Pufferfish are unique fish that have become increasingly popular throughout the aquarium hobby world. Their comical way of swimming and independently moving eyes make many people fall in love with them instantly. Unfortunately they suffer from a wealth of incorrect information on the internet and in books. It is possible that pufferfish have the largest volume contradictory information on how to provide proper care. This article and site hopes to help provide a source of accurate information on the care of freshwater and brackish water puffers, and to more clearly distinguish between the two. Unlike many of the common fish in the business today, these fish have some very specific needs when they are kept in captivity, several of which are explained here.

When bringing a puffer home for the first time, it is important to know that puffers are especially sensitive to ammonia and nitrites. Small amounts can wreak havoc on them and extended periods in these conditions will often result in a very sickly puffer, often leading to an early death if nothing is done to correct the situation. For this reason, all puffers should only be introduced to a fully cycled and established tank. Introducing puffers into a brand new set up is more often than not a death sentence for them.

When feeding puffers, the keeper must realize that they do not need to be fed often, especially the larger puffers. They are very good at begging for food and the owner must learn to resist the puffer’s charm. All puffers should have a well balanced and varied diet in order to mimic their natural diet as close as possible. This diet needs to include hard crunchy foods, such as snails, to curb the growth rate of their teeth. Puffer teeth, much like rodents, never stop growing and if crunchy food is not provided, the puffer will eventually be unable to eat and will starve to death. When you feed snails, be sure to avoid Malaysian Trumpet Snails, as their shells are too hard and can break puffer teeth.

The hunter/seeker puffers (those that actively look for their food) should be fed once a day while small and then as they mature into adults, their feedings can be reduced to every other day. For the larger hunters, lineatus and mbu, feedings can be reduced to feeding every 2 to 4 days.

The lurker/predators feed by waiting on or in the substrate for a tasty meal, such as a fish, to pass by. When it does, the puffer lunges at the fish and either eats it entirely, or does enough damage to kill the fish so that it can finish eating it. It then returns to the substrate to digest its meal and often does not move again for several days. This sedentary lifestyle means that as adults, the lurkers can be fed large quantities of food once or twice a week when they are adults. Size plays a factor in how often these fish should be fed and a recommended feeding schedule can be found in their respective profiles.

Pufferfish have the ability to inflate themselves when threatened. This increased size as well as spines over much of their body, help to deter would be predators. As a general rule, a puffer should never be forced to inflate in captivity. Despite the fact that it “looks cool” it is extremely stressful to the fish and can reduce the fish’s ability to fight off potential diseases. It can also be deadly if the puffer takes in air when attempting to inflate; it is very difficult to expel the air and the fish will be held at the surface of the water, usually upside down, by the air bubble in their stomach. For this reason, puffers should never be taken out of the water when moving them from one tank to another. If a move is necessary and it is possible, the puffer should be guided into a cup or a similar container and then removed from the tank. This way if the puffer should inflate, it will be underwater the entire time.

Temperament is another area in which puffers are unique. Unlike many fish which vary little from individual to individual, each puffer is unique in personality and temperament. While one puffer may be very timid and mild, another puffer of the same species may tear apart anything introduced to the tank. To avoid potential disasters, puffers should be kept either as solitary specimens or with more of the same species or very similar species. However there are exceptions to this rule, most notably T. lineatus, which should only be kept as a solitary fish because they have been known to brutally attack each other. Whenever keeping multiple puffers together, be sure that there are plenty of hiding places, more than there are puffers, and a lot of plants and decorations to break up the lines of site within the aquarium. This will help to reduce the aggression between the puffers.

If you can and are willing to invest a lot of time, effort and potentially a large amount of money into a long lived fish, then a puffer could possibly be for you. If you do, you will find a new companion, who, even though he does not play fetch or bring in the mail, will certainly seem glad to see you when you walk into the room.