Before you keep reading, please note that this post does contain my affiliate link, which means I’ll earn a small percent of the sale if you decide to purchase a bottle of Seachem Prime through my link. That being said, the following is my honest opinion of the this tap water conditioner, and I do personally use it on my own tanks.

Average Price: $7.43-$170.70

Sizes of Prime: 50mL, 100mL, 250mL, 500mL, 2L, 4L

Features: Seachem Prime helps remove toxins, like Chlorine, Chloramine and Ammonia, and it also gets rid of the Nitrite and Nitrate.

What’s so great about Seachem Prime?

Multiple bottle sizes:  There are quite a few different options to choose from depending on the size of tank you’re running – from 50mL bottles to 4L containers.

I’ve accumulated so many fish tanks now that we’ve had to set up a separate room of the house in the back to accommodate all of them. Yup, I got bit by the aquarium bug! Because of the sheer volume of water I have to change out every week, I really enjoy finding quality water conditioners that I can buy in bulk. Scratch that. I really enjoyed finding out that I could buy Seachem Prime in bulk – I haven’t used another water conditioner for the past 6 years. It’s just that good.

I really like the small 50mL bottles of Prime because you can measure it out in drops instead of capfuls. Although that may seem like a silly feature to those of you who are great a math, I’m not (seriously, I barely scraped by in Calculus), and I hate having to do conversions. Measuring out 2 drops/gallon is a lot easier for me when I’m trying to treat small tanks. I always keep my 50mL bottle of Prime handy next to all of our 5 gallon and under snail tanks, and I just refill it when I run out.

Removes and detoxifies: As per the bottle, Prime removes Chlorine, Chloramine and Ammonia, and it detoxifies Nitrite and Nitrate. You can also use it in an emergency if your tank suddenly spikes in Nitrite until you can figure out what causes the spike.

What’s not so great about Seachem Prime?

Price: Although it may seem a little bit pricey compared to some of the other brands on the shelf, you’re actually saving money by going with Seachem Prime – take a minute to read the instructions on the other bottle! I almost chose a brand of water conditioner from Top Fin the other day because the bottle was twice as big and I was strapped for cash; however, when I flipped the bottle around to see how many gallons of water it could treat, I noticed that you had to use almost double the amount of the Top Fin conditioner to treat the same amount of water that Prime can treat.

False Security: Although this has nothing to do with the actual product, too many new aquarists read that Seachem Prime can remove the Chlorine, Chloramine and Ammonia, as well as detox the Nitrite and Nitrate – and then they just quit doing water changes. Or, they run out and buy Prime when they have a spike in Ammonia, and then leave it at that.

It just doesn’t work that way! You should never rely on chemical Band-Aids for your puffer tank. Even with a quality tap water conditioner, you still need to conduct large, frequent water changes if you want your fish to thrive. Additionally, if your tank is experiencing an Ammonia or Nitrite spike, then you need to find the root cause of it; not just cover it up.

So, is Seachem Prime a good purchase for your fish tank?

If you’re serious about keeping freshwater puffers as a hobby, I highly recommend purchasing Seachem Prime as your water conditioner. It gets the job done, and it does it well, too. In fact, it’s the only water conditioner that I 100% trust to use on my own fish.

Remember, when you’re directly adding new tap water back into your fish tank after a water change, always add enough Prime to treat your entire tank – not just the new water. So, for example, if I’m changing 50% of the water on a 200 gallon fish tank and I’m using a Python to put the water directly back in from the sink, I would add enough Prime to treat the base amount of 200 gallons before I start adding the water; it would be incorrect to only treat 50% of the water, which would be 100 gallons in this case.

Want to get your own bottle of Prime? Check out the best prices here!

Because of the responses I’ve received in the past when I worked at a pet store, I’d like to take the time to lay out why I think you should really consider investing in a dedicated Q tank – and first and foremost, I’d like to dispel the myth that it’s going to be expensive because it doesn’t have to be. Trust me, I’m all for saving money!

Through a lot of trial and error, I’ve learned that one of the easiest ways to prevent yourself from having problems crop up in your main fish tank is to set up a separate aquarium dedicated to quarantining new arrivals before introducing them to the main setup. This should ideally encompass new live plants and live food items as well. I know some keepers don’t do this for their puffers because they’re going to be kept as single fish anyway, but I like to quarantine my new fish because I feel that it makes nipping parasites and bacterial infections in the bud far easier.

So if you’re sick and tired of having your fish randomly die and you’re ready to learn how to prevent it, let’s get started!

Do I Need to Quarantine Fish That Look Healthy?

Yes! Absolutely! Sometimes the ones that appear to be the healthiest are the ones that are harboring the most problems, which are all too ready to take over the minute you compromise the new fish’s immune system with the stress of a new tank.

A quarantine period is incredibly important for wild caught fish (and plants harvested from the wild) because they can carry a whole host of parasites. While they may not visibly harm their host, they are fully capable of wreaking havoc on your captive fish that have never encountered them before. I know that’s not much of a concern if you’re keeping your puffer as a single fish, but I thought I’d throw that in there for anyone who is keeping theirs in a community or species tank.

