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Category: Pufferfish

  • Beautiful Puffer Fish for Saltwater Aquariums

    Beautiful Puffer Fish for Saltwater Aquariums

    Saltwater Pufferfish are sought after in the aquarium-keeping hobby because of their amazing personalities. They’re incredibly curious and intelligent animals and are often centerpieces of saltwater aquariums because of it. Some puffers will do well in a peaceful aquarium, while others will get into mischief if kept with smaller, peaceful fish. This article is meant to be an archive of all types of saltwater puffers. This list is not complete and is expected to grow as I continue to write care guides for each puffer species.

    Do Puffer Fish Have Teeth?

    Before getting into each pufferfish species, I wanted to answer a very common question: Do Puffer fish have teeth? Yes, they do have teeth that are fused which creates something that resembles a beak. The teeth grow indefinitely and require hard shells, shrimp tails, clam shells, and other hard foods to help grind them down. Not providing something hard to bite on will cause the teeth to grow over their mouth over time, inevitably preventing them from eating.

    Blue Spotted Puffer Fish

    blue spot puffer
    Image by Nhobgood Nick Hobgood on wikiMedia
    TemperamentPeaceful
    Reef CompatibleWith Caution
    Max Size4.5 inches
    Minimum Fish Tank Size55 Gallons

    Blue Spot Puffer Fish also known as the Blue Dot Toby Puffer are often brown, and yellow, in color with vibrant blue spots speckled throughout its body. They are a smaller species of puffer fish and will do well in 55 gallons or larger aquariums. They are generally peaceful but take caution when keeping them in a reef tank because they can bring trouble to coral and invertebrates. Check out the Blue Spot Puffer Complete Care Guide for more information on this fish.

    Porcupine Puffer Fish

    porcupine pufferfish
    TemperamentSemi-Aggressive
    Reef CompatibleNo
    Max Size1 Foot
    Minimum Fish Tank Size180 Gallons

    Porcupine Puffers are seen primarily as tan in color with brown and black patches throughout its body. One of my favorite features of this species is the vibrant blue/green eyes it has. They are known to nip on other fish and will grow to be over a foot long. A Porcupine Puffer tank size should be at least 180 gallons or larger when it is fully grown. I would also not recommend keeping this species in a reef tank because it’ll decimate invertebrate populations and will likely nip on corals. If you’re interested in learning more about this fish, check out the Porcupine Puffer Complete Care Guide.

    Valentini Puffer Fish

    valentini puffer
    Image by Rickard Zerpe on wikiMedia
    TemperamentPeaceful
    Reef CompatibleWith Caution
    Max Size4 Inches
    Minimum Fish Tank Size30 Gallons

    Valentini Puffer Fish also known as the Saddle Valentini Puffer are a mixture of black, white, and yellow colors with brown dots speckling their body. They are fairly peaceful fish that grows to be about 4 inches in length. This allows them to do well in aquariums that are 30 gallons or larger. I would be cautious in keeping them in reef tanks because they can nip on coral and will likely pick on all types of invertebrates. Learn more about the Valentini Puffer by checking out its complete care guide.

    Dogface Puffer Fish

    Dogface Puffer
    TemperamentSemi-Aggressive
    Reef CompatibleNo
    Max Size1 Foot+
    Minimum Fish Tank Size180 Gallons

    Dogface Puffers are often seen in gray with dark spots scattered around the body. They can sometimes be found with yellow colorations as well. This species of fish grows more than a foot in length and will require a 180 gallon or larger fish tank. They can also be semi-aggressive and do best in aquariums with larger fish. Dogfaced Puffer Fish will likely pick on both coral and invertebrates so they are not recommended for a reef tank. Check out the Dogface Puffer Complete Care Guide to learn more about this fish.

    Final Notes

    As stated above, this list is not yet completed. I will continue to update it as I release more care guides for saltwater puffers. The species presented currently are some of the most commonly found and most popular in the hobby. I hope to add more species soon such as the Stars and Stripes Puffer or Spiny Box Puffer.

  • Dogface Puffer – Complete Care Guide

    Dogface Puffer – Complete Care Guide

    Dogface Puffer Facts

    Dogface Puffers also known as the Blackspotted Puffer get their name from having a physical resemblance to canines. Dogface Puffer fish also have gray, brown, and yellow colorations as well as black spots on their bodies. These semi-aggressive fish have a great personality and are a thrill to keep in a large saltwater fish tank. This guide will cover Dogface Puffer fish aquarium requirements, feeding habits, compatible tank mates, and more. Check out the Saltwater Pufferfish page for more information on different species of puffer.

