# Freshwater Puffer Fish?



## MXS (Jul 8, 2009)

Hey everyone, I recently discovered that there are freshwater puffer fish 

I was wondering if anyone here has one, and could tell me what I need to know about them if I was going to get one. 

I was thinking about putting it in a 2 Gallon all by itself, then someone told me that a 2 gallon wasn't enough room. I have a 10 gallon I could use, but I wanted to put Albino Corys in there along with a few other small fish, wouldn't it attack them? I heard they're aggressive...

Hope I'm posting this in the right place, I just joined....


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

Yes they are aggressive and normally do better in a brackish water aquarium. A 10 gallon also won't be suitable to keep them in for their whole life. They eat snails, which is why They have such a powerful beak as opposed to a "normal" fish mouth. That beak can do some real damage to any fish it doesn't like.


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## StripesAndFins (Dec 31, 2008)

Tallone, you could keep 1-2 dwarf puffers in a 10 gallon tank for their whole lives. and i dont think they require any salt. but the need a species tank so no other fish. i dont have much experience, and what i learned mainly came from www.dwarfpuffers.com. good luck!


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## SouthernBelle23 (Mar 24, 2009)

Welcome to FF!

Yes Dwarf Puffers are totally freshwater...no salt for them. They are tiny, but aggressive little things. In a 10g, I suggest a trio (1m/2f). You'll want alot of decorations and/or plants (real or fake) to help with aggression. I wouldn't keep cories with them or anything else really. Some people have good luck with Otocinclus, but you'd be risking it by trying them IMO.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

I wasn't thinking of dwarf puffers, but you have to make sure they have been completely transitioned to fresh because they are a brackish water fish and if they aren't transitioned right then they will have a very hard time living lol


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## SouthernBelle23 (Mar 24, 2009)

For which puffers? Dwarf puffers are strictly fresh and have never been in brackish. If a store is keeping them in brackish, they are mistaken and they won't live long at all in brackish.


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## Tallonebball (Apr 6, 2009)

HAHA I was still not talking about dwarf puffers lol I'm out of it today lol


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## SouthernBelle23 (Mar 24, 2009)

Haha.... I didn't think you were, just making sure though.  Alot of brackish puffers are sold as freshwater though. It definitely pays to research before buying puffers. There are some really cool looking freshwater puffers (besides dwarves) but they are just about all too big for a 10g.


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## StripesAndFins (Dec 31, 2008)

you might also be able to put a Figure 8 puffer in. they only get 3.5" and many places say 10 gal min. i have no experience with them but i have read much about them and i almost decided to get one for my 12 gallon. 
and i think red-eyed puffers dont get that big either, but i have no experience either.
http://www.pufferlist.com/ this is a good site for puffers
Good luck


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## flamingo (Nov 5, 2005)

Figure 8's are brackish, and will need a bigger tank than a ten gallon.
Red eyes are very cool puffers, would suggest a bigger tank. They're also more aggressive then most, and "generally" won't tolerate any tankmates, at least IME.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Also, dwarf puffers apparently do not NEED snails, but they will still eat them. 
I found this out on a puffer forum. Their beaks won't overgrow without snails.


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## AcidSurfer (Feb 21, 2010)

*Brackish & Freshwater Puffers*

Yes, many major retailers (like Wal-Mart) sell puffers like the green spotted puffer as a freshwater fish when it is actually brackish.










I have seen this myself. 
They have really cool colors and have a unique way of swimming, I was planning to get one, but with research I found that they are strictly brackish marine puffers, and only will stay on freshwater until they are about two inches long. After that, they will eventually die.


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2010)

actually there is a true fresh water puffer. its called the Malabar Puffer. its not brackish. its native to the malabar coast in india. its found in a river about 120 kms from where i am physically located.


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## hXcChic22 (Dec 26, 2009)

Yep, and they are feisty mean little things for being so tiny. They nipped our loaches and even our Dragon Goby.


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## smark (Dec 2, 2008)

I keep my daughters Pea puffer in a 5 gallon tank with lots of deco in it. They like plants to rest in and hide.


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## Guest (Mar 11, 2010)

oh yea. very fiesty. downright nasty!


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## JoeCoolTM (Mar 16, 2010)

yeah i got a red eyed puffer (female) and shes never really been agressive but i got her when she was smaller and i had her with 6 platys right off the back and shes "grown up" with them maybe thats why but shes a beauty and fun to watch, easy to care for


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