F8 Puffer - 5gal

[SiameseCat]

MABJ, Thank you! I've seen clay pots used before and thought they looked nice, so I went with my own little twist. The wallpaper I liked had some red flowers so I went with it. FYI, craft stores are havens for inexpensive cool decorations.

Ceej, I have read about the 5gal per dwarf (which is what I'm doing) but I also read in a few puffer forums that 3gal per dwarf is acceptable too. Probably the close quarters aggression is the main reason over the cleanliness. I'm probably going to just drop in a pair of ghost shrimp to see how they do. Sort of a walking food reserve I guess.

 

[MABJ]

1 dwarf puffer per 5 gallons.

I don't honestly think that's the case. I think it is one for the first 5 gallons, but it can be more as you progress.

Some people successfully stock 1 per gallon. I'm not saying 10 in there, but 4 wouldn't hurt a thing.

I just respectfully disagree lol

 

[MABJ]

Yeah I'd only stock two or three shrimp at a time. When puffers kill shrimp, they 1: fight back 2: they kill them until they're all dead.

 

[Ceej]

As a DP keeper, I've learned from the best at how to keep them happy successfully. At times, depending on behavior, 3g per DP can be done, but it's rare. 9 out of 10 websites will say 5g per.

 

[Ceej]

Yeah, that'll work, SiameseCat.

 

[Terrance]

The 5g per gallon rule is there for longevity reasons. Anything less will increase risk of premature death. Some websites states these fish live up to 4 or maybe 5 years with the 5g per gal rule. There are DP keepers who keep them in more than 5g per puff with increased life span as a result.

I have read and attempted to track hobbyist that attempt to keep them in less than 5g per DP. Many are successful in the short-run. And others ran into problems and had other issues as well (i thought the underlying problem in those cases were not meeting the 5g per DP). The rest of them dont update their DP keeping experience.

Best part of fish keeping IMO is my ability to keep my fish alive for as long as possible, especially for these puppy-like fishes.

 

[SiameseCat]

Sorry for the delay...

Sorry for the delay responding. I appreciate all of the advice from everyone. I am at a happy place with just the 2 dwarfs right now. People who see the tank give me the old "thats a lot of tank for 2 tiny fish" I tell them "it all depends where you stand". To stare in at them when you drop a couple of snails in is mesmerizing to watch. Obviously from across the room the tank looks empty. If I can ever find more ghost shrimp I will add a pair simply because I have to try it. MABJ, Terrance and Ceej thank you all for your time and helpful advice. I'm glad I joined this forum, I like the fact that people can respectivly disagree on topics but at the end of the day all agree on doing whats right. Thanks again!

 

[MABJ]

Sorry for the delay responding. I appreciate all of the advice from everyone. I am at a happy place with just the 2 dwarfs right now. People who see the tank give me the old "thats a lot of tank for 2 tiny fish" I tell them "it all depends where you stand". To stare in at them when you drop a couple of snails in is mesmerizing to watch. Obviously from across the room the tank looks empty. If I can ever find more ghost shrimp I will add a pair simply because I have to try it. MABJ, Terrance and Ceej thank you all for your time and helpful advice. I'm glad I joined this forum, I like the fact that people can respectivly disagree on topics but at the end of the day all agree on doing whats right. Thanks again!

Thank you for being appreciative!

Absolutely agree on the whole agreeing to disagree. It all comes down to personal experiences. Even when we all do disagree, we aren't off by much.

Good luck with them!