Set-up costs for a porcupine puffer

[travis89]

Hi all! I'm new to marine fish keeping and only possess prior experience in freshwater puffer keeping, now I feel that im ready to go into keeping porcupine puffer. Is a sump a must? Or in built filters enough to handle to bio-load of one porcupine as im not intending to keep any tankmates. Thinking of just a basic set up with live rocks and my budget is at 300 bucks. Any shops to recommend?

[Solo77]

IMO, it is possible.

[Harlequinmania]

you should have a dedicated tank for the puffer fish due to it;s aggressiveness and it also release toxic into the water when it die. A simple tank with biological filertation and a good hang on skimmer would be good if you don't intent to get a chiller.

[travis89]

Yea, i do intend to dedicate a new saltwater aquarium just for the porcupine puffer. Saw one in stock at a pasir ris farm 3 weeks ago but it was sold when I returned from reservist. The shopkeeper told me that a new marine tank basic set would cost about 300 plus.

[Polypterus]

Porcupine Puffers are a easy fish to keep AFTER you get past the start up.

The first thing you should note, get a Diodon Holocanthus, AKA long spined porcupine puffer, these get to maximum 20" in the wild, and 12" in a 125 gallon.

Diodon hystrix and liturosus become extremely large, about 3ft for the first one and about 2ft for the second. Identify them yourselves by googling.

Please know that the recommended minimum tank size by far is 125 gallons, and should never ever be any smaller, or you risk the puffer dying.

Just imagine yourself putting a 30cm dog in a tank smaller than 125 gallons.

These fish have dog like personalities, and must also have a cover, because they spray water at you as you approach when they know you better.

DO NOT FEED FREEZE DRIED ITEMS. These cause lockjaw which are a PITA to cure, and is almost nearly fatal. Do not use copper or organic dyes to treat the fish(Melafix, Malachite blue/green. Feed hard shelled items and feed a variety of them, this is also a must.

Each puffer has each its own personality, and a lot of it. Do not feed fish if you want this puffer not to eat his tankmates, seriously. Even then, mix at risk, tangs are good matches, no triggers,no other puffers, no invertebrates.

Oversized skimmer and live rock for filtration, 1.023-1.025 SG, typical pH.

[travis89]

Thanks Puffering for you kind info, yup shall adhere to all the requirements and make plans to start cycling my tank, in preparation for the stocking of the long spined porcupine in the future.

[Polypterus]

That's real decent of you. I'll just be a bit worried about cost, I don't think you'll be paying $300, you'll probably be paying a fair bit more perhaps?

[pinkspid3r]

if you stay in the west, can try your luck at coral farm, i saw quite a number of them whenever im there.

[solasido]

few weeks ago at Y618, I saw there was 1 about 20-25cm length Porcupine puffer.

Yishun central has smaller ones (<10cm)

The price is $10 if I am not mistaken.

[Harlequinmania]

i begin to love this blue spotted box fish once i saw it at ML from his latest shipment. I think it would make an awesome species tank too. Photo for sharing

[Polypterus]

Get the smaller specimens, they adapt to captivity better. Nice box!

[solasido]

It looks so cute!

I am also a puffer lover (keeping 4 gsp currently)

i begin to love this blue spotted box fish once i saw it at ML from his latest shipment. I think it would make an awesome species tank too. Photo for sharing

[travis89]

Currently cycling my tank right now, gonna wait for a week till I see one i really fancy. Tried all the marine fish shops in pasir ris but found none today. Maybe I will check out coral farm next weekend. Any idea about their opening hours?

[Polypterus]

Don't try to get the spiny box puffer. Those are semi-rare in the hobby and in the wild, full of parasites, and hellishly hard to feed. Same personality is a plus though. I hope you have checked out to see the differences in identification of diodon holocanthus, liturosus, hystrix. All the best, I'm hoping to get one next year. ^^.