    Aquarium Requirements

    Dogface Puffers get large. They will grow to be over a foot in length. It will be important to provide them with an aquarium that is 150 gallons or larger to keep them happy. Because of their size and their carnivorous diet, they will also create a lot of poop, which will lead to increased levels of nitrates and phosphates. A very good filtration system and water changing schedule will be crucial in keeping your water parameters in check. A sump system with a great protein skimmer such as the Reef Octopus 150INT Protein Skimmer will help keep your aquarium water parameters in check.

    I would also recommend providing your Dogface Puffer with plenty of live rock with different sized caves to give it cover. If you can’t find live rock at your local fish store, check out the Carib Sea South Sea Base Rock on Amazon.

    Water Parameters

    The water parameters needed to keep a Dogface Puffer are similar to what most saltwater fish require which are:

    • Water Temperature: 72°-78° F
    • dKH: 8 – 12
    • pH: 8.1 – 8.4
    • Salinity: 1.020 – 1.025 sg

    Regular water changes with a high-quality salt mix with help keep your pH, dKH, and salinity in check. You will need a properly calibrated refractometer to verify proper salinity levels. Refractometers can be purchased on Amazon by following this link. Also, you will need an aquarium water heater to keep your water temperature at the proper level. Take a look at the 6 Best Water Heaters For Fresh & Saltwater Fish Tanks to get an idea of the different water heaters available for purchase.

    Are Dogface Puffers Reef Safe?

    Dogface Puffer fish are not reef safe. In the wild, their primary food source is invertebrates. This includes snails, shrimp, crabs, hermit crabs, and more. Although they do not readily eat coral, they may nip and break off pieces of coral trying to grind down their ever-growing beak. I would not risk keeping this species of fish in a reef tank. They do best in Fish-Only with live rock (FOWLR) aquariums.

    Food & Diet

    Dogface Puffers are carnivores. As stated earlier, they eat shrimp, snails, crabs, and more meaty food in the wild. They will likely need to consume frozen food such as krill, clams, and hard-shelled shrimp in a fish tank. These foods will help them grind their beak down to size. Also, if you have any live shrimp, snails, crabs, or other invertebrate, they will likely become a meal for your Puffer.

    Tank Mates

    There are a lot of different species of fish that can be kept with a Dogface Puffer. They will do well with fish such as Triggers, Large Angelfish, Eels, Large Wrasses, and other large carnivorous fish. It will do best with fish that grow larger but that is not very aggressive. Dogface Pufferfish may also nip on the fins of fish.

    They are known to get picked on by other Pufferfish species such as the Porcupine Puffer. I would be weary of keeping the Dogface Puffer with other Pufferfish. Sometimes they successfully inhabit a fish tank together. It all depends on the temperament of the individual fish.

    Are Dogface Puffer Fish Aggressive?

    As stated earlier, the Dogface Puffer can potentially nip on the fins of other fish. They are labeled as semi-aggressive but they are usually more docile compared to other large Puffer Fish species.

    Breeding

    I would not recommend keeping more than one Dogface Puffer in a fish tank. This makes breeding this fish impossible.

    Final Notes

    Dogface Puffers are unique-looking fish that make a great addition to many large FOWLR aquariums. If you’re looking for a fish that will sort of act like an aquatic puppy, consider picking up a Dogface. Maintaining balanced water parameters may become a challenge but it is well worth it for this fish!

  • Blue Spotted Puffer – Complete Care Guide

    Blue Spotted Puffer – Complete Care Guide

    Blue Spotted Puffer fish Facts

    The Blue Spotted Puffer sometimes called the Blue Dot Puffer, or Blue Dot Toby is a species of pufferfish that is often kept in saltwater aquariums. It has gorgeous brown, tan, and yellow colorations as well as blue spots speckled across its body. Like other puffers, the Blue Dot Toby has a beaklike structure that is used to break through tough invertebrate exoskeletons.

    Blue Spotted Pufferfish have fantastic personalities which may make them the centerpiece of any aquarium they are in. You can often find Blue Spotted Puffers for sale at LiveAquaria, Saltwaterfish.com, or check out your local fish stores! This guide will cover the aquarium requirements, food and diet, tank mates, and breeding of the Blue Spotted Puffer.

    Aquarium Requirements

    The Blue Spot Puffer will grow between 4 and 5 inches. An aquarium that is 55 gallons or larger will suit this fish incredibly well. It is beneficial to provide live rock with varying-sized caves and nooks for the fish to hide in. Monitoring the water for elevated levels of nitrates and phosphates because puffers can sometimes be sensitive to unbalanced waters. They will also require the following water parameters:

    • Water Temperature: 72°-78° F
    • dKH: 8 – 12
    • pH: 8.1 – 8.4
    • Salinity: 1.020 – 1.025 sg

    Providing the following water parameters will help keep your fish healthy! A simple thermometer such as the Penn Plax floating thermometer can be used to check your water temperature. DKH levels can be tested using an API KH test kit or you can get fancy with a Hanna Instrument Alkalinity Check (HI772). pH levels can be tested using an API High-Range pH test kit. Lastly, I recommend checking your salinity using a refractometer over a hydrometer. Over time, hydrometers become less accurate because salt particles build up on the tool.