How Long Should Puffers Stay in Quarantine?

As a general rule of thumb, try to keep your puffer in quarantine for at least 4 weeks. You can always keep them separated from the main tank longer, but any less time and you will be risking the transfer of parasites and bacterial infections that just haven’t presented themselves yet. I personally leave most of my new purchases in observation for upwards of three months, with the exception of live food.

I realize that this is one of the hardest concepts to come to terms with – many people are impatient and want to see their new fish swimming in the main aquarium immediately, myself included! However, I always try to break it down in terms of money – would I rather lose $200 in fish because I impatiently added one $5 feeder crab, or would I rather suck it up for a month to ensure that I actually have a puffer to watch swim around in my tank? I hope we’re in agreement that the former is much better alternative!

Some Final Words of Wisdom on Quarantining New Arrivals

I know many people can probably relate to the frustration of losing an entire fish tank to a parasite infestation (I’m talking about you ich!), weird fungal growths, or a bacterial infection that suddenly showed up after adding a new fish. The worst part is realizing that you could have saved your fish, and yourself all of the trouble, if you had just kept them separated in the beginning.

Try to think of your main fish tank as an investment – you would protect any other valuable asset carefully so why not your aquarium? You’ve already invested a lot of money in the supplies for it and probably the puffer itself, not to mention a lot of time. Every time you get a new puffer, especially if it’s wild caught, it has the potential to sabotage your investment, so error on the safe side and quarantine EVERYTHING – even live foods like ghost shrimp. For many people this sounds very time consuming, but in the end you’ll save a lot of fish and money.

Avoid sharp decorations in your puffer tank

Now that you’ve made sure that a puffer is the right type of fish for you, it’s time to start setting up the correct environment for your future finned friend to live in. This should always be done in advance, well before you make a move to purchase a fish, because a puffer requires a fully cycled tank. You will need to regularly monitor your water parameters to determine when the tank is ready for a puffer, so I would recommend picking up a quality water test kit now – you’ll be using it a lot from here on out. I personally use the freshwater master test kit by API because I prefer the accuracy that liquid drops offer in comparison to strip tests.

So, what are the essential components of the perfect puffer tank? Well, you will need to provide the following:

1. Space – Because your puffer will excrete a lot of ammonia and other waste into the water, it’s very important to make sure there is enough volume to dilute the toxins. Smaller-medium puffers usually do well in 30 gallon tanks, while large species will obviously require larger tanks. Do your research first so you know how much tank space you will need to provide, and don’t put off buying an adequately sized tank for later. Just get it now so you aren’t stuck in a bind when you have to upgrade your puffer’s tank and there isn’t any money to do so.
2. Hiding places – Terra cotta pots, drift wood, and regular tank decorations all work well to break up your puffer’s line of sight, thus reducing the chances that they will start glass surfing out of boredom. Just remember that you need to check all decorations and other objects for sharp edges that can hurt your puffer’s skin.  Additionally, it’s always a good idea to make sure that none of the decorations you use have small holes that your puffer can get stuck in, and I would recommend avoiding hollow ornaments.
3. Plants for cover when they’re out exploring – You can use fake plants, real ones or a combination of both. Your puffer won’t care; it’s an aesthetic decision on your part. If you choose fake, consider using silk plants because they are easier to keep weighted down than their plastic counterparts. On the other hand, if you want to use live plants in your puffer tank I would recommend broad leafed types. Our puffers constantly uproot small plants, like Anacharis, and our Congo (T. miurus) likes to bite the stems of smaller plants in half.
4. Sand or smooth rock for substrate – If you have a species of freshwater puffer that likes to bury itself underneath the substrate, then you should really opt for sand because it won’t cause sores on their nose when they try to burrow – pebbles and larger rocks don’t move well, and they won’t be happy if their natural inclination to bury themselves is inhibited. However, if you have an active species, then by all means use whatever substrate you want provided that it’s aquarium safe and smooth to the touch. I personally like buying large bags of pool filter sand because it’s cheap and it stays weighted down pretty well when I use the gravel vac.
5. Excellent filtration – In addition to ensuring that your puffer has a large enough tank, you will also need to make sure you have a good source of filtration, as well. I use HOB (hand on the back) filters on my 50 gallon and smaller tanks; my preference is Aquaclear and Marineland because they have proven to be very quiet, reliable filters over the past six years. Most of these tanks have two filters running on them, too, for added filtration. Anything larger gets an appropriately rated canister filter – again, I like Marineland, but that’s just me; Eheim is also a very good brand of quality canister filters.
6. Heater – Pretty self explanatory. I recommend using two smaller heaters for larger tanks because it’s always nice to have a backup if something goes wrong with the other one.
7. Aquarium hood or glass lid – This is a very important part; puffers can and will jump out of the water if they want to. I’m pretty sure our Fahaka (T. lineatus) would launch himself out of the water if I left the lid off whenever I start getting the food out. A lid also serves as the first line of protection your puffer has against outside contaminants, like air fresheners, from entering their tank.
8. Thermometer – Aquarium heaters can malfunction, and the temperature in your tank is going to be largely based on the ambient temp in the room. You should always check the water temperature at least twice a day to make sure that everything in under control. A sudden spike in temperature can at best put your puffer into shock, and at worst leave you with a dead fish.

