Puffer Fish

General information

Puffer Fish belong to the family Tetradontidae, which means they have four teeth. They are also called blowfish. There are species of Puffer Fish which live in freshwater, some species live best in brackish water, and some Puffers live best in marine or sea water. Because they live in these kinds of water, they have various colors and sizes. They are called Puffer Fish because their ability to inflate themselves with water or air when they feel threatened. It is a defensive mechanism. It’s harder to swallow a large fish than a small one.

It is hard to resist a Puffer fish. If you see them you may think that it is a sweet and charming fish. Maybe because they have a unique and comical way of swimming and they have big eyes and a round belly. But it is not true. Puffers are predators. Most Puffer species have a nasty temperament. They can be fin nippers and killers. Even those who have previously been in a community tank can become aggressive when they are older, or if they are not well fed. That is why you should be careful with choosing aquarium friends for them. Freshwater Puffer Fish live best with fast swimming fish such as Barbs, Danios, Rainbow Fish, and Sharks. Crabs and Shrimps are usually eaten by Puffers. Freshwater Dwarf Puffers do less nipping than many other types of Puffer Fish. But if they are in a tank with fish with long fins, they will nip them even if they are less aggressive.

Aquarium care information and habitat

Freshwater Puffers are best in a bigger tank. Even if they are freshwater some Puffers like a little salt in the water. A big tank is good for other fish, because they will have a lot of places to hide from the Puffers four teeth. The best temperature is about 24 - 26°C. If Puffers are in good condition, they can live for several years. Plants are in danger because most Puffers like to eat them. In an aquarium you will need many caves, so they have places to hide where they can’t see each other, and everybody can have its own place. Bear in mind that there are links at the bottom of this article and each of them points to a different Pufferfish. Thus, each species may require different water parameters and one can find them on those particular pages. It's also important to understand that these species are very sensitive to low pH and low dKH. Puffers can die easily without proper water conditions.

Food

They should be fed frozen blood worms and freeze dried shrimps or krill, plus frozen and live brine shrimp, live Ghost Shrimp, and an occasional treat of a few live Black Worms. Puffer Fish have powerful teeth, which they use to crack open snail shells, and puffers love to eat small aquatic snails such as rams horn snails. If a Puffer Fish has a full belly nipping can be minimized. When you introduce a new Puffer into your aquarium, it will likely accept only a couple of foods instead of accepting the entire range. It's wise to ask the seller about food that have been accepted in the shop. If you're very curious, ask a seller to feed chosen Puffers so that you can see what they like.

We know only a little about how Puffer Fish breed.

Pictures of different Pufferfish species

Also check the links shown below; They point to Puffers in our database and each profile contains it's own picture (or pictures).

Links to profiles which contain more specific information

Since there are more than one or two puffer fish species, they're described on different pages:

Video

Video with the Green Pufferfish (about 44 MB, MPEG-1 format). Another video: here (about 28 MB).

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Puffer Fish

has been viewed times since June 30, 2009.

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Angel on: February 24, 2009, 7:55 am wrote

Thank you for this article! I am working on a report for pufferfish at the last minute, and I couldn't find enough info. This article has just what I needed! You saved me and my grades!

mrnd on: March 2, 2009, 11:59 pm wrote

I've got one of these fish. And it's been separated from my other fish for 3 weeks now. It hasn't eaten in 3 weeks either and it's still alive. I had to separate cause it ate 6/9 ghost shrimp I had and it was eating the other fishes fins and tails.Ii started with... 10 fish. I only have 6 fish now. It's depressing.

BJ on: March 22, 2009, 2:21 pm wrote

I have two Pufferfish in a 55 gallon community tank with Mollies, Gouramis, an African butterfly fish, several snails, a red clawed crab, 4 peacock eels and several frogs. They are very peaceful to my other fish, and have never even thought about eating even my crab. Yet my son and I go to the creek near our house and catch crayfish, and put them in the tank and the two pufferfish absolutely love them. But they have no aggression towards anything else in the tank. Just thought I would share that info with you.

DS on: May 18, 2009, 4:34 am wrote

My dad bought my son a tank with a lot of marine fish, and just bought him 2 puffer fish from walmart. They are the most mean fish I have ever seen. Right after we put them in the tank with the other fish they started to attack the fish, and ended up eating one of the fish. We had to separate them from the others. There is a picture on this site, it's the breed in the middle of the three pictures.

