous.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[SugarQube]

I was told I could have pygmy puffers so I bought 4, I had to take them back as they played havoc in my community tank and terrorised everyone After more research found as they got older they would be aggresive with each other as well, also they need snails to help grind their teeth down that says it all really . I called them my yellow submarines but believe me name changed quite quicky to the taliban gang I still like to have a look at them in the LFS I love their eyes and they look so sweet hmmm I learnt the hard way

 

[raptorrex]

I was told I could have pygmy puffers so I bought 4, I had to take them back as they played havoc in my community tank and terrorised everyone After more research found as they got older they would be aggresive with each other as well, also they need snails to help grind their teeth down that says it all really . I called them my yellow submarines but believe me name changed quite quicky to the taliban gang I still like to have a look at them in the LFS I love their eyes and they look so sweet hmmm I learnt the hard way

yep me too, in one day out the next with most of my fishes fins inside it!!!

 

[DarkEntity]

the simple answer is ~NO~

Puffer should be a single species tank.

 

[SLC Flyfishing]

I've been a vocal advocate of mixing some puffers in community settings in the past, I still think that in the correct setting this can be safely done but I am beginning to realise that most if not all others have had difficulties doing this. Basically if you want a puffer in a community get a single dwarf puffer, get lots of plants and decor to allow for territorial claiming and let other fish stay out of the puffers immediate presence and keep it well fed. If you will do all this then I'd say to give it a try, but beware that some puffers are especially neurotic and won't be kept from agression no matter how hard you try so keep a close eye on it's behavior for the first few days. It's really a risk to mix puffers with others, and one that many aren't willing to attempt but when it is sucessfully done it's quite rewarding.

SLC

 

[jenny6165]

its a shame they cant live in a community . they are really beautiful fish

 

[SugarQube]

I really like them as well, one day would like to have them again in their own tank they swim so gracefully but are nasty little things

 

[beechey]

mine is quite peaceful it used to always pick on one angel fish but dont never seem bothered about the angel fish now and just does his own thing....

mines a spotted puffer

 

[SugarQube]

mine is quite peaceful it used to always pick on one angel fish but dont never seem bothered about the angel fish now and just does his own thing....

mines a spotted puffer

Did you give him some diazepam or take his teeth out by any chance

 

[beechey]

na i think i justed got a really chilled out one ... he loves getting fresh river shrip think ive spoilled him thats why ...

 

[Fella]

the simple answer is ~NO~

Puffer should be a single species tank.

I disagree with this statement.

I've successfully kept together C.irrubesco (red eye red tail)and C. asellus (SAP). I've also kept C.irrubesco and C.travancoricus (dwarf), and I know many others that have too. Some have also kept t.palambengensis (humpback)with t.suvattii (arrowhead) together, and other variations on the theme have been attempted as well.

However, as a rule of thumb, it is never worth mixing species unless you have a suitable contingency plan. I've always had somewhere to move my puffers to if they have been unable to get on with each other, with a spare cycled tank at the ready.

Keeping puffers in a community can be very difficult, and I certainly wouldn't recommend it to beginners. I'd always be wary of doing it, and if possible, avoid it.