Other supplies you might want to have on hand:

• Python siphon
• Turkey baster
• Clear target feeding stick
• Tweezers
• Arm length aquarium gloves

In my own puffer tanks, I like using drift wood and live plants. It’s a personal preference, and you can always use plastic plants and fake aquarium decorations to create an awesome tank, as well. I’m just partial to natural looking fish tanks because I don’t feel as home sick when I can’t get outside for a hike. The key is that you’re providing your puffer with enough cover so that it feels secure, excellent filtration to combat their copious waste production, and plenty of things to explore so they don’t become bored.

On a final note, keep in mind that maintaining consistent water chemistry is more important than getting the pH just right. Puffers are very hardy fish once they are acclimated to their new tank, and most freshwater species do perfectly well in a wide pH range. You will do more harm constantly yo-yoing the water chemistry by adding chemicals to alter things.

Mussels are great for puffers!

There’s no question about it, snails are probably one of the most widely recommended sources of puffer food. They come in varying sizes, they’re easy to breed, and with the exception of piscivorous species, most puffer fish love them. However, this leads many people who are new to keeping puffers to the conclusion that snails are the only hard food that will help keep their puffer’s teeth trimmed, which just isn’t true!

So, what else can your puffer eat that will help prevent their teeth from overgrowing? Well, you’re only limited to the amount of different mollusks and crustaceans that your puffer will accept. For example, the following all make great hard foods:

• Half shell mussels, clams and oysters – smaller puffers will scrape their teeth on them and larger ones will bite the shell itself.
• Crab legs – they aren’t just for romantic candle lit dinners! Consider getting a tray for your puffer, too. You can break off smaller sections depending on the size of your fish.
• Lobster, crayfish and shrimp – as long as they still have their shell on, they make a great hard food. You will need to cut them up first.
• Live feeder crabs – just remember that you have to quarantine live food, and you also want to make sure that the crab is an appropriate size for your puffer. Some of the videos people have where they are feeding a crab that is as large as or larger than their puffer end pretty badly.

With that said, snails are probably one of the most economical choices for puffer food out of the bunch. They are easily bred in small tanks, plastic totes and other similar containers, which really cuts down on costs. Ramshorn snails and bladder snails are both perfect candidates for this. However, if you don’t want to breed your own snails, then you can always hit up some local pet stores to see if they have any excess pest snails they wouldn’t mind sharing – just be careful about dropping pest snails directly into your tank.

All live food items, including snails, have to be quarantined before they are offered to your puffer, because if they aren’t they can potentially transmit parasites and disease. You’ve probably noticed that I say that a lot throughout this website, and for a very good reason. It’s a very important aspect of keeping puffers to remember that unfortunately aquarists seem to ignore all too often until some sort of disaster strikes their tank. Think of it like this – would you add a new fish that has been kept around other potentially sick fish to a community tank without quarantining it first? Exactly.

On a final note, just remember that while your puffer doesn’t necessarily have to eat snails, you do have to incorporate some type of hard food into their diet in order to keep their teeth in check. The frequency at which you do this will depend on the species of puffer that you’re keeping – if they have a faster rate of dental growth, like SAP’s (Colomesus asellus), then you will need to provide a very consistent supply of hard food. The key to keeping your puffer healthy is diversifying their diet, so keep in mind that hard foods aren’t the only suitable item on the menu! Mix it up with blood worms, pieces of shrimp meat, fish fillet chunks, live feeder insects, red wigglers…you get the point!

Pomacea diffusa

Have you been struggling to find websites that talk about puffers? Well, then sit down and browse through some of the links that I’ve compiled! You’ll only find care sheets and web pages that provide solid information, nothing misleading – like pages that insist puffers can be kept in community tanks.  I’ve also included some links to the Puffer Genome Project, too, if you’re interested in a more scientific discussion, as well as other information about Tetrodotoxin, puffer adaptations, and classification.

I’ve tried to keep the majority of the links related to freshwater and brackish puffer species; however, there are a few general puffer resources and sites focused on marine species that I thought were excellent additions. Before you start browsing, I strongly recommend taking a look at Aqualog: The Puffers of Fresh and Brackish Waters by Klaus Ebert, which is a wonderful source of offline information about these amazing fish. Please note that while I will do my best to maintain this list so that it only contains live links and accurate information, it’s ultimately up to you to do your research and make the judgment call.

