Puffer Fish FAQ

As an aspiring Pufferfish Keeper, you've got a lot of questions and we are here to help out fellow fish keeping hobbyist!  We've all been there as a freshly new hobbyist in the aquarium hobby just getting into fish keeping and there was many unanswered questions and confusion.

Are All Puffers Saltwater Fish?

No, there are Pufferfish that come from 100% freshwater origins.  As with all fish, some are saltwater-only Puffers that originate from marine habitats, while some come from brackish waterways and can adapt short-term in either freshwater or saltwater.  We specialize in freshwater Puffers and it's our goal to break that notion that Puffers can only be kept in a saltwater tank.

Are Pufferfish Safe in a Community Fish Tank?

Yes and no.  While there are some Puffers that'll do okay initially during the juvenile stage, they will grow up and kill everything they can possible manage to bite and eat.

There are also Puffers that'll do well in a community aquarium with Tetras and other friendly fish.  We keep Pea Puffers in quite a few of our planted tanks and they co-exist with Rams, Tetras and Shrimp totally fine due to the fact that there's plenty of space for them to explore and plants that'll "break their line of sight."

What size tank do puffer fish need?

It varies by species. A pea puffer needs a minimum of five gallons for one fish, plus roughly three gallons for each additional puffer in a group. A figure 8 puffer needs 15–20 gallons, a green spotted puffer 30 gallons and more as it grows, and a fahaka puffer a 125-gallon tank at absolute minimum. Our freshwater puffer care guide has the full species-by-species table.

Still have a question?

Read the complete freshwater puffer fish care guide, browse our pufferfish in stock, or contact us — the person who answers keeps these fish.