Thinking about dwarf pufferfish

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Zagz

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May 17, 2005
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Saskatchewan, Canada
I have a 25 gal tank standing empty. I KNOW, how in the world have I not filled it with something? LOL. Well I am thinking seriously about dwarf pufferfish, I have researched and know all the requirements but would like those that have kept them to step up with recommendations on how many, successful foods and general opinions or advice.

I plan on pool filter sand, and have filters cycled and ready to go. Will they eat plants?
 
A heavily planted aquarium is perfect for Dwarf Puffers. It actually allows you to stock them a little bit heavier since you break their line of sight and they can create more territories. They won't hurt the plants and will happily snack on any hitchhicker snails that enter the tank with the plants. You could have at least 5 and possibly upto 10 depending on who's recommendation you follow and the individual personalities of the fish. I haven't ever been able to keep them for a few months, once because of my own foolishness and the other time I lost them in a several day long power outage. They LOVE eating pond snails so being able to supplement them from from other aquariums is a must. I've also fed frozen bloodworms, but I'm not sure how many of those were actually eaten. They have so much personality that I'm sure you'll love them.
 
Thanks Joy, well snails for them would not be a problem with all my planted tanks. I wonder if they can eat MTS? It would be a dedicated tank to puffers only. I'm very happy about the planted tanks as I have caught the planted tank bug very big!
 
The MTS would be too hard for them to break open, but if you were to help break the shells they'd slurp them up. They actually don't tend to munch the shells of any but the smallest snails, they sort suck the snail out of their shells. I've heard stories of them getting their heads buried in the shell and then shaking it like a dog to get the snail out. It sounds hilarious, but never actually had the chance to witness it myself.
 
I LOVE my puffers...

I set up a 30 gallon with dwarf puffers - they are SO FUN to watch. They come up to the glass when I put my face up to the tank and stare at me. They'll chase each other, so I recommend a lot of hiding places and plants to block their view. They do "claim" their own places within the tank.

I think it's recommended one puffer per 3 gallons of water - I have 9 in my 30 gallon tank. (I bought all the store had because I felt sorry for them, no gravel, no plants, no hiding places - the tank conditions looked miserable, I felt sorry for them, so bought them all - arg!) I had no ammonia spikes, but they were all 1/2 in long when I got them... They shouldn't get much bigger.

The Bumblebee Gobies are great tank mates... I've heard Otos go well with them too for a clean up crew. I also put three kulhi loaches in, I heard they worked well with puffers, but I haven't seen them since I put them in - I'm assuming they're under the gravel.

The Gobies get the blood worms that hit the gravel, the puffers go after all the floating ones - they eat well... I guess once a day or once every two days should be enough feeding. They will come up and eat the worms out of my hand... I've never seen any eat any of the live plants - they appear to chase and nip each other, but as I stare at them watching me... I see no injury or nipped fins on any of them...

The tank had some live plants with lots of little snails in it when I bought it used, the puffers munched up the snails pretty quickly... I don't think there are any snails left.

Good luck,
Kerby
 
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another funny cute thing they do...

I have a 5 or 6 inch air stone under the grave... its at the back of the tank... the puffers swim like heck agains the current of the bubbles straight down to the bottom of the tank, then stop just letting themselves fly to the top of the tank with the bubble current... then the go back down agains the current of the air stone bubbles again... over and over and over - they seem to be having fun doing this... it's very entertaining to watch...

I hope it's not harmful to them... I doubt it - so my other recommendation is an air stone...

Kerby
 
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