• The Puffer Forum – No list of puffer links would be complete without mentioning one of the largest online forums dedicated to just discussing puffer fish! Information about all puffer fish – marine, freshwater, and brackish – is included.
• Dwarf Puffer Forum – Want to learn about all the ins-and-outs of keeping dwarf puffers (Carinotetraodon travancoricus)? Then make sure you check out this website dedicated specifically to the care and discussion of the little guys.
• Green Spotted Puffer.net – This is a very handy website for anyone who keeps a green spotted puffer (Tetraodon nigroviridis). You’ll find general care information, feeding tips, planted tank suggestions, and even a letter template that you can print out and send in to Wal-Mart to protest the sale of green spotted puffers in their store.
• Wet Web Media: FAQs about Freshwater Puffers – A compilation of frequently asked questions about freshwater puffers that cover general care, feeding, health concerns, compatibility, and identification.
• Tetraodon nigroviridis Genome – A hub of links that relate to the Tetraodon nigroviridis genome sequencing project.
• Toxicity of Tetrodotoxin – A description of the effects that Tetrodotoxin has on the human body if consumed.
• Scientific Names for the Genus Tetraodon – A comprehensive set of links that will help you learn to associate the scientific name for your puffer with its common name; something that is very important to become familiar with. If you want to do your own search for freshwater puffers, the following Genus names will start you in the right direction: Tetraodon, Carinotetraodon, Auriglobus and Monotrete.
• Tetraodon nigroviridis Database – An in depth look at the sequencing project for Tetraodon nigroviridis. Really interesting read if you have the time.
• The Puffer Fish Voucher Library – Information regarding an inter-agency project designed to prevent deaths related to Tetrodotoxin poisoning. This link isn’t for the faint of heart; there are images of dead puffers if you decide to click through.
• Introduction to the Freshwater and Brackish Water Puffers – Very well written, comprehensive overview of what you can expect if you decide to keep a freshwater or brackish puffer, from behavior and appearance, to water quality issues.
• Puffer Forum.net – Another puffer website and forum that covers the care of freshwater, brackish, and marine puffer species.
• The Status of Torquigener hypselogeneion – Scholarly article on the following species of marine puffers: Torquigener hypselogeneion, T. florealis, and Torquigener randalli.
• The Puffer Fish Lair – Very detailed site about keeping, acclimating and feeding various species of freshwater and brackish water puffers. It doesn’t appear to have been updated since 2003, but the information that’s already on there will keep you reading for a while!
• List of Freshwater Puffers – A brief list of a few freshwater and brackish species that also includes a short description of each one.
• Brackish and Freshwater Puffers – General information about some of the most commonly encountered fresh and brackish water puffer species.
• Puffernet – Information about puffers in general, including tips for tank setup and purchasing a puffer.
• FAQs about Brackish Water – A very comprehensive page about brackish water; not a puffer specific link, but there is a section specifically dedicated to freshwater and brackish species.
• Tetraodon Genome Browser – If you want to learn more about the actual project, then check out Tetraodon nigroviridis: A Fish with a Compact Genome.
• Puffer Identification – A page dedicated to the identification of puffer species whose origin is unknown; some fin ray counts are included in addition to pictures. There is also a forum and other articles on this website, too.
• Puffer Fish Information – Another forum that covers the discussion of freshwater, brackish and marine puffer species.
• Lagocephalus lunaris (Green Rough-Backed Puffer) – Very nicely laid out school research project on the Green Rough-Backed Puffer, which is a tropical marine species.
• The Puffer List – A collection of profiles and articles about freshwater, brackish and saltwater puffers.
• Tetraodontidae Facts – A brief National Geographic article that describes the various adaptations of the puffer fish.
• Green Spotted Pufferfish: A well written Squidoo lens that covers the basic care of green spotted puffers (Tetraodon nigroviridis) in the home aquaria.
• Toxicity of T. fangi and T. palembangensis: A study that discusses where the highest levels of toxicity were found in a sampling of each species (the highest accumulation of toxin was in the skin).
• Overview of Fresh, Brackish and Marine Puffers: Really neat webpage that talks about the different groups of puffers, and offers a small amount of care information, as well.
• Marine Pufferfish: A brief look at some of the different species of marine puffers.
• A New Record of the Marine Puffer Fish Genus: Read through an article that discusses finding Chelonodon patoca in a freshwater body of water, which was previously only known to inhabit brackish/marine waters.
• Dwarf Puffer: Amazing webpage dedicated to talking about the care, diet and breeding habits of Carinotetraodon travancoricus. I highly recommend checking it out – the pictures are adorable!
• Pufferfish: Very nice article that presents some of the different freshwater and brackish puffer species.

Helpful forum threads you may want to check out:

• Some info on puffers and salinity: This discussion is mostly about Figure 8 puffers, and it talks about the difference between the Figure 8′s natural habitat vs. the preferred aquarium conditions when in captivity.
• Jungle Fish Parasite Clear Tabs: Talks about the best way to use Jungle Fish Parasite Clear fizzy tabs to treat a puffer with internal parasites (IP’s).
• Praziquantel and Metronidazole: Discusses the use of Prazi and Metronidazole with puffers, including tips for administration, like injecting food items.
• Difference between Monotrete and Tetraodon: If you’ve ever been confused as to why some puffer species are in the genus Tetraodon, while others are listed under Monotrete, then you should definitely take a look at this thread.

