Dwarf Puffer in 3 gallon tank?

[swanandmokashi]

I am planning to re-start my eclipse 3 gallon tank -- question is : Can I put in a single dwarf puffer in there ? Will he/she be happy or should I go the betta route? ANy other options?

 

[Alshain]

I don't know a lot about puffers but what I'm reading of the Pygmy Dwarf Puffer is that only one male per tank and 30 gallon minimum for them. They apparently only get 1" long which confuses me as to why the information I'm reading says it needs a 30 gallon tank.

EDIT: Ok, the page I was reading is bogus. New website here says 3 gallon per fish and stock 1m/2f. I'm not seeing anything that suggests they prefer groups.

 

[swanandmokashi]

Any other thoughts, anyone?

 

[helicopter]

Suggest gallons

The consensus is that 5 gallons seems to be the minium for a DP. Also they tend to be a pain to take care of. They won't eat most food. I was forced to grow snails in another tank for mine.

 

[WaterPond]

I don't know a lot about puffers but what I'm reading of the Pygmy Dwarf Puffer is that only one male per tank and 30 gallon minimum for them. They apparently only get 1" long which confuses me as to why the information I'm reading says it needs a 30 gallon tank.

Don't beleive everything you read on liveaquaria.com

they tend to be a pain to take care of

A PAIN!

these fish are an absolute joy to care for. Although mine only ate pond snails and frozen bloodworm i loved that fish like no other.

Bigger tanks are reccomended, but if you are extremely faithful with water changes it would be absolutely fine, since they are very messy eaters.

One puffer would do absolutely fine in a three gallon tanks with appropriate filtration.

 

[swanandmokashi]

that is encouraging -- I am going to give it a try -- I do have some pond snails in my 55 gallon who can be used as diet for the puffer.

Thanks!

 

[happygirl65]

I just got a dwarf puffer last night....I went in looking for other aquarium stuff and fell in love with the little adorable puffer. It is quite happy in the 10 gallon so far but I didn't know a thing about them....the person at the LFS said it would be fine in my 55 with the rest of my community....but thank goodness I came home and researched while acclimating the little guy. It is so interesting to watch as it patrols the whole 10 gallons.

 

[7Enigma]

I just got a dwarf puffer last night....I went in looking for other aquarium stuff and fell in love with the little adorable puffer. It is quite happy in the 10 gallon so far but I didn't know a thing about them....the person at the LFS said it would be fine in my 55 with the rest of my community....but thank goodness I came home and researched while acclimating the little guy. It is so interesting to watch as it patrols the whole 10 gallons.

I assume by your research you now will be keeping him in the 10 gallon correct?

And I try to stay away from these little buggers. If I look at them for more than a couple seconds I just know I'll have one in a bag on my way home! As long as I ignore them hopefully I won't get any stupid ideas (the 10 gallon I have at home is a QT/hospital tank).

 

[2cvbloke]

I assume by your research you now will be keeping him in the 10 gallon correct?

And I try to stay away from these little buggers. If I look at them for more than a couple seconds I just know I'll have one in a bag on my way home! As long as I ignore them hopefully I won't get any stupid ideas (the 10 gallon I have at home is a QT/hospital tank).

Just remember that the little sods can do you a nasty injury if you get on the wrong side of them or they mistake you for food...

 

[7Enigma]

We've got a bleeder here!

 

[happygirl65]

Definitely keeping him in the 10 gal. It WAS a QT tank...now it is a dwarf puffer home...I should know better than impulse buying....but it is fun to watch.

I will have to remember the injury part....YIKES!

 

[WaterPond]

mine was really shy, i stuck my hand in the tank and it shot into its little cave.

I think all dwarf puffers have different personalities, mine was sweet, i kept it with shrimp and otos and it never bothered anything. While i have heard others can only be kept alone because they terrorize everything.

 

[Alshain]

I don't know a lot about puffers but what I'm reading of the Pygmy Dwarf Puffer is that only one male per tank and 30 gallon minimum for them. They apparently only get 1" long which confuses me as to why the information I'm reading says it needs a 30 gallon tank.

Don't beleive everything you read on liveaquaria.com

Meh, it was the first one that came up on a search. Didn't pay attention to where it was.

 

[7Enigma]

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I have to get out of this thread. I'm trying to convince myself now that I can setup a 10 gallon tank here at work for a puffer......

 

[WaterPond]

mwahaha

 

[2cvbloke]

We've got a bleeder here!

Who? Me? Noooo, I've never had anything like a puffer, I was just repeating what I read in Practical Fishkeeping magazine on Puffers (could have been normal sized ones, but puffers have enamel teeth, so be careful!!!!)...

 

[swanandmokashi]

The 10 gallon discussions scares me -- will one do ok in 3 gallons (have an eclipse -- the one with biowheel) ? I know I am paranoid , but don't want to hurt any fish

 

[7Enigma]

mwahaha

So I hunted down about 7-10 common pond snails yesterday in my QT tank (the tank is basically overrun with MTS now and the common population has drastically dropped). I put them in a small container free of MTS to breed.......so I have a food source for the DP I plan on getting for my cube at work....you @#$#$!!!

 

[happygirl65]

The 10 gallon discussions scares me -- will one do ok in 3 gallons (have an eclipse -- the one with biowheel) ? I know I am paranoid , but don't want to hurt any fish

I think you will be fine with the 3gal tank as it should have adequate filtration. As long as it is one DP and you keep up with your water changes he/she should be happy.

I am using a 10 gal because it is what I already had. Infact this little guy makes my 10 gal tank look HUGE. It has already cleaned out the 20+ baby snails that had hatched out just before I put him in. Busy hungry little guy.

Here's a pic, it isn't great as this little guy keeps moving so fast it is hard to catch a good picture of him, but it is cute nonetheless.
http://www.stevenstechnical.com/puffdaddy.htm

 

[WaterPond]

dont feed puffers MTS, they are too hard and the puffer will hurt themselves trying to eat them (they break their teeth)


I love how this thread has convinced like three people to get puffers, HAHAHA