How to Take Care of Saltwater Puffers: Species Spotlight with Hilary

[@pianoman870]

I have the Valentini dwarf puffer and love her personality. She is so much fun to watch. She comes to the front of the tank when I come around and so surprised to watch how they sleep at night.

[@johnatella8498]

Does it eat snails? My larger snails are my cleanup crew, so I don't want them if they do.

[@tonyrongey6708]

You forgot to mention that puffers are BIGTIME jumpers. I had a young Green Spotted that spent a whole night tablesurfing. When I got up in the morning there was my puff all dry and crunchy on the table. But never cout out a puffer. As I was about to send him on his final swim I thought I saw a tiny gill movement. Since he was still 100% freshwater I put him in a cup of RO water and watched. Sure enough he was barely breathing! After about 4 hours he started to flip his tail a little. He lost one eye in the adventure, but after a few months he got back to swimming upright. He ended up doing just fine for another 6 years.

[@aquaticnstuff7666]

Never put a fish in RODI

[@WaterLoggedLife]

Oh my gosh that's an incredible story! Glad to hear he went on to live for some time!

[@kristinehansen.]

Why would you use RO water?

[@Heavens-Humanaterian-Army]

😮wow

[@alaskacosplay]

@@kristinehansen.because the puffer in question was a freshwater puff

[@philipwood8776]

I have a 20 gallon with a blue spotted puffer and two clownfish...They do great together

[@MyFirstFishTank]

Hilary, I had no idea there were so many different puffers! Toby's are my favorite!

[@WaterLoggedLife]

I didn't realize Tobies were your favorites! There are so many species and some I didn't even get to talk about in the video. (I'm going to try and feature those on my Instagram page).

[@snoopysrc]

Nothern puffer anyone got info

[@WaterLoggedLife]

@@snoopysrc can't say I've ever seen them kept or in LFS's but they are native to the Chesapeake Bay. Theyre shaped more like a wedge and get about 8-10 inches. Typical puffer diet of meaty foods, crustaceans, and mollusks. Also, I think the Northern Puffer is related to the Japanese Puffer (the one that makes the intricate "love" nest circle designs in the sand), I believe they are both in the same genus- Sphoeroides. Let me know if you've got more questions, I can try to help... feel free to reach out on Instagram @waterlogged1313

[@philipwood8776]

You are so informative...I love your videos

[@rubenarreola9993]

I have a saddle valentini in a 35g tank and LOVE HER she has such a great personality and even begs me for food however I also I like clams and have a "cage" for my maxima in the corner so she cant eat it

[@jims6101]

I kept green spotted puffers in a brackish tank. Living by the beach in Florida allowed me to feed them sand fleas, fiddler crabs, and coquina clams both live and frozen. I also fed them snails from my freshwater tanks and live bait shrimp that I had left over from fishing. I would put clumps of guppy grass in tank with snails in it which they would hunt. Had some guppy babies hitchhike on the grass that grew up and cleaned up after the puffers. Lol

[@mikesbasement6954]

I had a porcupine puffer and loved the heck out of him. He would play in my fingers and follow me around. When he wanted to play he would swim in tight circles. His favorite food was feeder guppies.

[@RobTeeJr]

Great video. Thank you.

[@WaterLoggedLife]

Thank you for watching! Do you have a favorite puffer?

[@RobTeeJr]

@@WaterLoggedLife No but thanks to you, I now have a much better idea of how to chose the right one for my new 120 gallon.

[@rontropics26]

Wow, what is that giant hermit? Looks awesome. I just got a box/burr puffer and he's awesome.

[@alexferrara5975]

Love puffers. Had a dogface puffer for many years. His favorite food was clams in the shell. I would crack the shell and let him go to town. You have to have good filtration for them. They put quite a bioload on your tank.

[@WaterLoggedLife]

Aww did you have any issues keeping his teeth trimmed? The dogface I care for at work has big ole buck teeth that we have to trim down every so often. Excellent point about the significant bio load...not only do they eat a lot but they are SO messy about it. Haha

[@alexferrara5975]

@@WaterLoggedLife no I had him for 7 years and fortunately never had to trim his teeth. I assume it was the hard shell clams I fed him.

[@russellkeith3193]

I got a dogface & pork puffers in a 220 both are so cool

[@me2525]

I live in Indonesia and I love finding blue spotted tobies in tide pools. All the fish dart away and hide but those tobies don't care at all. They just swim around like they know nobody is going to bother them.