Do you have a puffer link that you would like to see on this list? Send me your suggestion using the contact form, or by leaving a comment below!

Puffers are a not a good impulse purchase

Making the decision to bring home a fish that has the potential to live just as long, or longer, than a dog is a huge commitment. Puffers are not a novelty item, and you can’t simply return them once they’ve outlived their welcome in your tank. Not only will you have a difficult time finding someone else who has the time and space to devote to a predatory fish, but you also will have to make sure you’re still performing necessary maintenance and water changes while you’re looking.

On this same note, please don’t buy a puffer just to get rid of pest snails in your aquarium. This is horrible advice given out all too freely on Internet forums and at pet stores; there are plenty of other snail eating alternatives that you can choose from.

Sorry, back on topic, now! Taking the above into consideration, I’d like to help you make sure that this is the right pet fish for your situation before you make a potentially costly and time intensive mistake. Here are a few questions that you should take the time to think about before you buy a puffer:

How much experience do you have with aquarium fish?

I’ve made this statement before, but it’s worth saying again: freshwater puffers are not a beginner aquarium fish. If you don’t have experience setting up and maintaining a healthy tropical fish tank, then a puffer probably isn’t the right pet at this point. Instead, wait until you’ve gained some more experience and then try setting up a puffer tank. Your odds of successfully acclimating your puffer into a well adjusted, thriving fish are much higher if you wait, and you’ll be able to trouble shoot problems, like internal parasites (IP’s) better if they occur.

How much tank space do you have available?

Assuming that you’re interested in one of the smaller to midsized freshwater puffer species, then you will need to have at least a 30 gallon fish tank. This doesn’t include room for multiple puffers; just a single fish. However, if you plan on keeping one of the larger species, or even a smaller one that’s very active, then you will need to make sure you can accommodate a larger fish tank in both your living space and your budget. If you’re sitting there shaking your head at the thought of devoting an entire 30 gallon or larger fish tank to a single puffer, then you should probably find a different species of fish to keep.

Are you willing to commit to large, weekly water changes and monitor the water chemistry regularly?

Performing water changes and monitoring water parameters are a fact of life if you plan on keeping any type of fish tank. However, this is something that you absolutely cannot become lax about if you choose to keep a puffer. The amount of stress that a puffer puts on the biological filter is immense due to their protein rich diet and high waste output. Combine their scaleless nature into the mix, and you have a disaster waiting to happen if you’re still convinced that water changes only need to be done once a month. The best piece of advice that I can offer about maintaining your future puffer tank is that you should make sure that you’re keeping a log of your weekly maintenance duties and the results of your water tests. Tracking changes in the water chemistry on a weekly basis will allow you to troubleshoot problems with your puffer tank before they have a chance to escalate – not to mention you’ll be able to pin point exactly what went wrong, too.

Do you have space for a dedicated snail breeding tank?

Developing baby ramshorn snails

Although you could technically get away with using other types of hard food, snails are still by the far one of the easiest ways to feed a puffer on a budget. They aren’t demanding in care and they breed like crazy. A 5-10 gallon plastic tote works great as a snail breeding tank, which means you could potentially set your snail colony up under the stand for your puffer tank.

How much money can you afford to spend on puffer food?

Aside from snails, most puffers still need to have access to a varied diet that consists of crustaceans and other mollusks; if you’re looking at a piscivorous (fish eating) species, then you will have to make sure you can provide a healthy source of feeders, too. You can also use some live feeder insects, like red wigglers, as well. The food bill for some of the larger freshwater puffer species is pretty impressive when you break it down, even if you’re like me and you breed your puffer food and buy the rest when it’s on sale.

Are you willing to keep your puffer as a solitary animal?

Although some puffers can be kept in a species tank, and a select few may tolerate tankmates, the best puffer tank is one that is dedicated to a single fish. In most cases, the word “tolerate” is key; a puffer may allow other fish to live with it, but their existence will most likely be filled with territorial spats, which often end very poorly for the harassed fish in the confines of a glass tank.

Will you take the time to quarantine all live food before it’s offered to your puffer?

This is a very important step that many people overlook, which is unfortunate. All live aquatic prey items, including snails, can transmit parasites and disease to your puffer, so make sure you’re quarantining everything before tossing it in the tank. Even though nothing serious may come out of not quarantining live foods for a long time, you will be in for a rude awakening once it does; it’s not a matter of if your puffer will get sick from eating un-quarantined live food, but a matter of when it will happen. This can be said for any type of predatory fish being kept in the home aquarium that eats live prey.

Are you comfortable with the thought of trimming a puffer’s teeth?

Despite feeding your puffer a consistent diet of hard foods, it’s still possible that they could end up with overgrown teeth. If this happens, you will have to be either comfortable with the idea of sedating your puffer and trimming its teeth, or able to find a vet who can do it for you.

