My New Dwarf Puffer(pics)

[WaterPond]

This is my new Dwarf puffer, her name is Hampster. I bought her a few days ago from my LFS. She is in my 5gal heavily planted. I am afraid she has an internal parasite because i have read on many sites that alot of them are infested with IP's when they are in stores, but i just don't know. They say the should be plump, mine is kinda sorta plump, but the stomach is not sunken in anymore. I don't know if i should treat her for IP's anyway. should I? Anyway, i am really excited to have her, she has shuch a great personalitly, but is very shy. I will include a few links for pics, seeing as how they are to big to post. Any help would be great, i am feeding her frozen bloodworms, snails, mosquito larva, frozen brine shrimp, and chopped up earthworms, so far she only really seems interested in the snails. I am so nervous, this is a totally new experience. I really hope she does ok. As you can see in the pics she has very frayed fins, she was in pretty bad shape when i got her, but seems to be doing better ...i think Any help from people who have kept these little guys before would be great.

as promised here are the pics:

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l117/WaterPond/puff007.jpg

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l117/WaterPond/puff008.jpg

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l117/WaterPond/puff011.jpg

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l117/WaterPond/puff015.jpg

sorry, some of the pics are pretty crappy

 

[JohnPaul]

those pics aren't so bad! Congrats on the puffer, they are cute little fish.

In my experience, puffers often look lousy when the come from the stores because the stores don't know how to feed them properly. When I first got mine home, their stomachs looked so sunken that I was afraid they were sick, but in the end I think they were simply malnourished. After a week or two with me they plumped right up. I would say hold off on treating for a disease unless/until you actually see signs of a disease (i.e. white, stringy poo rather than more compact, standard color poo).

With mine, the thing I discovered is that they would ONLY eat live foods. Period. Never could even interest them in frozen bloodworms or glassworms (mosquito larvae). The older of the two I got died a few months ago, so I am down to 1. He (or she) lives on live bloodworms and snails, with live (adult) brine shrimp as the occasional treat. They don't need a lot of food (if it's a bloodworm day, about 3 bloodworms is a full meal), and I don't feed 7 days a week, but probably around 5...I read that it's actually bad for them to eat 7 days a week, makes it more likely that they will develop constipation. Note that others have been successful in getting their puffers to take frozen foods, so it might vary from puffer to puffer, or else maybe I just didn't "teach" mine to take frozen foods early on.

As for tankmates, in general I'd say be very cautious. I've always been able to keep ghost shrimp in the tank with mine, though others have said their puffers tear them to pieces. One thing that never worked well for me was having two puffers. Like I said, when I first got them I had two, but even in a 10g tank the larger one was always harassing the smaller one. The tank was only moderately planted, so no doubt if it was more heavily planted it would have cut down on that some, but still...I really think limiting yourself to one puffer is a good idea.

As for other fish...at one point I had a diatom problem in my puffer tank, plopped in an oto and the puffers would not stop harassing it. (Often oto's are ok with puffers, but it didn't work for me.) Yet for reasons partially unplanned, I currently have two adult guppies in my 10g puffer tank, as well as about 10 guppy fry...and the puffer is leaving them all alone! He occasinally will chase away the adult guppies (especially when it's bloodworm feeding time), but hasn't injured them, and ignores the fry entirely even though they would quite easily serve as a snack if he wanted. Again, I would NOT recommend this, as all the experts advise to keep them alone in a species tank, but I guess it just goes to show that puffers have unique personalities.

Anyways, you likely have already discovered this site, but if not, it's the best one out there for info on dwarf puffer care.
http://www.dwarfpuffers.com/

Good luck, and keep us posted!

 

[WaterPond]

Thanks for all the info, great reply, i think the best i have ever gotten, thanks!, lol. I have 2 otos in the tank with some ghost and anamo shrimp and the pufeer is scared of them. I am looking into getting some brine shrimp hatching mix stuff. So far the puffer is very alert to her suroundings, i think she is pretty happy. She will only eat when thelights are out on the tank and there is nobody watching her, i was able to peek around the corner without her noticing i was ther. When i stand in fromnt of the tank she will scoot to the back and hide in some plants, she is so interesting. Thanks for the link, although i already knew about it, lol. That site is what made me really want one of these. I also am a member of the dwarf puffer forum there. They people there are who told me to treat for IP. Well, thanks again for the help

 

[JohnPaul]

Ok, well first thing I'd say is if the folks at DP.com told you to treat, then I'd follow their advice rather than mine. They're definitely more knowledgeable than I am!