    Is the Blue Spotted Puffer Reef Safe?

    Like many other saltwater puffers, I would not consider the Blue Spot Puffer reef safe. They consume invertebrates and can potentially eat your coral. After doing some research, some reef keepers have claimed that their Blue Spot Puffers are model citizens around coral but others didn’t have such luck. Being safe with coral is likely dependent on the individual fish but I would not risk it.

    Food & Diet

    Blue Spotted Puffer fish eat primarily meaty foods. You will want to feed them an assortment of foods to help wear down their teeth. Great frozen foods for Blue Dot Tobys are krill, clams, squid, hard-shelled shrimp, and Mysis shrimp. I would feed your puffer a mix of these foods to provide them with a variety to help grind down their beak. I would also recommend occasionally feeding your puffer live hermit crabs or snails.

    Tank Mates

    Blue Spot Puffers are fairly peaceful. They can become territorial and may nip on other fish’s fins, but overall they keep to themselves. They should do well with clownfish, damsels, chromis, dwarf angels, wrasses, and other friendly and small saltwater fish. They should also do well with larger fish such as tangs, foxfaces, rabbitfish, and other peaceful large fish.

    Breeding

    I would not recommend keeping more than one Blue Spot Puffer in a fish tank. Because of this, breeding is impossible.

    Final Notes

    Blue Spot Tobys are beautiful and vibrant fish that can be kept in a saltwater fish tank. They are a great centerpiece for aquariums that are 55 gallons or larger. If you’re looking for something unique to keep in your saltwater fish tank, consider picking up a Blue Spot Puffer fish. Check out the Saltwater Pufferfish page for information are different puffer species.

    Image by Nhobgood Nick Hobgood on wikiMedia

  • Valentini Puffer – Complete Care Guide

    Valentini Puffer – Complete Care Guide

    Valentini Puffer Facts

    The Valentini Puffer sometimes called the Saddle Valentini, or Blacksaddled Toby is a small species of pufferfish often kept in saltwater aquariums. It has beautiful black, white, and yellow colorations on its body. They also have spots running horizontally throughout their body. Valentini Puffers are known to have great personalities and become a highlight in a fish tank. They normally keep to themselves but are known to nip on fins from time to time.

    Valentini Puffer fish puff up when they are threatened or in danger. It is important to avoid having them puff because it is stressful on their body. Also, part of the Saddle Valentini holds a toxin. It should generally not be dangerous to humans unless you decide to consume the puffer. This guide will cover Saddle Valentini aquarium requirements, food & diet, tank mates, breeding, and more!

    Aquarium Requirements

    The Blacksaddled Toby should be introduced into well-established saltwater fish tanks. It is recommended to add them into an aquarium using a container instead of a net if possible. They become more stressed when netted and will be more prone to puffing up.

    The Black Saddle Puffer’s max length is about 4 inches. It will do well in an aquarium that is 30 gallons or larger. I would personally recommend keeping them in 40-gallon fish tanks or larger due to their diet and sensitivity to fluctuations in water parameters. More water volume will help prevent large swings in water parameters. Also, I recommend adding a lot of live rock with different sized caves to provide refuge for your pufferfish during times of stress.

    Water Parameters

    Water parameters for saltwater fish is generally the same. However, there are some outliers that have unique parameter requirements. Luckily the Valentini Pufferfish has fairly standard water parameter needs.

    • Water Temperature: 72°-78° F
    • dKH: 8 – 12
    • pH: 8.1 – 8.4
    • Salinity: 1.020 – 1.025 sg

    Is The Valentini Puffer Reef Safe?

    Valentini Pufferfish do best in fish-only with live rock (FOWLR) aquariums. They may seek out invertebrates in your fish tank and make them a quick meal. I have heard mixed opinions about keeping Blacksaddled Tobys with coral. Some reef keepers claim theirs are model citizens while others observed Valentini Pufferfish nipping their coral. The personality of the individual fish will determine whether they are safe with coral or not. I would personally only keep this species in fish-only aquariums, to avoid losing coral and invertebrates to a hungry Black Saddle Puffer.

    Food & Diet

    Valentini Pufferfish have a beak that grows throughout their lifespan. They require foods that are hard-shelled to help grind down their beak. They will happily munch on live snails, hermit crabs, and shrimp. Providing them with live saltwater invertebrates can become incredibly expensive over time. Luckily, some foods are good replacements for live inverts. Frozen foods such as clams, krill, and squid are great to help grind down this puffer’s beak. Although they may not help grind their beak down, I would also recommend feeding Valentini Puffers Mysis Shrimp and Brine Shrimp.