Some Final Thoughts on Determining Why You Want to Keep a Pet Puffer

I know the above may seem like a lot of questions, and some of the answers seem very cynical, but it’s much better to be fully prepared before you take the plunge and get stuck with a fish that you won’t be happy with, or able to properly care for. There’s still time to back out and set up a peaceful community tank before it’s too late! However, if you’re still sure that a puffer sounds like the right fish for you, then please make sure you bookmark this page and check back for the next installment to this series on picking out a puffer.

Ready to move on? Check out Part 2: Setting Up the Perfect Puffer Tank! 

Not washing the juice off bloodworms can cause an ammonia spike

Since we’re in the market for a few more fish tanks, I thought I’d take a look at what my local Craigslist had to offer. After browsing through some posts, I noticed a trend that really bothered me – people were keeping a lot of hazards next to their tanks that could definitely pose problems for their fish.

For example, there was one ad that had a line of candles sitting on the light strip of their fish tank, a can of hair spray sitting on the stand, and no glass lid to be seen. So, I thought I would compile a quick list of all the things should either never be near your puffer tank, or that can pose a problem to both fish and owner. Don’t forget to let me know if you think I’ve missed any!

1. Cords That Go Directly to the Outlet

Before plugging any of your fish tank equipment in, it’s important to form a drip loop with the cord. This is really easy to do; just take a section of the cord and twist it around a few times so that it loops down before continuing to the outlet. Taking the time to do this will prevent any water drips that get onto the cord from entering the outlet, which will happen when you’re doing maintenance on your tank.

On a completely unrelated note, if you’re running an air pump for your puffer tank, consider using a check valve – they’re a really small investment (less than $5). They will prevent your air tubing and pump from creating a siphon, which usually happens when the power shuts off, but it can also occur if the tubing gets disconnected from the air stone. If water is allowed to enter your pump it will ruin it, and a replacement pump costs a lot more than a small check valve.

2. Lotions, Perfumes and Air Fresheners

Refrain from using lotion directly before reaching your hands into your puffer tank. If you’re in doubt, don’t reach in – the same goes for soap. Or, better yet, consider investing in a set of arm length aquarium gloves that are specifically meant for doing maintenance without getting your hands and arms wet.

Perfumes, air fresheners, and anything else that you spray into the air can potentially harm your puffer if it gets into the water, which can happen through the little openings in the back of the hood if you don’t have them exactly fitted for your equipment – or if you aren’t using a lid on your fish tank (more on this further down). Moral of the story? Don’t do your beauty regimen near your aquarium!

3. Household Cleaning Supplies, Like Window Sprays

Never use chemicals to clean your fish tank, or anything near it, regardless of how dirty it gets. The only exception to this is a dilute solution of bleach, which can be used to clean decorations or equipment if you purchase them used – but obviously never placed directly in your tank while the fish are there. Instead, try removing water drops with a plain wet cloth, and getting rid of calcium deposits and other gunk with a white vinegar/water mixture.

4. Frozen Blood Worms 

Use a fine mesh net to rinse bloodworms off

This one applies more toward people than it does puffers, but I still think it’s an important fish tank hazard to include because I’ve come across many people that didn’t know about it. If you’re going to be feeding your puffer bloodworms, please keep in mind that some people can have nasty reactions when the juice gets on their hands or they breathe the dust in – freeze dried can go airborne if you stir up the dust.

It’s always a good idea to wear gloves when you’re handling them, and use a turkey baster for delivery. Aside from preventing anything from coming in direct contact with skin, a turkey baster is a great way to ensure the bloodworms are placed directly in front of your puffer. That being said, if you forget to wash the blood worms off, or overfeed your puffer, they can indirectly cause harm to it, as well, through an ammonia spike.

5. Open or Absent Aquarium Lids

Just like any other fish, puffers can and will jump, especially if they see something at the top of the water that looks like food –Fish will also try to jump out of the tank if the water quality is poor. For example, a buildup of ammonia can easily burn (and kill) a puffer, which make them try to escape the source of irritation. Always keep the lid down on your puffer tank once you’re done feeding or performing maintenance, and never leave your fish tank without a covering of some sort. If you can’t afford a new hood yet, plexi glass cut to fit works great as a temporary lid – just don’t put your light directly on it.

6. Sharp Rocks and Decorations

Puffers are scaleless fish, which means anything that has jagged edges can potentially hurt them. In particular, watch out for roughly textured decorations that have small openings. Our puffers are constantly trying to fit through holes that are too small for them when they see food coming. Since most puffers spend a lot of time sitting on the bottom of the tank, especially lurkers and ambush species, it’s also very important to make sure that the substrate you use is smooth – this is another reason why I like pool filter sand so much.

7. Snails That Haven’t Been Quarantined

Quarantine your snails!

Like any other type of live food, snails still have to be quarantined before they are safe to feed to your puffer. It’s a very unwise idea to pick up snails from the pet store and then directly toss them into your puffer’s tank. This is another perk to breeding your own snails – you only have to quarantine them once provided that you keep them in sanitary conditions, and you don’t introduce new stock into your colony that hasn’t been previously quarantined, as well. To learn more about snails and other food items, check out my free guide on feeding your puffer, which can be located in the “Free Stuff!” section of this website.