My puffers were shy at first as well but once they associate "you" with "food," that's the end of it...she'll be at the glass begging anytime you walk within 10 feet of the tank! (And it's soooo hard to resist, even when you *know* you shouldnt' feed, to see those cute little beady eyes starting at you..."pwease feed me...pwweeeeeaaasee). 8O

 

[WaterPond]

lol, maybe i will treat for IP's then, what should i use?

 

[Scottm]

malachite green works great. just make sure you use something safe for scaleless fish.

 

[WaterPond]

sure thing scott, thanks for the info. THe other thing i wanted to say is that she isnt pooping white stingy poop, it is more normal looking, so i am wondering if she even has internal parasites. What do you think?

 

[toddnbecka]

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Keep an eye on her for a week, and see if she looks better after settling into her new home. Looking at the pics, she appears to be suffering from aggression from her previous tankmates. DP's are notorious for nipping fins, and in an lfs, with several kept together in a basically bare tank, she has almost certainly been the victim of other DP's.

 

[WaterPond]

yes, i just watched them for a while in mt LFS and they were chasing each other all around the tank. I will keep an eye on her. She is getting pretty plump now, and i am already seeing a decrease in my snail population, i have been adding more. Not quite fat yet but getting there i think. The tail should heal up nicely. Tnaks for the help guys

 

[mr funktastic]

she looks awesome waterpond. i am tempted to get one myself(also another excuse to set up a 5 gal planted tank lol) if u are posting pics fom photobucket use the bottom link provided by them so the pictures appear in the post.

 

[CaptnIgnit]

DP's!

I'm setting up a 10 gallon now to keep a few of these guys in (3 to be precise). Hoping to have it cycled sometime next week along with all the plants planted.

I'm sure I'll post pics once I have it all setup as it will be my first real go at aquascaping.

 

[WaterPond]

thanks for the tip Funk, i didn't know that about photobucket. You really should get one, they have more personality than all my fish combined!

CaptnIgnit- you will love them. Just make sure you get some nice plump ones! Also, have some back-up food ready just in case they don't eat what you give them. Mine is scared of frozen bloddworms, frozen brine shrimp, tiny feeder guppies, and earthworms. The only thing she will eat that i have discovered is ramshorn snails, She won't touch my pond snails that are infesting the tank, only the ramshorns! The bottom of my tank already has about 7 empty shells. Have fun setting up the new tank!

 

[WaterPond]

well, just thought i would keep you posted on the progress . I know i said it was a she, but on further inspection she's a HE! lol. I keep thinking she has ich, it is bugging me, i'm too paranoid. Anyway HE has fattend up alot, here are some before and after pics. You can see the difference!

BEFORE: his tail is tattered and he was very lathargic compared to now. He was also ALOT skinnier.

AFTER: he still looks kinda skinny in this pict but it is the only one i could get, he is sooooo zippy!

 

[rich311k]

She is looking very healthy Jason. Good work.

 

[Codefox]

I keep getting tempted to do a little fw puffer tank in my bedroom. How much space do they need. You have a cute fish

 

[JRagg]

DP's generally have to be in a species only tank and the rule of thumb is a max of 1 per 3 gallons. I want to say they should also be kept in 1 male to 2 female ratios if you have 3 or more. the DP website has lots of good info.

Waterpond, your puffer is looking so much better. His stomach is all pooched out like it's supposed to be. Congrats!

 

[WaterPond]

that you, i didnt take much to get him filled out, just a few good ramshorn snails every night.

And yes, they need 3gal per fish but they can be kept in a 2.5gal eaily. They like planted tanks. www.dwarfpuffers.com is that site you are talking about i think. I 2.5 gal would be perfect for one, you could get away with two in a 5gal but you need lots of hiding spots. My little DP has inspired three people so far! lol he is a special little guy.

Thanks for the compiments.

 

[toddnbecka]

Those spots don't look like Ich, the wee bugger looks pretty good.

 

[collegelife101]

I have 3 Dwarf Puffers in a planted 10 gal with 1 Otocinclus. They don't notice the Oto but they do push each other around when I drop blood worms in. When its not feeding time they tend to swim around together. Its really cool watching them hunt for snails.

 

[WaterPond]

The only thing mine will eat is snails, he is so scared of everything else. I have a few feeder guppies in the tank with him and he will not go near him, and if one comes close to the puffer he will scoot away. So now i am wonding if i could include some other fish in the tank, i know it is small, so i was thinking some endlers or something. Probably a bad idea, but i would like to try it. I also have two otos in the tank and he wont go near them either.