Ashley on: June 25, 2009, 1:09 pm wrote

I have had my puffer fish for about 3 months. It's in a 40 gallon tank With 2 mollys. They get along well. Today I bought a snail, 2 Sword tails, and 2 Red eyes... I cannot believe how determined my Puffer was to attack! I saw it got at my snail a few times as well! I had to separate him with a tank divider, and as soon as I get my small aquarium set up, I have to relocate the other fish... Not cool. The Puffer is beautiful (The middle one in the pictures), but it's too damn mean!

Brenda on: October 5, 2009, 11:55 pm wrote

My daughter seen a puffer fish in wal-mart and wants it. I am trying to research before I just buy it. It apparently likes to live alone. Do they get along with any other fish and what do they eat?

Answer: Please, check our database, search and you'll find information about wanted species. In general, Puffers can get along with others, but many of Puffers require marine or at least brackish water once they reach adult age.

AMBER on: October 26, 2009, 1:59 am wrote

I have had a community of puffer fish in a 55 gallon tank before and all but one got along with each other. I moved and couldn't take the fish with me. I have tried again for a community with no luck they are just to aggressive towards each other. I don't know how I did it the first time. I have also lost two puffer who were fine then stopped eating. The water quality was fine and he had a variety of food. He just acted depressed and stopped eating and basically starved to death. This has happened twice now with a six month interval. He had no outward signs of parasites. Any one else have a similar problem?

Joy on: October 29, 2009, 12:10 pm wrote

Before you put a puffer into your fish tank, know what it is you are buying. With the availability of the internet, there is no excuse for not knowing what behaviors fish have before you purchase them.

GW on: November 3, 2009, 6:53 am wrote

I have one like the middle picture too and it was so mean to the other fish in my tank. It nearly killed my Gobi Dragon and he is 8 inches long. I separated them and now they have their own small tank. This is the first fish I have ever had that tries to bite you when you put your finger up to the glass. Love them though, very interesting fish.

pat on: January 30, 2010, 3:51 pm wrote

Puffer fish eats snails. This is food to them, of course they are going to attack them.

clay on: January 30, 2010, 9:53 pm wrote

I have 3 puffers with 2 angel fish. And a mess of community fish in a 44 gal tank. The angel fish will chase some of the fish but never attack them. The puffers haven't attacked anything in the tank at all. They even share the blood worms with the other fish. I think that they are a great fish. Too bad they don't "puff" though.

Kelly brown on: February 17, 2010, 6:46 pm wrote

I have just bought a puffer fish same as 3rd picture on site. I have lost 3 fish in two days. The guy in the shop didn't give me much advice on this fish. What kind of fish can I put in with it? I have gouramis and a ruby tailed shark and two angel fish. Any one got any advice on what to put in with it and feed it?

Answer: Since these fish are carnivores, they'll accept bloodworms and especially fish feeders. I think that you bought Tetraodon fluviatilis. Almost every Puffer species requires brackish water, so angelfish or gouramis aren't recommended. As juveniles these fish can be kept in freshwater aquariums, but as they mature, it is necessary to house them in brackish aquarium.

dianthus on: March 7, 2010, 10:18 am wrote

I had 3 pufferfish that looked very similar to the amazon puffer, but were in no way nasty to each other. I had them for about 8 years and they grew to be about 8" long. Any ideas on what they were? I think they were from south America, but had a longer, leaner frame than the amazon. (of course the ones shown could just be babies!)

wahed on: March 24, 2010, 2:58 am wrote

Hi. I have 11 goldfishes in a 44 gallon of aquarium. Few days back I bought pink balloon kissing gourami (2), one puffer fish & they started attacking my goldfishes. Any solution for this thing?

Answer: No, no solution. You can only return the newly bought specimens to the pet shop. Or you can give them to other aquarist.

Alyssa on: April 6, 2010, 6:43 am wrote

Are PUFFER FISHES cold or warm blooded?

Answer: As long as I know, they're coldblooded.

elephantpuffer on: June 30, 2010, 8:56 pm wrote

We learnt so much on this site and we are very grateful of who made it. Our project now feels complete but it wasn't like that a couple of days ago!

Gatlyn on: July 21, 2010, 12:07 pm wrote

Today I bought 2 puffers from wal-mart. I knew they needed to be in their very own tank, and so I bought a 5 gallon tank for the 2 fish. After reading all these comments I am hopeful that the 2 can get along, or I may have to separate the 2 fish altogether.

Answer: Some puffers can be kept together, but a 5 gallon aquarium is too small even for one specimen. A 40 gallon aquarium is what I'd take into consideration at least.

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