8. Broken Aquarium Heaters

Some of the glass models are easily smashed by larger puffers, which can cause harm to both keeper and fish. To prevent this from happening, consider investing in a shatter proof heater, or fashion a heater guard to place your glass one behind. Additionally, it’s always a good idea to regularly monitor the temperature of the water, because a malfunctioning heater can quickly heat up the tank resulting in a dead puffer.

9. Decorative Rocks and Old Residential Piping that Contain Heavy Metals

When some types of metal are allowed to dissolve in the aquarium, they can actually harm or kill your fish. Lead negatively affects a fish’s gill function, which can be introduced to your tank water through copper, brass or lead piping. Additionally, some wells contain parts that can also leech lead into the water. This is one of the primary reasons why it’s so important to use a quality water conditioner, like Prime, if you’re filling up your puffer tanks with tap water – don’t forget that letting the water “age” in a bucket does not remove any of the harmful heavy metals from it, or the chloramine, either.

Here are a few resources to check out if you would like to read more about heavy metals:

• Lead Pipes and Lead in the Water
• Impacts of Metals on Aquatic Ecosystems and Human Health

Final Thoughts on Keeping Your Puffer Safe from Everyday Hazards

Avoiding contaminating your puffer’s water, or causing your fish unintentional injury through other means, is largely a matter of common sense. It’s usually the little things, like forgetting to shut a lid, spraying some air freshener, or not creating a drip loop, that creates problems down the road. To combat this, consider making a check list to hang next to your puffer tank that you can quickly reference every time you’re doing maintenance or setting up new equipment. Or, just print off the one that I’ve already made for you – check it out!

Do you have any tips of your own that you would like to share? Let me know about them with a comment!

Here’s a more in depth break down of all the common reasons why you might see your green spotted puffer swimming up and down in its tank:

1. Something is wrong with your water parameters. Testing the water is the first thing you should do in the event that you catch your puffer glass surfing, regardless of the species you are keeping. Often, erratic swimming or constant surfing is a sign that there’s something very wrong with the quality of your puffer’s water, or the overall environment that it’s being kept in. A brackish water puffer, like T. nigroviridis, that is being kept in pure freshwater is a prime example of a fish that will probably start glass surfing as it ages. In the case of a green spotted puffer, I would recommend checking the ammonia and nitrite, as well as the specific gravity (SG), which is a measure of the salinity in your fish tank. If you haven’t already, you should definitely pick up a hydrometer so that you can keep track of the SG in your brackish water puffer tank.

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2. The tank is too small for your green spotted puffer. These are very active puffers, and they grow to a decent size – think avocado. If you don’t provide enough room for your puffer to swim, then you will not only notice them swimming up and down the glass out of boredom, but also because the water quality is deteriorating. Ideally, you should provide your puffer with the largest tank you can afford, because the more water you have to dilute the toxins, like ammonia, the healthier your puffer will be in the long run.

3. There aren’t enough decorations and plants breaking up their line of sight. Aside from poor water quality, boredom is another very common reason why green spotted puffers resort to glass surfing. Wouldn’t you start pacing if you didn’t have anything interesting to look at every single day of the week for the rest of your life? Try breaking up their line of sight with different shapes of decorations, rocks and plants to create a more interactive environment that your puffer will enjoy exploring. If you really want to make things interesting, consider partially burying some food in the sand with just the tip exposed at meal time to let your puffer hunt for its prey – it’s a lot of fun to watch them blow streams of water at the sand!

4. Your puffer is hungry. If you’ve already ruled out poor water quality, inadequate tank size and sheer boredom, then your puffer is probably hungry. They’re notorious beggars when it comes to food, and puffers have surprising gluttonous appetites. However, it’s important to remember that even though your puffer will gladly overeat, feeding them so much that their stomachs stretch out is not a healthy practice.

Final Thoughts on Glass Surfing Green Spotted Puffers

Again, on a final note, Tetraodon nigroviridis (green spotted puffer) is not a freshwater puffer; they require brackish water conditions to thrive. Although I see many people asking whether or not a green spotted puffer can survive in straight freshwater, I think it’s important to remember that merely surviving in one’s current conditions is nowhere near thriving.  If you keep your green spotted puffer in the correct type of environment, it will reward you with a very robust personality and beautiful coloration – not to mention a long, healthy life.

Have any questions about keeping Tetraodon nigroviridis, or concerns about a glass surfing puffer? Let me know about them by leaving a comment!

However, if you’ve never kept a puffer tank before, then it might not be clear where you’re actually supposed find the little guys. No worries, I’ve been there, too. So, here are a few suggestions that should help you get started in the right direction with finding your own supply of feeder snails for your freshwater puffer fish:

1. Ask local pet stores for any pest snails that they’re getting rid of. One of the easiest ways to find a steady supply of feeder snails for your puffer is to ask around at local pet stores. Most of the time, you will be able to find Ramshorn snails and common pond snails pretty readily. Additionally, many pet stores have an overabundance of Malaysian trumpet snails (MTS), as well. However, it’s worth noting that some people have had problems feeding trumpet snails to their smaller puffers because of the hardness of the shell, so please proceed with caution if you go down that route. The most important thing to remember about obtaining pest snails from a pet store is that you absolutely must quarantine them before offering them to your puffer. No exceptions.

