Dwarf Puffers

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josh7

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Can they be housed in a 10 gallon safely? Are they hard to care for? What types of food should I feed them? Are they hardy? Also do they require salt?
 
What type of dwarf? Indians only gros to 1 inch and are full of personality, no salt, pond snails or actually any snails are good, pretty hardy, and will fit in that tank size. You could maybe do 2 indians in there.

EDIT: the snails are good as food, as the puffers will not eat much else...
 
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What type of dwarf? Indians only gros to 1 inch and are full of personality, no salt, pond snails or actually any snails are good, pretty hardy, and will fit in that tank size. You could maybe do 2 indians in there.
agreed
Depends on the puffer.
 
What type are the most common? Can there be any type of tankmates with them?
 
Only one type of dwarf puffer to my knowledge. Mine live with cherry shrimp and ignore them but depends on the puffer.
 
Alright is there really any other type of fish soecies that can go with them because I think a 10 gallon with two .75 inch fish be boring...
 
Oh ok I was jw if it was possible to have more with them. If its not that's cool. Also can they puff up? Like an actual saltwater puffer.
 
Not sure if this would work or not but I was thinking of doing this with mine. They never go anywhere near the top of the tank. So maybe a small school of marble hatchets who never leave the top of the tank. Not sure if this would work. Just a thought
 
Alright I will keep this idea in mind then thanks for all the responses.
 
I wouldn't do marble hatchets with dwarf puffers. Or in a 10g.

In a ten gallon, with LOTS of plants, driftwood, etc, you could keep two females, or one male and one female.
They require heavy filtration ( would do an aquaclear 50 with the flow turned down) and weekly 50% water changes. They have no scales, so water quality must be impeccable.

When you first get your puffers, you should treat them for internal parasites as they are prone to them.

You can feed them live pond snails, frozen blood worms, live earthworms from organic soil cut up in little pieces, and little bits of frozen shrimp. Remove uneaten food after every feeding time. It is best to teach them to take food from tweezers so you can monitor what they're eating. They will eat till their stomach burst (literally) so feed them till their bellies are round but not bursting.

In a 10g you could try from red cherry shrimp or a couple oto's, but I think I wouldn't try tankmates with them in anything smaller than a 20 long.
 
Hmm is there really any other oddball type fish I could have in a 10 gallon?
 
Oh ok I was just wanting to see just throwing around some ideas for my little brothers new tank.
 
Well he watches me do it since I still live at home he's like 10. But I have taught him how to do everything and he cleans my tanks sometimes. But I might just lit his betta in a 10 like my original plan.
 
I keep 3 dwarf puffers and an otocinclus in an 8g, had them for close to 2 months now. I've read 3-5g per puffer is usually the rule. Really depends on the individual fish though if they are going to be aggressive or not and my tanks heavily planted. I have an aquaclear 20 on the tank and do about 50% changes weekly. Mine eat nothing but snails, I've tried frozen brine and frozen blood worms they swim up to them but then just look at the dead food and leave. They love to hunt. Thinking of starting some sort of live food culture to give them something else to eat/hunt. You could try shrimp for a tank mate, but I'm not sure how well this will work the shrimp I had in my tank seemed to "magically" descend in numbers lol.
 
I always thought dwarf puffers were to aggressive to live with Otos.
 
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