Pufferfish will need lots of space, which translates to a generously-sized tank. Tanks should be filled with plants, décor, and other features to keep your puffers busy and break up sightlines. Regardless of whether you have a puffer-only tank or a community tank, each inhabitant will need to be chosen wisely based on temperament. Modeling the tank after your puffer’s natural environment is always the best bet for a happy, healthy fish. Finally, regular water changes and maintenance are crucial to every pufferfish tank.
A Large Tank (the Bigger, the Better)
The most vital part of a pufferfish tank is, well, the tank itself. Knowing how to choose the best fish tank will be central to having a healthy, thriving aquarium.
Pufferfish come in a variety of sizes, ranging from around an inch (such as Pea Puffers) to a foot or longer (such as Dogfish Puffers). This would normally provide owners with some leeway in tank size. However, the fact that puffers most often prefer to be in groups means they need more space. Pufferfish need to establish their own spaces or “territories” to retreat to, should they feel nervous or threatened.
Research your desired species of pufferfish to determine how big the tank will need to be. Take into consideration all of the equipment, décor, and plants that will go into the tank when calculating gallon size or water volume. Your home may also be a consideration; how much space is available to dedicate to an aquarium?
Any aquarist that wants to keep a community tank (e.g., a mixed species tank) instead of a species-only tank will need to plan on even more space. Pufferfish will need space to not only escape each other, but also any other fish, invertebrates, or other inhabitants. Ideally, the tank should be a few gallons more than whatever minimum is needed— more space is always better.
A Tank with Fewer Sightlines
Pufferfish range in temperament, but the vast majority are semi-aggressive and aggressive. Even the peaceful breeds of pufferfish are still known to nip and become annoyed with tankmates sometimes. Because of this, it is important to break up sightlines as much as possible in the aquarium. Breaking up sightlines can be accomplished using plants, coral, driftwood, décor, hides, and even aquarium equipment.
Breaking up sightlines and providing fish places to hide helps reduce aggression amongst tankmates. This is necessary both in species-only tanks and community tanks. The more aggressive your pufferfish are, the more you’ll need to introduce these elements.
Plants can either be live or fake, although certain species of pufferfish enjoy munching on live plants as a snack. In terms of choosing fake versus live aquariums plants, there are benefits and drawbacks to both. For saltwater pufferfish species, corals can similarly be live or fake, but live ones may also become part of mealtimes.
Consider having a few pieces of décor, driftwood, hides, or other elements in the tank that you can change out. Your pufferfish should be both comfortable and interested in their environment. Having a rotation of things like décor and hides keeps puffers focused on the tank, instead of the other inhabitants. Aquarium toys and slow feeders are two pet fish enrichment ideas.
A Tank with Carefully Selected Tankmates
Pufferfish can be kept in species-only tanks or community aquariums, depending on whether they have a more peaceful temperament or lean toward aggressive tendencies. For aquarists who want to keep community tanks, all other inhabitants will need to be selected with care. Temperament and size are two of the most important factors to consider when choosing other tankmates.
The temperaments of all aquarium inhabitants should be chosen in order to promote a peaceful environment. So, if your puffers are peaceful or semi-aggressive, the other tankmates should also be known for passive personalities. But if your puffers are aggressive, you’ll need to find tankmates that are either calm or are willing to set boundaries, without being outright hostile. Definitely stay away from other aggressive species and other fish that eat their tankmates.
Some species of pufferfish will eat smaller tankmates or those that are slower moving. At the same time, choosing tankmates that are much larger than the pufferfish may stress out your puffers. Being surrounded by larger fish may also make your pufferfish more aggressive or prone to hiding.
You should also consider your puffer’s diet when considering community tank choices. For example, several species of pufferfish use snails to keep their teeth trimmed. Similarly, while there are crustaceans that make great pets, your puffer might make them into a meal. Either refrain from including tankmates that could double as dietary choices or be prepared for your puffer to eat them.
A Tank Modeled After Natural Environments
Pufferfish tend to thrive in tanks that mimic their natural environment as closely as possible. Besides breaking up sightlines (discussed earlier in this article), this also means calibrating lighting, temperature, and water flow. Research your specific species of pufferfish to identify the right tank conditions and setup.
Aquarists do not need an advanced lighting setup for happy pufferfish, but you will need to have some sort of aquarium lighting. Ideally, there should be a light cycle wherein daytime and nighttime periods are stimulated. If desired, owners can purchase light systems that mimic dusk, dawn, and even overcast or stormy skies. Typically, pufferfish prefer softer lighting.
Most species of pufferfish are from warmer climates, so it’s likely you will need to invest in a good heater. If your pufferfish prefers a strong current, you may need to invest in a strong filter and/or a wavemaker. You should also pay attention to substrate. Most (but not all) pufferfish prefer a sandy substrate. For freshwater species, the substrate will also impact what live plants will survive in your tank.
A Clean Tank (With Regular Water Changes)
Pufferfish are very sensitive to water parameters, so any aquarists that want to keep these unique fish will need to regularly clean the tank. To determine how often to clean your aquarium, consider your tank’s size, number of fish, and species of fish. Besides regular water changes, you’ll also need to perform essential aquarium maintenance like water testing and substrate cleaning.
Keeping a clean aquarium is even more important due to the average pufferfish’s diet. Most puffers are voracious eaters— which means that they are also messy eaters. While puffers typically do eat all their food (eventually), some may get stuck in the substrate or other tank features, like plants or driftwood. Leftover food can cause spikes in chemicals like nitrates, which can harm your puffers.
