LemurLad
Aquarium Advice Freak
Keep it to PMs guys. :/
I've had dwarf puffers for a little over a year now and yes, they are definitely more difficult than bettas, but I feel that people exaggerate how difficult they are. The big issue is that they get bored easily, so providing them with an interesting environment is important. Give them some caves and lots of plants, they love a sort of "wild" aquascape. You might find it hard to stuff something like that into a 5gal, but as long as you give them some good hiding spots and things to explore, you'll have happy puffers.
They all have unique personalities, but they're also aggressive, males moreso than females. My female DP is one of the more shy fish I keep. The shame about keeping them singularly is that you don't get to see them interact with each other, which is really a treat. They'll buzz around the tank like a little pair of blimps and try to beat each other to a snack or curl up against each other in a dwarf puffer hug. Really cute fish, no doubt.
The great thing about dwarf puffers is that you never have to trim their teeth like you would have to with most other puffer species. The "special" diet that they have is just bloodworms with the occasional snail as a treat. This is where most folks mess up, however. Because of their nature, DPs are messy eaters, so water changes are VERY important. A cleanup crew of shrimp can help, just be sure your DP doesn't eat shrimp by testing with some ghost shrimp.
That's what I've found, anyway. Good luck on your decision!
EDIT: Oh and as for being similar to goldfish... The only similarity I can think of is that dwarf puffers are messy too. DPs and Bettas both should have a heater and are much more... Intelligent? Dunno if fish intelligence is the right word... Ah, well DPs and Bettas are way more expressive than goldfish.
I've had dwarf puffers for a little over a year now and yes, they are definitely more difficult than bettas, but I feel that people exaggerate how difficult they are. The big issue is that they get bored easily, so providing them with an interesting environment is important. Give them some caves and lots of plants, they love a sort of "wild" aquascape. You might find it hard to stuff something like that into a 5gal, but as long as you give them some good hiding spots and things to explore, you'll have happy puffers.
They all have unique personalities, but they're also aggressive, males moreso than females. My female DP is one of the more shy fish I keep. The shame about keeping them singularly is that you don't get to see them interact with each other, which is really a treat. They'll buzz around the tank like a little pair of blimps and try to beat each other to a snack or curl up against each other in a dwarf puffer hug. Really cute fish, no doubt.
The great thing about dwarf puffers is that you never have to trim their teeth like you would have to with most other puffer species. The "special" diet that they have is just bloodworms with the occasional snail as a treat. This is where most folks mess up, however. Because of their nature, DPs are messy eaters, so water changes are VERY important. A cleanup crew of shrimp can help, just be sure your DP doesn't eat shrimp by testing with some ghost shrimp.
That's what I've found, anyway.
Good luck on your decision!EDIT: Oh and as for being similar to goldfish... The only similarity I can think of is that dwarf puffers are messy too. DPs and Bettas both should have a heater and are much more... Intelligent? Dunno if fish intelligence is the right word... Ah, well DPs and Bettas are way more expressive than goldfish.