[@jonathanseguin2024]

hi ! amazing video !!! how many liters for diodon holocanthus ?

[@kevinpeters6709]

I’m looking at a leopard toby in my future 75 gallon

[@Fish_Ventura]

I have a clam so no bueno..... love Hillary’s vids. She should do a deep-dive on buying, treating and keeping a specific fish type like my Goldflake Angel as an example. She has the credentials and a great presentation. Her angel vid was the first time I’ve heard I can fresh water dip an angel. You get her and Humblefish onscreen together and you have a classic.

[@rubenarreola9993]

I put my clam in a "cage" aka an acrylic box with holes and my puffer cant get to him

[@sunnygoold9449]

Another amazing video! I'd get a porcupine but I love inverts way too much... and I don't have a big tank. But I love my clams and therefore I would avoid getting a Copperband and therefore I need to have peppermint shrimps to ensure no aptasia. I also don't put such a premium on personality (maybe that will change) - so I have a fish list with the fish I really want and can go together ;)

[@WaterLoggedLife]

Thanks! I totally understand, it sounds like you've got a good game plan with your list. I wish I had made one back when I first started.

[@BChavez-j3n]

I had a burrfish puffer and a tassel file fish together in my 60 gal. They were my living cactus. My file fish jumped out and my burr eventually got ick. That was the end of my hobby. I always wanted a camel cow fish but only saw it once. Thanks

[@jetli3352]

I had kept a Porcupine puffer she is right they are such fun fish.yeah Fowler tank only did fine with my Lionfishs. I wish i could keep the small valentini puffer but reef safe is important.

[@WaterLoggedLife]

Porcupine puffers are so much fun! How big is she? Lately I've seen so many tiny ones showing up in my Instagram feed.

[@jetli3352]

About 3 to 4 inch in size

[@malloryfraney1683]

I have a valentini puffer and I love her I just want her to live her best life she’s our first puffer and a baby so I’m so anxious to do everything right for her

[@rubenarreola9993]

Same I LOVE their enthusiasum and curious character

[@johnatella8498]

Do they eat snails?

[@abstylo5071]

Ive had a figure 8 puffer and currently i just got a porcupine puffer this morning

[@BulkReefSupply]

Those are some awesome fish!

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

Best Pufferfish video on KZbin! Beeing a freshwater keeper for 30 years, my dream is to keep a Salwater tank, Porcupine, dogfaced, or The ones with the thick spikes. Which would you reccomend for a 180 Gallon?

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

And also, do you concur with the King of DIY, that saltwater are as easy as freshwater? I find that hard to believe.

[@gadamwoll]

My green spot liked clams, bluespot like nori

[@cody-zo6]

I have a 90 gallon reef tank, i am emptying out to make it a puffer fish tank, do you think i could get away with a dog face puffer or 1 porcupine puffer?

[@slayersam8298]

I have kept Mbu puffer, dragon puffer, pea puffers. Rescued a fahaka puffer… would love a dog face one day and some type of Toby puffer

[@johnatella8498]

Do any of the smaller puffers not eat large snails?

[@alexesco1521]

They love mix

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

I always move my puffers with buckets, never net them out. Why take the risk, and they get a lot less stressed. :-)

[@brookecox5955]

Gosh I wish puffers were safe in reefs😭😭 I want one so baddd

[@gadamwoll]

Mine are I got 4 in my reef. Keep them feed

[@WaterLoggedLife]

That sounds like a reason for a puffer tank :) Adam has a good point. I've heard of people keeping them well fed and being okay.

[@kaylaward1335]

Ours are fine

[@coralocto1380]

I had a dwarf puffer

[@WaterLoggedLife]

Such little cuties!

[@My525XLRedSeaReefer]

I have never had a puffer but I did have a Yellow spotted box fish. The most characteristic fish I have ever owned. When it was hungry and I was near the tank it would spit water over the rim of the tank, in my direction! Such a cool fish. Sadly it stressed out when I was transferring him to an upgraded tank, wiping out most of my fish including himself. :(. Do the puffers have the same type of personality?

[@aquaticnstuff7666]

green spotted puffer, about 2 years now

[@WaterLoggedLife]

GSP's are awesome! What do you keep their salinity at/how old are they?

[@aquaticnstuff7666]

@@WaterLoggedLife it's a marine tank, so 35ppt salinity; about 4 inches, I bought it adult sized and have had it about 2 years now; it eats mysis, krill, clams, mussells and nori sheets

[@zafishguy5166]

I have one fish still alive in my reef after a velvet outbreak. I am unsure if I can restock as the fish was never removed and cannot be removed.