    Tank Mates

    Black saddled Puffers are fairly peaceful in fish tanks. If plenty of live rock and hiding spaces are provided, they should keep to themselves. They will do best with similarly sized fish such as Clownfish, Damsels, Wrasses, and Dwarf Angels. In appropriately sized fish tanks, they will likely get along with a few larger fish like Tangs and Foxfaces. There are many other fish Valentini Puffers can get along with, but I just wanted to give you a general idea.

    I would not recommend keeping this puffer fish with another Valentini Puffer because they will likely become territorial and aggressive toward one another. To play it safe, I would not recommend mixing Valentini Pufferfish with other puffer species.

    Breeding

    Due to their potentially territorial nature, I would not keep more than one Valentini Pufferfish in an aquarium. This makes breeding impossible.

    Final Notes

    Valentini Pufferfish are gorgeous fish with incredible personalities. If you decide to pick one up, it’ll likely become the centerpiece of your fish tank. It is important to keep up with this fish’s need to grind its beak down, but that will come naturally with the provided food. Check out the Saltwater Pufferfish page for information on different species of puffer!

    Image by Rickard Zerpe on wikiMedia

  • Porcupine Pufferfish – Complete Care Guide

    Porcupine Pufferfish – Complete Care Guide

    Porcupine Puffer Facts

    The Porcupine Puffer also known as the Porcupinefish is a very smart and interactive fish that can be kept in a saltwater fish tank. They have beautiful brown and black patterns all over their body and gorgeous deep blue eyes. Porcupine Pufferfish have a beak-like structure that resembles teeth that continuously grow. They can also puff up to about twice their body size when they are stressed. The act of puffing up is a defense mechanism so the less it puffs up, the better for the fish’s health. This article will cover the Porcupine Puffer’s aquarium requirements, food and diet needs, tank mates, and more.

    Aquarium Requirements

    Porcupine Puffers get incredibly large, they can be about a foot long at their max size. A full grown Porcupine Puffer should not be kept in an aquarium smaller than 180 gallons with plenty of space to swim. Because of their diets and messy habits, saltwater puffer fish should have a very good protein skimmer running to help remove waste. I have had great luck with the Reef Octopus brand, the Reef Octopus Classic 150SSS Protein Skimmer will do great on a large saltwater fish tank.

    Porcupinefish Water Parameters

    Porcupine Puffers have very similar water parameter requirements to other saltwater fish. The following are water parameters required to keep the Porcupinefish happy.

    • Temperature: 72-78° F
    • pH: 8.1-8.4
    • Salinity: 1.020-1.025
    • dKH 8-12

    Food & Diet

    The Porcupine Pufferfish’s diet consists mostly of snails, crabs, clams, and many other invertebrates. The hard skeletons and shells of these animals help the Pufferfish to grind down their teeth that continuously grow. In an aquarium, their diet should consist of a variety of meaty food such as clams, krill, squid, and hard-shelled shrimp. I would also include lives snails and hermit crabs in their diet as well.

    Are Porcupine Puffers Reef Safe?

    Part of being reef safe means being safe with invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and clams. Technically, the Porcupine Puffer is not reef safe. Also, I have read mixed thoughts on keeping them with corals. There is a possibility that these puffers will nip on live rock to file down their teeth. This means they can accidentally bite SPS coral. I have also read that Porcupine Pufferfish have been seen biting other coral species such as zoanthids. Heavy feeding may help deter your Pufferfish from eating coral, but that seems to completely depend on the individual fish. I’d be too paranoid about keeping a Porcupinefish in a reef tank.

    Porcupine Puffer Tank Mates

    This species of fish is known to be fairly aggressive that sometimes nips on other fish. They will do best in an aquarium that has other semi-aggressive fish. Check out 5 Unique Predatory Fish for Saltwater Aquariums to get an idea of other fish that can be kept with Porcupine Puffers. There are more large saltwater fish that will do fine with this puffer species such as tangs, foxfaces, groupers, angels, eels, and more. Be mindful that the puffer fish may try to eat smaller fish that fit into its mouth.

    As stated above, Porcupine Pufferfish are not reef safe and should not be kept with any shrimp, snails, crab, and clam. They may be fine for a little while, but eventually the puffer will find these invertebrates and make them lunch.

    Breeding

    This species of puffer is incredibly territorial and two of the same species should not be kept together in a fish tank. This makes breeding pretty much impossible.

    Final Notes

    Porcupine Puffers are incredibly fun to keep, but it’s important to keep them in an enclosure that is compatible for them. Keep in mind they can become nippy, are not reef safe, but are very personable and exciting to observe. If you are setting up a Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR) consider adding this species of fish into the aquarium.