Will soon be new to dwarf puffers and I have a few questions

[Scott_R]

Hello. I'm in the process of setting up a Fluval Edge 6 gallon, to house a single dwarf puffer.

I have the decorations (live plants, rocks, spiderwood) mostly set, on top of Caribsea Eco-Complete (black). I plan to upgrade my lighting (swapping in the 42 LED light) so I can grow dwarf baby tears and a few other things, but I might disregard that plan, once I see how they do as-is (though there's no indirect sun on the tank the room is pretty bright already).

I have the Edge's Aquaclear's bio-rings seeding in my display tank's HOB filter; I'll wait a bit before getting the fish, then swap in the hopefully-seeded bio-rings along with some of the Biological Booster that came with the Edge.

A few questions: I have a 23g tank that has a pond snail infestation, presumably from plants from the local fish store; I'm going to use that as a snail source for the puffer. They're mostly pretty small (I've been picking out the bigger ones, and I hired a few assassin snails so the population doesn't explore too badly). I'll supplement with frozen bloodworms and frozen brine shrimp.

Is there a "too small" size below which the DP will ignore them? If they're not that big should he get more than one a day? Offhand, I think they're all no larger than a lentil (if a lentil were more spherical).

Also, I'd like to get a shrimp or two. I'm usually pretty careful about algae problems but it doesn't hurt to have a grazer. Also, a little more activity in the tank would be nice.

From what I've been reading on the subject, reports are all over the place, from 99% of dwarf puffers will attack and kill shrimp, to "it depends on the DP's disposition" to "'I've had dwarf puffers and shrimp together for years with no problem."

I presume the shrimp's best chance of survival is starting with somewhat larger species, like amanos? Does it matter if the shrimp is in the tank first? (I.e. if that will blunt territoriality compared to adding shrimp when a puffer is already established.)

Here's the tank so far:

edge_tank.JPG

[TOPuffers]

Hi! Welcome to the forum and the puffer community

I can give you a few answers to your questions based purely on personal experience. We have 3 DPs in a 20 gallon tank. They have been happy together (as far as we can tell) for the last 8 months.
Our DPs have favorite foods. Bloodworms are the most popular food if nothing live is offered. However, we give them pond snails every day for breakfast and these are preferred. At dinner they will eat their bloodworms, assuming all the pond snails are history. They literally let brine and mysis shrimp bounce off their faces and sink - they will not touch them >.<

I have never seen our DPs ignore a snail. If it moves, they will follow it and munch it.

We added 3 amano shrimp to the tank, along with 2 Oto cats and 6 zebra fish. So far no nipping, everyone has all their fins or legs.

I do not know if adding shrimp to the tank first helps improve things, as we did it backwards and were lucky...

Our tank is very heavily planted, which may help the shrimp survive. We have driftwood and floating plants to give them refuges all over.

Hope that helps

[Scott_R]

Thanks for the reply. How many snails per DP? Do have try to place the snails somewhere the puffers will notice them? I had a vision of tossing the snail in and it getting lost down at the gravel, among the plant roots, and the fish not seeing it until the snail eventually makes its way up to some more visible place.

Got a bit more planting done:

edge_tank2.JPG

[bertie 83]

Drop snails in at night then the dps will have to hunt them, the population will not explode in a puffer tank. 99% of dps will destroy/ peck to death shrimp. It just takes some longer to realise they are food. Maybe 1% will leave them alone entirely but it's really pot luck

[Scott_R]

Hmm.. I might try a single big amano and see what happens. I know I've limited myself with a 6G tank, but is there any relatively safe tank mates for the DP? The puffer is the reason for that tank, but a little added activity would be nice.

[TOPuffers]

We usually drop between 12-15 into the tank in the morning, sprinkling them randomly so the DPs don't find them right away.

We remove the demolished snails at dinner time, then feed them half a cube of frozen bloodworms. (The remaining bloodworms are a treat for our Black Knife Ghost Fish)

We have not had a snail population explosion feeding in this fashion. Any snails that are missed for a day or two are eventually munched. You will notice your puffers' behavior change a bit if they have access to lots of live prey. Ours started out quite friendly when they ate more bloodworms, coming to beg at the glass before feeding. Now that they know there are snails to be found, they spend A LOT more time hunting in the plants and cruising the bottom, and they are less keen to say 'hi' when we peek in on them

[Welch4]

My amanos have been in with my dps for about a year now. No issues so far but this hasnt exactly been a long term scenario and can be different tank to tank.

[Scott_R]

And here's the little maniac:

pea puffer.JPG

[Scott_R]

Well, he's been annihilating the snails I've been putting in. Each morning, before I feed the fish in my 23g tank I pull out 2-3 pond snails and toss them in with the puffer. The snail sizes vary, though they're generally on the small side; is this a good amount of food, or should I try supplementing?

I'm still experimenting (here and there) giving him bloodworms, though I haven't found a way that works... not that he won't eat them, but they get carried to the substrate before he sees them.

[Pufftastic]

is this a good amount of food, or should I try supplementing?

Certainly sounds more than adequate. If his stomach remains gently rounded and is not concave, you're feeding a good amount.

[Scott_R]

Certainly sounds more than adequate. If his stomach remains gently rounded and is not concave, you're feeding a good amount.

Thanks. It should be gently rounded most of the time? I rarely see the puffer actually feeding.

[peroz]

I'm also setting up a tank for dwarf puffers. So far the 54L (~15G?) tank has housed 3 goldfish that I got as a gift... Yes, big fish, small tank.
I took them to my LFS and will put puffers in, instead. The tank in thoroughly cycled, the filter is eheim biopower 160, sand substrate, and is already pretty heavily planted with different kinds of anubias, java fern, cryptocoryne, some valisneria (that is currently melting, don't know why) and a pothos vine growing out of the tank to tame the nitrates. The tank should be adequate to house 5 or 6 puffers.

Now my question:
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/th ... que.94515/ - is this method any good? I've just deliberately introduced 8 MTS, that should become hundreds in a few months? Did I do something stupid, or do you guys think the method is viable?

[peroz]

Another quick question, hope I'm not stealing the thread too much:
Should I use the tank cover or is it okay if I don't? I have it, but the tank looks so much sexier without it. I know more water will evaporate without it, but anyway?

[Scott_R]

FWIW I've had an amano in the tank with the puffer for several weeks now. The little maniac will sometimes chase the shrimp, but otherwise things are working out OK. The amano looks healthy (and intact).