SA Puffer in community?

[Aiya Quackform]

I'm building a community in a 40g, and I'd love to put in a puffer. From my research, a South American puffer would probably be my best choice. I currently have 3 swordtails and a betta in it. (I can move the betta if I need to.) I was planning on putting in a few cories, a couple rams, and maybe tetras in it. Is a South American puffer compatible? Can I keep what I have in it now and change what I plan on putting in later? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

EDIT: On a side note, if this doesn't work out, I'll probably set up my 10g again. I'd like to put a couple of dwarf puffers in it. Any ideas on tankmates that wouldn't distract the eye from the tiny puffers? I'd love a small school of glowlight tetras (5 or 6), the colors would compliment each other nicely. But are they too small?

[Myaj]

I wouldn't do it. When I got my SAP's I added them to a heavily planted 29 gallon tank with a handful of tetras. The tetras were immediately harrassed and bullied, I had to take them out. A betta would never survive. It might be possible with the tetras or smaller, bottom dwelling cichlids if its a long enough tank (giving them enough room to swim away and hide just in case), but its always a risk. And what works while the puffer is young may not work when it becomes mature...

Dwarfs are, in my opinion, even brattier little things when it comes to tankmates. I have a pair of kribs in my tank and while the SAP retreats the dwarves will swim right up to the kribs and take food out of their mouths. The kribs never do anything, I think they are overcome by the cuteness factor.

[Aiya Quackform]

Wow, Dwarfs aren't scared of Kribs? I didn't expect that. Guess they are brats. I read that Otos can be good companions for dwarfs. What about Cories?

Also, what do I do about making sure I get a boy and a girl or two girls? I'm talking two fish, I suppose. Maybe three. But what do I do about gender? Get three and hope two are female? Most sold in stores are juveniles.

EDIT: I couldn't stick an SAP by itself in my 10g, right? (Doesn't hurt to ask.)

[Myaj]

An SAP in a 10 gallon by itself, technically sure you could. They are very active fish though, so you'd probably want to give it a lot to do (plants, driftwood to explore), and that's the absolutely smallest tank I'd put one in myself.

Cories are a definately NO. They have no sense at all of territory and no way of defending themselves, they'd be mauled. At least otos are fast and smart enough to get out of the way.. always assuming you find ones that are healthy and eating, which can be difficult sometimes.

I can't figure out the deal with the kribs and my puffers. They chase the SAP away from "their" area of the tank, but could care less that the dwarves swim around in their rockwork all the time.

As far as sexing dwarf puffers, its easier the older they are, more difficult when they are young. Check out http://www.dwarfpuffers.com before you leave for the store to see some pictures and hints on sexing them. As far as sexing a SAP, GSP or Figure 8, forget it, only the puffers know and they ain't telling...

[Aiya Quackform]

Thanks for the info! I could fit a SAP in my 10g? I'll consider that. Though I'd probably be better off getting a 15 or 20g. (I find gobs of cheap aquariums in my local classifieds. I got a 40g w/stand, filter, and some accessories for $50.)

First, do SAPs prefer long or tall aquariums, or do they care? Also, if I got a 20g, are tankmates a possibility?

[wannapuffer-20g]

even though sap's are one of the less agressive puffers, ur still taking a bargain by putting in any other type of fish in there.

if i had a 20g tank i would make it heavily planted with caves, etc.

then i would add what i wanted to test out (something cheap incase it goes wrong) and then add the SAP last.

Some people say it is cruel to put any fish with a puffer but i believe that since there tolerance's are different then you can always try.

some think its wrong to put neons in with a puffer but then again we feed our puffers live bloodworms,crabs, and snails.

there just as alive as a neon right?

[Primus]

I have 4 SAP's in a 55 with 2 ottos and a rubber nose pleco. Recently i had a small issue with my 10 gallon tank i was using for snail breeding which also had two fireball platies in it and had to move all the snails and the platties to my 55, the SAP's have harrassed the platies pretty bad. So bad they are missing most of all of their fins. Based on this experience i would think the swordtails and beta would not do well with SAP's.

Although it may depend on the individual puffers you end up with, i think 1 of the 4 SAP's i have has done 95% of the damage to these platties, he is a bad boy

[Aiya Quackform]

Well, I've been reading even more! That puffer list in your sig, archer, was very helpful.

I saw the C. Irrubesco, or Red-tail Red Eye Puffer in the list and love it! It's small, too. Could I get two of those in my 10g? I wouldn't mind getting a larger one, but I've already got the 10g and don't see a reason not to use it.