Finally

Camaro95 · Post by **Camaro95** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 9:30 am

Well its time... I finally got my puffers. Been planning since november and I went out and purchased them last weekend. My three dwarves will be jumping into...well, carried to.... my 30 gallon tank on Saturday. They are currently sitting in a 5 gallon just to make sure they don't bring anything in to the big tank. I've got a dozen or so bunches of Valls now and some decent rock caves/hides that would make my buddies cichlids jealous. May the snail infestation end this weekend!! No more twice a week water changes!

More valls will be put in the larger tank on the weekend when petsmart gets some more.

How do you think they'll do with my Kuhli Loaches (2 of which are always hidden at any given time)?

Jared

yunachin · Post by **yunachin** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 1:44 pm

Combining dwarf puffers with any other fish is often bad news. Removal of the loaches will be the best bet due to the high aggression that dwarfs have. These puffers just do better with their own kind.

Troender · Post by **Troender** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:56 pm

Dwarf puffers just looove nipping fins. And they are quick to. It would be risky keeping the loaches together with the DPs, even though the loaches are pretty quick too. Even though they may be quicker than the DPs (which I really don't know if they are), it would be rather stressful for them, having someone trying to get you all the time. But you should see the face of a DP that has just nipped somebody elses fin. They look sooo satisfied!

But, no, I wouldn't keep any other fish with the DPs, not even loaches.

groovitudedude · Post by **groovitudedude** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 1:16 am

I keep a Kuhli Loach in my 10G with my DP...

manutius · Post by **manutius** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 9:54 am

the issue I have with combining Khuli Loach with DP is that Dp hunt for food in the gravel and Khuli loach like to burrow in the gravel to hide. This is likely to lead to a lump being taken out of the loach when the puffer "tests" it to see if its edible. At best DP can be a bit nippy as has been stated, I would remove the loach if I were you

premo · Post by **premo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 5:28 am

Hi

Without wishing to bore you to death........... as the other guys have said, you are running a huge risk
putting the dp's in with ANY OTHER FISH. I have witnessed the damage that these little buggers can
inflict, those tiny mouths can shred fins of the largest fish in no time.

I keep 4 dp's in a 90 litre tank, planted and wooded as per picture, believe me, they are very happy
with their own kind provided they can build their own territories.

Good Luck
Chris

crazedpuffer · Post by **crazedpuffer** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:35 am

thats your tank?
If Puffer Tank of the month returns, I think you should submit it!

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 1:11 pm

Great-looking tank!

Jase · Post by **Jase** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 2:22 pm

Wow Chris! that's an awesome tank!

premo · Post by **premo** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 6:23 am

Hi

Thanks for the kind words. I'm afraid my partner, Aud, has to take the credit for the aquascaping, she is a complete
natural with that side of puff keeping. Like many, we started with community fish, then caught site of a Fahaka in a store
and were captivated by puffs. We found it difficult to accept the concept of keeping just one fish on it's own, so DP's seemed
the way to go in order to enjoy the puffs but still having a "family". We researched their needs, "territories", breaking site
lines etc, then Aud went to work, et voila the result !!! I look after water parameters, temperatures etc.

It is a bit of an obsession with her, when doing a major water change, she moves the wood, larger rocks slightly to simulate
movement by heavy rains etc, needless the DP's are thriving. She reckons anyone can do it, lighting & filtration are the standard
kit that came with the Juwel tank, we reckon to cost for the rocks, wood and initial plants was no more that GBP 20-25.

We now also have Isaac the Abei in his own tank, he gets the same treatment, I'll find some pics for you.

Thanks again
Chris

GuiltyPleasures · Post by **GuiltyPleasures** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 5:46 pm

That's funny I"ve had 3 dp's in a tank with guppies, panda cats, adf's for almost a year now. No problems, other than the dp's have kept my snail population in check (was hoping to keep enough to toss in my brackish tank for the gsp's but oh well) I even added about 12 ghost shrimp into the tank a couple weeks ago and so far I haven't seen any signs of the puffers eating them which I was prepared to have happen and would have moved the shrimp else where if it had.
I guess all puffers can be different and I always seem to have the oddballs of all my fish when it comes to disposition

Camaro95 · Post by **Camaro95** » Fri Mar 07, 2008 11:11 pm

Some observations after a week...

The three puffers, seem to be very intimidated by the size of their new tank. The like to hide in just one third of it during daylight hours (with the light on). Every now and then they will emerge one or two at a time or they will creep along the bottom past the rocky middle to the other side with a fake log, some java moss and some rocks.

During morning and evening hours (the tank light is off but the light in the room is on) they seem to be a bit more active and explore a bit more and can be found pretty much anywhere in the tank, usually just hovering or laying on or in something. Actually, all my fish seem to be more active during this time.

They seem to be doing well with controlling their eating. When they joined the tank, there was a massive snail infestation and they have slowly been eating away at it, but some still remain, yet I don't seem them actually attack the snails so they must do it while I'm at work or during the night.

Jared

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