Dwarf/Pea Puffers?

[johnysgal]

Hey everyone,

I fell in love with green spotted puffers the first time I saw them. I'm looking to do a small tank though, and I have a hard time setting aside that big of a tank for such a small fish... We're cramped on space and tight on funds. So I was looking into various other puffers that might work better, and stumbled across Dwarf Puffers.

They're just as cute, and it seems like 3 would do okay in a 10-15 gal tank. I'm looking at either doing a Nano SW tank, or a planted puffer tank when we get some extra money. I wanted some opinions on whether my puffer tank would work/be a good idea. I know that they are messy and major fin nippers, so I'd like information on what would/would not work with them

I've heard it's best to have a lot of plants to break the field of vision up and deter fighting, and seems to me like live plants would also help handle the waste they put off. I have also heard that bumblebee gobies can be good tankmates, as they're small, keep to themselves, and help with the waste. BUT, I've also read that Dwarf puffers are freshwater and bumblebee gobies are brackish. So are there any other small gobies that might work?

I also heard that kuhli loaches work okay with them as well, and can also help clean up the waste that puffers create.

I'd have: 1 Male 2 Female Dwarf Puffers (I've read this setup helps reduce aggression/fin nipping.) 2-3 Gobies or other similar waste management small fish, and 4 or 5 kuhli loaches. All in a freshwater heavily planted 10-15 gal long tank with sand substrate.

Would this be overcrowded?
Are there other small fish that would work okay and help with the waste load?
Would this, depending on the puffer personalities, work okay?
Would a long be okay, or would a tall be best?

I know that it'd require regular water changes even if it was a jungle of plants and so forth. Just seems like the more waste management, the better, in this situation. We already have the loaches in our community tank, and so I'd just try transplanting them over as our community tank has gravel (just a lot of above gravel areas to hide in) and we've heard sand is preferred for them. They're all pretty much full size at 3" or under. Our community tank also has room for the gobies or other small fish I'd get if they didn't work out. We only have small fish (guppies, tetras, and the loaches) so I don't see any compatibility problems arising.

Any input or recommendations?

 

[alLexX]

the gobys are no good(there brackish),the loaches may work,but also could get nipped. no fish will manage waste,just leftover food. you will still have to clean it just as much.

 

[johnysgal]

Thanks for the reply, I thought they ate some of the waste too, which is why it's good to get clarification. I found out the gobies were brackish, so I was wondering if there was another small fish that might work in the tank instead?

I was also wondering if it would be overcrowded with that many fish. I know it might not work okay because of the possibility of being nipped at, which is why I'd make sure there was room for any nipped at fish in the community tank first.

Do you have any puffers? I'm wondering if they're popular, or kind of uncommon.

 

[alLexX]

Thanks for the reply, I thought they ate some of the waste too, which is why it's good to get clarification. I found out the gobies were brackish, so I was wondering if there was another small fish that might work in the tank instead?

I was also wondering if it would be overcrowded with that many fish. I know it might not work okay because of the possibility of being nipped at, which is why I'd make sure there was room for any nipped at fish in the community tank first.

Do you have any puffers? I'm wondering if they're popular, or kind of uncommon.

i dont have any,but i have read a bit about them. im pretty sure people have had success with ottos,but if you want them you should wait at least 6 months after the tank has cycled

 

[Terrance]

Would this be overcrowded? Yes
Are there other small fish that would work okay and help with the waste load? 3 DP is enough for 15 gallons. If your tank is heavily planted, then try putting in some shrimps. No guarantees if your puffers will eat the shrimp or not. It could take a few months until they eat every shrimp or it might take seconds.
Would this, depending on the puffer personalities, work okay? Keep only 3 DP and nothing else. You could put in ottos, but 15 gal is not enough for a group of ottos. You're suppose to keep a group of them. If you wanted to buy them for cleaning purposes, then go ahead. Its not advised, but some people do it anyways.
Would a long be okay, or would a tall be best? Long is always better for puffers.