2. Purchase them online from a trusted seller. Another great place to find feeder snails is to look for people selling starter colonies on aquatic forums and bidding sites. For example, both Ebay.com and Aquabid have Ramshorn snails for sale. Just remember that you have to be home when your shipment of feeder snails arrives because they cannot be exposed to temperature extremes. Again, don’t forget to quarantine your snails before feeding them to your puffer.

3. Breed your own snail colony. The best way to ensure that your puffer always gets a crunchy meal is to breed your own snails. Ramshorn snails and common pond snails are both very easy to get started, and they breed prolifically. Planaria are a common sight in a snail tank, and they won’t hurt anything; however, they are a sign that you’re feeding your snails too much, which can pose a threat. You will have to quarantine your initial batch of snails before feeding them to your puffer, but after that, you won’t have to keep repeating the process unless you introduce new stock into your snail colony. Just remember that you have to keep your snails in a sanitary environment if you want them to remain healthy, prolific, and subsequently, a healthy food for your puffer to eat.

On a final note, please remember the snails that you find outside in the garden are not the right type of food to feed your freshwater puffer, especially since they could potentially be contaminated with pesticide residue. That goes for any type of live food you can collect in your backyard, including earth worms, even if you don’t personally spray your yard with pesticides and other chemicals, like weed killers; always assume your neighbor does!

Have any questions about feeding snails to puffers? Let me know in the comments!

Charmander, the red congo

The longer I keep freshwater pufferfish, the more I fall in love with each species. There is such a diverse range of fish in the puffer family, even though it’s a relatively small group as a whole.

Here’s a brief list of a few things that I think set freshwater puffers apart from other aquarium fish:

1. They all have a different personality. Even if someone says that something won’t work for a specific type of puffer – it never hurts to try it out, unless of course it’s going to harm your fish. For instance, most of what I’ve read about Congo puffers (T. miurus) says that they probably won’t eat snails and it will be really hard to transition them to dead prey; neither one of those held true for our little guy, even though they may apply to many other Congo puffers.

Just to illustrate my point, I threw a handful of ramshorn snails in our Congo’s tank thinking that he wouldn’t touch them. Well, he didn’t for months – long enough for their population to explode like crazy. However, one morning I woke up and saw him stalking the glass eating baby snails. It took him less than a week to completely destroy the entire colony of snails. What works for one puffer may not work for another, and that’s why they’re such fascinating fish to keep.

2. Puffers are definitely not community fish. Despite the fact that some people swear by keeping their puffers in a general community tank, there’s still plenty of evidence and solid reasons not to. Like, I don’t know, the fact that all freshwater puffers, even with their cute face and expressive eyes, will always be predators – no matter how long you have kept them in captivity. Or, as I like to refer to them, the Ultimate Predator Fish. After all, what other fish is ridiculously smart (my opinion), has the ability to evade predators by puffing up, can take a serious chunk out of them if that doesn’t work, and if all else fails, gets in the last word by poisoning whatever ate them?

3. I usually know more than the pet store – and I bet you do, too. Unfortunately, most pet stores are not knowledgeable about specialty fish, like freshwater puffers. They usually have a very broad knowledge on keeping fish as a whole, but no hands-on experience with the odd balls that they occasionally stock. However, that being said, it’s also not the pet store employee’s job to do the research for you! If you’re interested in purchasing a freshwater puffer, then you should always come prepared with your own research – and always, always fact check anything you’re told. Although, this could be said of any purchase you make, period.

4. Topping off and water changes are two completely different things. Although frequent, large water changes are important regardless of the type of tank you’re keeping, anything that excretes as much waste as a puffer does demands a strict adherence to a regular maintenance schedule. And as easy as it is to just top off the tank when the water line gets low, don’t forget that toxins, like Ammonia and Nitrite, don’t evaporate. Instead, they’re left behind creating a increasingly concentrated toxic mess the longer you let that water evaporate.

Some Final Thoughts on Keeping Freshwater Puffers

Over the years, I’ve kept quite the variety of tropical fish. And you know what? Puffers are by far my favorite. Although other aquarium fish will always interest me, I enjoy how aware all of our puffers seem to be of their surroundings. For instance, you know how most fish, like mollies, guppies and platys, tend to only notice you’re there when it’s time to eat, and then swim around doing their own thing for the rest of the day?

Well, puffers are very different. Although, ours definitely rush to the glass when they think they’re going to be fed, and I’ve also caught them on more than one occasion observing what I’m doing through the glass, as well. In fact, GIR, our Fahaka puffer, will hover around in the corner of his tank that’s closest to my computer desk the entire time I’m in the room. It definitely gives you a better perspective on the clichéd saying, “feeling like you’re being watched in a fish bowl.”