fresh water puffers ?

[james]

i'm looking to buy a fresh water puffer and i would like to know what puffers you'll prefer as far as looks , compatiblity with other fish or other puffers , feeding/food , and anything else you'll can think of. submit pix of your puffer and species.

thanks james

[dblondfemme]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

the fugu puffer is sold as fresh water but lives much longer and happier in brackish.  I do not know of many that live a long life with other fish. Or rather I don't know of fish who live a long life with puffers.  I had a fugu that was awesome.  He loved to bury himself in cichlid sand and await dinner.  I fed him blood worms and feeder rosys.  He lived a couple of months with a ghost shrimp he decided to eat.  He was very entertaining and worth the investment.  His name was H.R. (as in Puff-n-Stuff)

[fishlady]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=25172

i have 2 of these little guys.....they are soooooo cute.....they eat flake and blood worms.....i put a snail in there with them but they haven't touched it yet.....their little bellies get so big when they pig out on the blood worms though.....
my little guys are affectionatly called
Charlie
Kirby

[Brownsnoutuk]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

http://houstonfishbox.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=4491&highlight=puffer

[SteveCGG]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

I had a spotted puffer, originally brackish, acclimated him to freshwater and he hung out with malawi cichilds for about 4 years, then I acclimated him to my saltwater tank. He lived for about 12 years, even through all the changes and moves all over the country. He was very friendly and would eat out of my fingers.

[imagirlgeek]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

We have 2 of the same kind as fishlady and absolutely love them!  

They eat bloodworms, mysis shrimp, frozen cocktail shrimp, pond snails on occasion, rosy red feeders, and here lately (someone please chime in on this) Cichlid Excel pellets.  I soak the pellets until they are puffy and soft for our Trophs, and dropped one in with the puffers the other day because they were begging and they LOVED it.  They now eat about 6 pellets a piece each night.  I think they'd eat more but I'm afraid their guts will pop.  Any reason I shouldn't be doing this?

[imagirlgeek]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

Oh yeah...forgot to say that our 2 puffers live together happily in a 20 gallon tank.  We separated them for a couple days and one of them stopped eating so we put them back together and they are back to normal.  

We had 1 living in a tank with Tropheus for about 48 hours and he didn't bother them at all.  But it made me nervous, so I wouldn't suggest it especially with their dietary differences.  And puffers are really messy eaters.  

This is Thumper....

[fishlady]

Re: fresh water puffers ?






i'm not the photographer that traci or cichlidfan is....and i dont have an aquarium setting on my camera...but here's my little guys....
Charlie (the bigger one)....and Kirby (the little guy).....they are in a holding hatchery until their tank is ready....but they so amuse me ....when they eat they become nothing but swimming bellies..... ....they are such little pigs when it comes to their blood worms.....i'll try to get better pictures when i have them in their tank.....

[imagirlgeek]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

Charlie and Kirby are so cute!!    I bet they are characters too.  

How big are they?  What all are you feeding them?  Have they talked to you yet?  Tell me everything!

[fishlady]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

no they haven't talked to me yet....but they are getting close i think.....
i'm feeding them flake and blood worms.....
and yes they are characters indeed.....they tickle me so with their big bellies after they gorge themselves with blood worms....
they are so tiny as of yet.....i got them when we toured the Fish Gallery.....so i haven't had them very long.....
but they do wink at me now and then...... :wink:

i love them dearly.....they are sooooooo cute........

i'll keep you updated as their vocabulary expands......

[imagirlgeek]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

Ours didn't talk (unless they were mad) until we started feeding pellets.  Now they chatter up a storm when we plop some of those in there.  

I tend to soak them until they have a soft outside and a crunchy center, and like your little guys, they will just gorge themselves!

Yes, please do keep me updated!

[fishlady]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

i'm going to start introducing new foods to them...i put a couple of very small soft shelled snails in there and they are still there.....they didn't eat them or touch them for that matter..... :? .....i will start giving them some shrimp soon....they are so tiny still....i want them to get somewhat bigger before i get too extravegant on their diets......as long as they are eating what they have now i'm happy...and they seem to be too....so we'll watch them grow some....

i'll try that soaking pellets though...they may like that.....

[imagirlgeek]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

I think they must grow pretty quick.  I was out of town for 5 days (which was pure torture being away from them) and when I got back I thought "MAN!  What has guygeek been feeding you guys?!  You are HUGE".  It was like they had grown a 1/2 inch while I was gone!  I'm pretty sure it's just perception, but it sure seemed like they had a growth spurt or something.  

[fishlady]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

good...i can't wait for my little one's to get bigger.....i'll be putting them in their own tank soon ...i'm still cycling it for them.....i know they will be happier in a bigger place....but i wanted to make certain i set them up just right.....they are very tiny and so precious to me.....


i know being away from all your babies must've been horrific for you.....glad you made it back safe too......

[imagirlgeek]

Re: fresh water puffers ?

I can't wait to see pics of them in their new digs.  I saw the pic of the tank on another thread and it looks great!  I have no doubt they are going to love it.

This trip was to Boston so I had no fear about returning safe.  Bolivia is going to be early April...that's the one that has me nervous, but I'm checking into the collection possibility and hopefully I can come back with some great fish!  <crossing>

guygeek sent me photos of the fish while I was in Boston, and here's one after Choppers had a 'pellet party'.  He's all belly!!