Please do your required 50% water change and remove any visible waste and leftover food. Give them a good diet too, but main staple is tiny snails.

Good luck.

 

[alLexX]

Would this be overcrowded? Yes
Are there other small fish that would work okay and help with the waste load? 3 DP is enough for 15 gallons. If your tank is heavily planted, then try putting in some shrimps. No guarantees if your puffers will eat the shrimp or not. It could take a few months until they eat every shrimp or it might take seconds.
Would this, depending on the puffer personalities, work okay? Keep only 3 DP and nothing else. You could put in ottos, but 15 gal is not enough for a group of ottos. You're suppose to keep a group of them. If you wanted to buy them for cleaning purposes, then go ahead. Its not advised, but some people do it anyways.
Would a long be okay, or would a tall be best? Long is always better for puffers.

Please do your required 50% water change and remove any visible waste and leftover food. Give them a good diet too, but main staple is tiny snails.

Good luck.

the staple shouldnt be snails,they are just to wear down the teeth

 

[Terrance]

the staple shouldnt be snails,they are just to wear down the teeth

tiny snails are soft enough to easily crush through, but at the same time hard enough to wear down the teeth. I feed my DP snails every other day, and different variety of food on non-snail days.

 

[johnysgal]

From what I've read, DP don't need the snails to grind down their teeth, because their teeth don't grow like other puffers. Any experience with that one way or the other? I think I'd prefer to give them anyway to be on the safe side of things.
I would feed them snails (bred in a 2.5 gal or so snail tank for just that purpose) and bloodworms. I've heard they won't take freeze dried or flaked food, is that how your DP is? I've also heard raw shrimp, like we'd eat, can be a good treat too. Would a small raw shrimp be okay? Or best to avoid? (If I did give one I'd be sure to remove uneaten pieces afterwards.) What foods do you use as their main diet?
I was planning on 50% water changes once a week, would that be sufficient if I had 3 in a 15? Are DP's as messy as some of the other puffers?
I have tried to do research and have looked at all sorts of different websites. All the reading I've done though, seems quite conflicting. Seems like the only consistent factor is they are fin nippers and need at least 3 gal/puffer (and even that changes). So I was hoping for some advice from personal experience.
Thanks for your help, and your patience with all of my questions.

 

[Terrance]

From what I've read, DP don't need the snails to grind down their teeth, because their teeth don't grow like other puffers. Any experience with that one way or the other? I think I'd prefer to give them anyway to be on the safe side of things.
I would feed them snails (bred in a 2.5 gal or so snail tank for just that purpose) and bloodworms. I've heard they won't take freeze dried or flaked food, is that how your DP is? I've also heard raw shrimp, like we'd eat, can be a good treat too. Would a small raw shrimp be okay? Or best to avoid? (If I did give one I'd be sure to remove uneaten pieces afterwards.) What foods do you use as their main diet?
I was planning on 50% water changes once a week, would that be sufficient if I had 3 in a 15? Are DP's as messy as some of the other puffers?
I have tried to do research and have looked at all sorts of different websites. All the reading I've done though, seems quite conflicting. Seems like the only consistent factor is they are fin nippers and need at least 3 gal/puffer (and even that changes). So I was hoping for some advice from personal experience.
Thanks for your help, and your patience with all of my questions.

Snails aren't required as a staple, but they are easy food to get for them. Their teeth grows slower than most puffer, your right about that. If you had a small shrimp, then tear off a piece and see how much they eat. Make sure not to overfeed them. My 3inch puffer only take 1/2 inch of raw shrimp (which is pretty small) 5 days a week. You could try flakes and freeze dried food, but they probably won't take it. It wouldn't hurt to try though.

All puffers are messy, which is why bigger tanks are required for all types of puffers. I have another 2.5inch puffer that requires 20 gallons for a single specimen because it helps dilute the amount of waste they produce. All puffers require 50% water changes weekly because of the waste.

You could try 3gallons per puffer, but you run the risk of them nipping on each other. Some people has had success with this, but others have failed. Please experiment to find out if it works for you.