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My fiancee is looking to redo his 72 gallon bowfront. He was looking into puffers, but then said, they are impossible to keep alive. For those of you out there, what is your take on the puffers that stay completely freshwater, as he does not want to do a complete bracksih tank, but can add a bit of salt if needed?! And also, what puffers would fit the best, and where do these puffers originate from? Thanks all!

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

Check out http://www.pufferlist.com. There are quite a few FW puffers, but most are a puffer only kind of tank.

South American Puffers, a Congo Puffer (maybe two), or a target puffer would work in your tank.

The most difficult part about most puffers is feeding them. Many need snails daily to keep their beaks/tooth plates trimmed (or you have to play dentist!) while others will need to be trained away from purely live food like feeders (unless you have a pure source of feeder fish).

The positive about puffers is that they're highly intelligent, very interesting fish. They can puff (don't make them though, it's stressful unless they're choosing to do it), the swim much like an underwater helicopter, their eyes move independently like a chameleons, and they really tend to get the attention of visitors because they're exceptionally high on the "cute" factor.

If you really only want FW, stick with the FW puffers. Just adding salt doesn't make the water brackish enough for a true brackish puffer like a Green Spotted (often called Leopard) puffer or for Figure 8s.

Eric

Thaks, I know what you mean, about adding just a bit of salt, as I meant that in a way, that we acctually add a bit of salt to our aquariums now, and they seem to all benefit very well!

72 gallon bowfront:Tanganyikan Lake set up
75 gallon: A. Baenschi trio,Cyanotilapia Afra Cobwe(4), copadichromis trewavase, protomelas sp. tangerine tiger(breeding pair)

I have kept colomesus asellus and dwarf puffers in freshwater community for a long time with no adverse effects. I provide a constant supply of snails, and have had no aggression problems.

Good luck

Please use marine salt for brackish puffers.


Kim