Dwarf Puffers

[-Omgitsammie]

Hi, My Names Sammie. I have been considering getting a Dwarf Puffer... I refuse to get an animal without a 2 weeks of researching, Min. I learned that the hard way...

I have a (male) betta by the name of Mr. Beans. Would I be able to place a dwarf puffer and Mr. Beans together? If not. It's not a problem I can just keep Mr. Beans in his tank... I was considering getting a 15-gallon tank, a filter, heater, and gravel. Tell me what I need. :] I have heard these fish are freshwater fish. Is this true?
I’ve only been researching for a couple days I would really appreciate the advice.
Thank you

 

[Homedog98]

Dwarf puffers are freshwater schooling fish, so you'll need more like 5 or 6. You also need to cycle your new 15 gallon first. I wouldn't advise putting mr. Beans in there with them. Good luck and keep up the research!

 

[-Omgitsammie]

Thank you!
I wont put Mr. Beans in there :]
How long does this cycling process take..?
I've heard about this. But don't know how it works. And what it does. Explain?

 

[HN1]

Dwarf puffers are freshwater schooling fish, so you'll need more like 5 or 6. You also need to cycle your new 15 gallon first. I wouldn't advise putting mr. Beans in there with them. Good luck and keep up the research!

No they aren't. They do fine in smaller numbers or even singly. They do not school.

I would not put a DP and a betta together. The betta won't last. Make sure to treat for parasites when you get a DP. I learned the hard way when we got our last shipment of them.

 

[-Omgitsammie]

Oh.. Ya. I was only gonna put 2 or maybe 3 in the 15 gallon..
Thanks for clearing this up!
Still waiting for a response on the cycling

 

[jenatron]

Oh.. Ya. I was only gonna put 2 or maybe 3 in the 15 gallon..
Thanks for clearing this up!
Still waiting for a response on the cycling

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f15/fishless-cycling-for-dummies-103339.html
Read this ^ fully. If you don't understand any aspect, ask questions.
Welcome to AA.

Also, what all do you know about dwarf puffers? They're quite messy, and frequently don't accept pellets or flake foods. They're not so much difficult to keep, but they're not quite the easiest.

Edit: This website could be helpful. Most of the information looks good at a quick glance.

 

[HN1]

Sorry, missed that! lol

The time it takes varies greatly, but with some media from an already established tank you can reduce the time by a lot. Testing is the only real way to know when it's cycled. Plants won't hurt either.

 

[-Omgitsammie]

Yes. I have read the Dwarf Puffers are quite messy.. I was planning to feed them snails. Not flakes. Should i do both? what else can they eat? And I saw this 15 gallon tank at walmart.. Had everything for about 30 dollars.. Where could i buy these fish. they dont sell them at my local Petsmart thats for sure..
And thank you JenatronQT3.14159., HN1 And Homedog98
About to read link :]

 

[HN1]

We fed mostly pond snails and frozen bloodworms with occasional live blackworms as a treat.

Do you have any small mom n pop type LFSs in your area? They or online will be your best bet. Check out aquabid, I see them there occasionally.

 

[-Omgitsammie]

Ok done reading.. I do have a question.. And after i read it again.. Ill problay have a few more questions.

Ok, I feel stupid asking this. Amonia. Is ths some kind of liquid? If so. Where could i buy this?

And i don't feel comfortable buying the fish online. I'm afraid of getting scammed or if the fish arent healthy?
I will consider feeding the puffers those too!

 

[jenatron]

Ammonia is a compound, and yes it's liquid. The only place that sells suitable ammonia that I know of is Ace hardware. It's janitorial strength ammonia. The thing about ammonia is it can't contain any surfactants, soaps, etc. You can tell my shaking it. If it bubbles, don't get it. If you can't find any in your area, you can use a raw, unseasoned shrimp (cocktail shrimp).

 

[-Omgitsammie]

Ok. Ill try doing this.. I still gotta go on other websites and read up on this.. I'm not gonna buy anything till i figure it all out :]

 

[HN1]

I actually prefer the shrimp in a filter sock to pure ammonia. Ammonia can be found at most hardware stores or Walmart. Be careful to get pure, unscented if you go that route. With an established tank, I would personally "quick cycle" it. Move some media, decor, etc and VERY lightly stock it. Test and be prepared for any extra PWCs needed. I've only cycled one tank from scratch and now have 80 or so running.

 

[-Omgitsammie]

Alright.. I read the article yet, again. Just like my prediction I got another stupid question!

He talks about a "Test Kit" Would i be able to find this at my local Petsmart, Walmart, Or Petco?
Its would help alot

Jen. You said Shrimp. Do you mean just some at Walmart and throw some of them in? Bahah.
Im stupid. But need an answer!

 

[Gillie]

Alright.. I read the article yet, again. Just like my prediction I got another stupid question!

He talks about a "Test Kit" Would i be able to find this at my local Petsmart, Walmart, Or Petco?
Its would help alot

Jen. You said Shrimp. Do you mean just some at Walmart and throw some of them in? Bahah.
Im stupid. But need an answer!

Yes and yes, but I suggest the master test kit it saves money compared to purchasing the tests separately.

 

[-Omgitsammie]

Good. I was hopeing for that response!! Have any of you ever bred Dwarf Puffers. I got a 10 gallon for bredding. And is this proccess hard?

 

[Gillie]

There have been a few instances of spawning in the aquarium, but the problem is sexing the puffers the males typically show a brown band on the belly when they are full grown around 1'' or so making it hard since most in the store are much smaller.
Here's a good site
Dwarf Puffers : Home

 

[Deep Seven]

Everyones pretty much covered all the important stuff, the website Dwarf Puffers : Home has a lot of information about these little guys.

Dwarf puffers will get more agressive as they become sexually mature. The will usually kill off other tank inhabitants at this time. You want 1 male to 2 female ratio, but they are really hard to sex as juveniles.

Most dwarf puffers will do well stocked with oto cats, aprox 95%, and 50% can be stocked with ghost shrimp, the other 50% of the time the shrimp end up as food.

I've been researching and building a dwarf puffer habitat for a few months, I hope to get my own tank up and running in the next few weeks.

Test kit: You want to use a liquid test kit. Most experianced aquarists recommend the API freshwater master kit. You should be able to find one at all three stores you listed, and I've heard the walmart online store sells the test kit for about 20$.

And for using the raw shrimp method to cycle your tank, use raw shrimp, not cooked. Most large grocery stores should have raw shrimp.

Good luck with your endeavor, I'm tagging along

 

[jenatron]

Nice website Deep Seven and Gillie.

 

[Homedog98]

No they aren't. They do fine in smaller numbers or even singly. They do not school.

I would not put a DP and a betta together. The betta won't last. Make sure to treat for parasites when you get a DP. I learned the hard way when we got our last shipment of them.

Sorry, read somewhere they were. Guess I just got mixed up! Thanks for catching me there!