Freshwater Puffers

[josh_g]

Hi they have some MBU puffers for sale at my lfs for £80 each. I love these fish but I also know how big and aggressive they get and don't really want one taking chunks out of my cichlids so what I am wondering if there is any freshwater puffers that get large but not as big as the MBU that will be compatible with my two oscars and green sev in my 130gal? Or am i just dreaming? Thanks

 

[Wills]

Dreaming Im afraid. Closest things are South American Puffers but I wouldnt risk it they are better off in a tank based around them rather than adding them to a mixed tank.

Dont get the Mbu either, they are huge huge fish and to keep them you need truely massive tanks. They are actually not that aggressive in the right kind of tank but they are just too big for most people to handle. Your talking thousands of gallons rather than hundreds.

Wills

 

[josh_g]

Yeah i knew i was dreaming really just thought i'd ask. Don't worry I wouldn't buy the MBU I know how big they can get. Stunning fish though. Might set up my old fluval roma 240 and go on the hunt for a smaller freshwater puffer. Really want one know I didn't realise there was so many though. Cheers Wills

 

[Wills]

A Roma 240 would be a great tank for SAPs - ask Minnnt about them and No Body of the Goat and of course the board expert Neale Monks all know a fair bit about them.

The good thing about SAPs is that they are quite sociable and do well in groups I know Minnnt did 3 or 4 in a 125 so in a 240 you would be looking at a great sized group

Wills

 

[josh_g]

Yeah I think a group of South American puffers would look nice lots of live plants, it's just convincing the misses that wont be so easy I love the little red eye red tailed puffers do you know if these are hard to come by?

 

[minnnt]

Neale will be by far the best person to ask, but from my experience with SAP's i would say that the 240 would be an excellent tank for them. You would easilly be able to house 8-10 (imo) in a tank of that size. You could have a heavily planted tank with a very different stock!! They like a tonne of hardscape to create a maze of tunnels for them to constantly explore. Mine only ate live/frozen foods so bare this in mind if you do go with them. I also stocked Otocinclus with mine which they never shown any interest in but as for other tankmates, best to give them a miss.

The main thing to provide them with is flow... and plenty of it.

 

[Donna_G]

Wildwoods stock the red tailed red eye puffer quite frequently, and they do deliver if its too far away. I had my Congo puffer delivered from them, well packaged

 

[josh_g]

Ok cheers for the replys guys think I might try and go with a group of the red eye red tailed puffers if there not to expensive. Gotta get my garage properly insulated so I can turn it into my fish/frog room