*There are 3 different types of puffer fish. Those that live in fresh water, brackish water or salt water (marine).

*If setting up a brackish or salt water tank, be sure to use marine mix salt, which provides essential minerals, which raise the water’s hardness and pH. Do not use regular aquarium salt!

*Puffers are a sensitive, scale-less, and specialized fish. They require excellent water conditions and so, are not a good fish for the beginning fishkeeper. Frequent water changes (e.g. 25% every week) are needed to maintain excellent water conditions.

*The water temperature requirement for most puffers is 78-80?F (25.5-26.5?C). Some marine puffers may require higher temperatures.

*A high quality multi-purpose water conditioner, such as Prime or AmQuel & NovAqua in combination, is best. These conditioners detoxify chloramines, chlorine, ammonia, heavy metals and benefit the fish’s slime coat.

*Most smaller puffers require at least a 15-20 gallon aquarium or larger. The larger T. fahakas and puffers of like size, require a minimum of a 55-gallon tank. However, the Dwarf Fresh Water Puffer may be kept alone in an aquarium as small as 5 gallons as long as the water quality is carefully monitored. A rule of one inch of your fish’s body length per 1.5-2 gallons of water as a minimum is a general rule for stocking puffers in an aquarium.

*There are many species of puffer fish that are very aggressive and territorial, such as the Red Eye Puffer, so if you keep your puffer with any other fish (other puffers included), then do so at your own risk! Fin nipping, predatory behavior, mutilation and even death can result. When trying to keep puffers with other fish, It is essential to provide plenty of space, hiding holes and decorations, which will allow your puffer to create its’ own territory and feel safe and non-threatened in his environment.

*Puffers have a “beak” that is formed by two teeth, which are “fused together”. It is important that you provide your puffer with hard items, with which to keep its’ teeth nicely trimmed down. Such items that your puffer can bite and chew on are harder foods (e.g. snails), aquarium-safe terra cotta pots, non-pH-altering driftwood and cuttle bone.

*Puffers will often mangle or eat plants, especially when trying to remove snails from them. An exception however, is the Dwarf Fresh Water Puffer (T. travancorius), who is well behaved in a planted tank.

*A varied diet high in protein is healthiest for a puffer. A healthy puffer should be active, curious, and have a nice round jolly belly. Their diet consists mainly of mollusks and crustaceans and includes frozen krill, crab, prawn, squid, clam, mussel, cockle, bloodworms, and brine shrimp. If you have a large puffer, and you feed him baby or even adult brine shrimp, he may not be interested and the same applies when trying to feed a large piece of food to a small puffer. Instead, cut the food to size. Many species of puffer will not take flake or dried food, though on occasion they will.

*Puffers do puff, but this should be avoided at all costs because the puffer may accidentally swallow air. If your puffer does inflate, you should understand that this display is a last-ditch defense mechanism, and is severely stressful to the fish, not to mention his owner! You should work at identifying and preventing any stressors, which cause this behavior.

*For more info on puffers, visit the Flippers ‘n’ Fins’ Brackish and Odditites forum and check out my article on puffers! Come visit and have fun at www.flippersandfins.net!