Dwarf Puffers - tank size (I'm new!)

[Jenski]

Hi everyone,

This is my first venture into the tropical world and would like some advice. My tank isn't huge, not too sure what the volume is but I will put a picture on for you to gauge whether it is suitable for this type of fish and how many it can accommodate.

I really like the look of Dwarf Puffer's but don't know too much about them. Is it best to keep females (I don't want to breed), I like the look of them with the bigger bellies!

What temp do they like?

Is there a certain amount that need to be grouped together?

Can they be mixed with other fish?

Is sand ok to use instead of gravel?

What plants are good for them?

What do they eat?

Also, I am in the process of buying the relevant equipment so am not rushing to get the fish as I know it needs to go through a cycle so how long does that take and what does it involve?

Anyway, I attach my tank...sorry for all the questions!

Oops, just called the fish shop and they don't stock them because they are nasty!

 

[mgamer20o0]

not too sure what the volume

there isnt anything really to tell how big it is... could be 2.5-5 gallon. why not just get a gallon jug and start filling and counting?

mind you i never kept them so i might be a little off but should at least give you a starting point

What temp do they like?

76-78
Is there a certain amount that need to be grouped together?
alone is fine if not i think 3 or more if ones aggressive it wont be picking on the same one. i think typical is 3 in a 10 gallon tank so depending on the size of that think maybe just one.

Can they be mixed with other fish?

no they shouldnt. best in species only.

Is sand ok to use instead of gravel?

yes sand is fine

What plants are good for them?

anything is fine i would look for a desk lamp and try some low light plants like java ferns moss anubias

What do they eat?

they need snails in their diet to help keep their tooth chipped down. they also like other foods like blood worms. i am sure they should also take flake foods but i might be wrong.

how long does that take and what does it involve?

6-8 weeks with out a boost from another tank. if you ask the lfs for some gravel you might be able to speed it up.

 

[Aquarium1]

If you go with sand, pfs is one of the best.

 

[EscVelocity]

For dwarf puffers its 5g for one fish and 2-3 gallons for each additional fish. The max for a 10g would be 3, and that would require diligent maintenance because they are very messy fish. Also, with smaller tanks, its harder to keep good water conditions. So a slight ammonia spike can mean big trouble for your fish. They can tolerate most water conditions, as long as it is stable. Since they are scaleless fish, they are very sensitive to pollutants in water. Nitrates should be kept lower than 15 PPM, Ammonia and nitrites always at 0. Temp around 78-80F. Ph of at least 7.0.

Female only tank would be fine. Your tank should be planted (live or fake plants) heavily so that their line of sight of each other is frequently blocked, to avoid excessive aggression. You should have a cave for each fish. Pool filter sand is a good choice for substrate. Since they are scaleless they can be wounded easily. Avoid plastic plants with spiky or sharp edges on them and decor with rough edges.

They eat:

Frozen Foods - Bloodworms (midge fly larva - probably 90% of Dwarf Puffer owners use these as the main meal for their pets), Brine Shrimp, Mysis Shrimp, Daphnia, Tubifex Worms, Glass Worms (mosquito larva), and Krill. Remember that when feeding frozen food to your puffers, you should always thaw it before putting it into the tank. A great way to do this is to put the food, along with some water from the tank, in a small cup or shot glass. Then you can pour the food into the tank when it's thawed. Also, pouring the food through a brine shrimp net or other fine-meshed net will remove a lot of the extra "junk", causing less unnecessary pollution in the tank

• Live Foods - Blackworms (commonly available, will stay alive in the refrigerator for a few weeks), Brine Shrimp and Snails. (Note: Brine shrimp are lacking in nutritional value and should not be a staple food source, but instead a treat)​

Dwarf Puffers : Home

They eat snails. However, they do not need these to keep their teeth filed. So, they can be given as a treat.

Dwarf puffers will basically ignore flake, pellets and freeze dried food. Some people have had luck with puffers eating flakes and freeze dried food though.

The only other fish that has a good record for being compatible w/ a dwarf puffer is an Otocinclus.

The link above has alot of good information there. Happy reading!

 

[kaiofcanada]

For dwarf puffers its 5g for one fish and 2-3 gallons for each additional fish. The max for a 10g would be 3, and that would require diligent maintenance because they are very messy fish. Also, with smaller tanks, its harder to keep good water conditions. So a slight ammonia spike can mean big trouble for your fish. They can tolerate most water conditions, as long as it is stable. Since they are scaleless fish, they are very sensitive to pollutants in water. Nitrates should be kept lower than 15 PPM, Ammonia and nitrites always at 0. Temp around 78-80F. Ph of at least 7.0.

Female only tank would be fine. Your tank should be planted (live or fake plants) heavily so that their line of sight of each other is frequently blocked, to avoid excessive aggression. You should have a cave for each fish. Pool filter sand is a good choice for substrate. Since they are scaleless they can be wounded easily. Avoid plastic plants with spiky or sharp edges on them and decor with rough edges.

They eat:



Dwarf Puffers : Home

They eat snails. However, they do not need these to keep their teeth filed. So, they can be given as a treat.

Dwarf puffers will basically ignore flake, pellets and freeze dried food. Some people have had luck with puffers eating flakes and freeze dried food though.

The only other fish that has a good record for being compatible w/ a dwarf puffer is an Otocinclus.

The link above has alot of good information there. Happy reading!

+1

Good advice above. You will probably find it nearly impossible to get a puffer to take flake food of any kind. In all my years of keeping puffers I have never once seen one eat flake food. This is probably the biggest challenge to keeping puffers, their diet. Also dwarf puffers can be kept with bumble bee gobies without any problems. The two seem to ignore each other mostly. I keep mine in this pairing. It was one of two choices for tank mates, the other being a dragon gobie, which requires an entirely different kind of set up and much larger tank.

A note though...both bumble bee and dragon gobies are brackish fish. They can be acclimated to freashwater and are often kept in freshwater until bred. Keeping them in freshwater shortens their lifespan just as keeping dwarf puffers in brackish water shortens theirs.