Figure 8 Puffer Vs Dwarf Puffer

[Gavin3171]

After doing alot of reading online i have decided i will just ask questions instead.

1. is the figure 8 puffer ok for freshwater? I read they need brackish water (salty)
2. Is the figure 8 a larger puffer over the dwarf?
3. How many dwarf or figure 8 puffers could i keep in a 65L tank
4. will they be ok with my loaches? I have pakistani loaches... and two mollys.

The reason i ask is my LFS has dwarf puffers but they are quite expensive compared to my other LFS that has the figure 8 puffers @ £7.50 each?

 

[MBOU]

1- Yes, technically the Figures 8s are freshwater but for them to be healthy, they need to be brackish, they dont tolerate ANY nitrates and UK tap water has nitrates and often really high nitrates in! They end up getting white spot, fungus or bacterial problems in the long run... if making a project out of it... its not difficult to go brackish!

2- Yes, Figure 8s get much larger than the pygmy puffers, though as puffers go, not big at all, about 8-10cm absolutely tops!

3- Max of two Figure 8s in the tank, they arent really tolerant of each other, more than that and they will probably kill each other... Pygmy Puffers im less sure on, though still only in the 6-8 range with lots of hiding places...

4- No. Neither species will tolerate other fish and both will kill fish considerably larger than themselves! They might get on for a while/as long as it takes to actually catch them... I had a pair of pygmy puffers in my 250L tank overnight when a neighbour dumped them on me and my poor discus nearly died of terror. Huge discus... size of a plate and more than capable of eating fish so small were all crammed on their sides in a top corner while the puffers kept attacking them!

You would need to rehome your other fish before considering getting any puffer fish.

Dwarf puffers are more expensive as there is a much higher demand for them as you could keep a few in a small tank and not need salt...

 

[Aquascaper]

I may be wrong but don't dwarf puffers require brackish water as well once they reach maturity or is that GSP's?

Certainly the best way is to use RO water and be religious with water changes to keep nitrates minimal, even go as far as running nitrazorb as well.

They are definitely a species only fish but have masses of character and can be quite interactive if they feel at hone in the tank.

 

[Gavin3171]

As far as i can see online the dwarfs dont require any salt so that makes them slightly easier to look after. They definatly have masses of character.

 

[Aquascaper]

I would like to convince the kids to have some in the new 64l they got at the weekend, so far they want dwarf frogs and 'pretty' fish

 

[Gavin3171]

Oh you can have some of my fish if thats what they want. Lol.