[@mikey4767]

Can I put more then 2 puffers in my salt water tank

[@meatrocket1]

Can you keep any puffer with clown fish & live rock /corals? New to saltwater tanks .. so excuse me if it’s a dumb question.

[@Rob_Stone]

Just got a Valintini

[@johnatella8498]

Does it eat snails?

[@jennaramirez8157]

I've had a narrow lined puffer and now I have a Valentini

[@johnatella8498]

Do they eat large snails?

[@weee_g9862]

I wish I could keep a puffer, I love my corals way too much 😅

[@WaterLoggedLife]

Yea I've had them in the past, but now with my reef tank and invertebrates I don't want to risk it...I do miss them though, they have the best personalities

[@hotgravyy498]

@@WaterLoggedLife I have a blue dot toby puffer in my 40 gallon reef and at first he nipped at coral but he was small and realized that it wasn't that apealling and if you buy them as baby's usually they will be fine with most crabs and Inverts the key is to always keep him full

[@babysanto314]

I just got a small one straight out the sea I caught here in Miami 😂😂😂

[@tylerpowell3616]

I have 10 dwarf pea puffers 1 fahaka puffer and tomorrow I'm picking up my 12 a porcupine puffer!

[@alexesco1521]

I do have a Toby so friendly I told I can get another soon he see it star biting the bag

[@frogger7509]

I have a porcupine pufferfish

[@WaterLoggedLife]

:) What's it's favorite type of food?

[@cody-zo6]

What size tank?

[@frogger7509]

75 gallon

[@cody-zo6]

@@frogger7509 I wanted one but was afraid the tank might be too small, I have a 90 gallon, if I wanted two puffers with that size tank, do you think I could do 1 porcupine and 1 dog face? Or do you think it would have to be just two dog faces?

[@bryansanchez-kx5sn]

The only puffers I've kept is pea puffers.

[@WaterLoggedLife]

That is one species of puffer I've always wanted but never had the opportunity to keep. How many did you have?

[@williamwathern]

I had a grey and almost blue dogface

[@luxsolis1248]

erm actually the arothron meleagris (guineafowl) can also be grey and brown.... and the stars and stripes puffer is actually an arothron hispidus

[@CincinnatiReefer]

My porcupine puffer wont eat anything but Krill and PEmysis. Picky fish....

[@WaterLoggedLife]

I feel your pain. I included a photo of a buck tooth dogface puffer in the video...he too is picky. He only will eat smelt or silversides. Out of curiosity, have you tried soaking stuff in garlic?

[@CincinnatiReefer]

@@WaterLoggedLife I've not tried soaking anything in garlic but I will give it a try and report back.

[@cody-zo6]

What tank size? do you think I could get away with a 90 gallon?

[@Heavens-Humanaterian-Army]

I'd love a huge porcupine

[@gadamwoll]

I name mine cheese puff, puff daddy, Ms. Puffs, puffington

[@dontreply8346]

Sir Puffington he would have you know! Sorry couldn’t help myself.

[@gadamwoll]

Porky

[@WaterLoggedLife]

Haha oh my goodness those are some awesome names. I take care of a puffer at work called Puffy Bear, but there's also DJ, Spud, Marshmallow, Mashed Potato, and Dotty...they are all characters.

[@mickyhamps]

I have 10 pea puffers, 6 figure 8s and I've just reserved a valentini

[@hermlover59]

I am Mike Foote, and I had a super cute Dpgface puffer named ( puff Daddy ) he could have been a little puppy he was a friend and fellow part of the family lived 10 years old and sadly 😭 2 years ago passed away old age and I was unable to find a replacement for him until today and my friend and my serviceman who cleaning my 120 Galon

[@gadamwoll]

Aww forgot about the green spot and blue spot.

[@WaterLoggedLife]

There were a few I wanted to include but didn't for various reasons, however I will be covering them on my Instagram page :)

[@scottbrougher4615]

I want one so bad by the wife won't give up her reef lol

[@areyouarobotz]

Valentini ate everything so I have more careful next time

[@johnatella8498]

Did eat your snails?

[@tonysfishkeeping537]

What’s her full name again? She’s beautiful, just saying lol

[@crazyinkjets7005]

it will EAT all my fish - it's like having a shark in your tank

[@WaterLoggedLife]

They can be aggressive and have huge appetites, but if you can keep them well fed and entertained it should be okay.