New to Puffers - Need Help with Tank Plan

[Tlome]

Currently I have two tanks, a 7 gallon betta and a 10 gallon community with 4 platties, 1 betta and an african dwarf frog. I'm extremely interested in creating a species tank for Dwarf puffer fish and have been trying to research, but the info on general aquarium sites varies widely and I need help to adjust or modify my current plan for adding a tank of dwarfs to our home.

So, here's the plan....
Tank: 20 gallons (already own)
Light: Flourescent
Filter: Marineland 150B bio-wheel
Substrate: Sand - 20 lbs???
Plants etc: Rocks and rock caves, many fabric plants, plenty of hiding space
Food: Frozen Blood worms, frozen brine shrimp, live snails and live blackworms?
Temperature: 80 degrees
Cycling: fishless
Water Changes: 50% weekly
Number of fish: ??????????

My water, left overnight (fishless) tests at PH 7.5, KH 80, GH 60. Obviously my amonia and nitrites will be 0 prior to adding the fish and I like to keep my nitrate levels around 20.

Snails and live worms will be purchased weekly from local supplier (until I set up a snail breeding tank)

I can not find any sort of agreement on the number of fish for the tank in any of the general aquarium forums and am hoping I will have better luck here in a species specific forum. Please keep in mind I would like to include 1 oto (which I understand are about the only fish everyone seems to agree can go in the tank with dwarfs)

I would appreciate any and all knowledgable advice on what in my plan needs altering, if anything, and the number of fish that I can put in the tank. I'm obviously not running out tomorrow to purchase fish as I still need to cycle (will use some material from established tank) but I want to insure my plan is sound before I start purchasing materials.

Also, is 20 lbs of sand appropriate (as with gravel a pound to a gallon) and is there a special type of sand?

TIA

[Iliveinazoo]

Tlome!

Look under the learn tab and enter the pufferpedia and you will information on dwarf puffer requirements.

Can't help you with pounds per USgallon I'm afraid I normally just try to overestimate what I need and take what I don't use back to the LFS.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Welcome to the forum! Dwarf puffers are amazing fish. It sounds like you're well on your way to having a great home for them.

20lbs sand should be fine. Just don't take it over an inch, or you'll have to stir weekly.

Otos are schooling fish that should be kept in groups of at least three. Also, don't add them until you have an established algae supply, as many will not eat anything but algae fresh off the rock/wood/whatever.

I would reccomend driftwood as well as rocks.

Please also see the article in the Library on sexing dwarf puffers - this will be important. There's also an article on breeding snails. You could even try a worm culture.

[pufferpuggirl]

Actually I've had good luck keeping other fish with Dwarf puffers, I've had plecos, algae eaters and corys in with Dwarf puffers and all have been fine. I think it's safe to say that some DP's will tolerate other fish and some won't, there's no right or wrong answer on this issue. Most people say you can't keep anything else with Dwarf puffers, but I don't believe these people have tried it or haven't much experience with DP's. Anyway, that's just my feeling on it.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Yep, it's a personality issue. I kept a ghost shrimp with mine successfully, until he died of old age. Other DPs would have shredded him.

[Tlome]

As i started fish keeping due to my autistic son (though I found I absolutely love it) I would rather err on the side of better safe than sorry when it comes to trying to mix puffers and avoid any catastrophies. I don't have enough experience to trust myself with mixing them.

I have read the pufferpedia, along with many articles and descriptions, and there is a multitude of differing info out there. Unfortunately nothing seems to be completely thorough.

I have an additional, completely noob question. My current tanks have gravel and I use a hand gravel vac. Will this work for sand substrate as well?

Thanks for all the advice and by all means keep it coming.

[Lil' Swimz$]

Well, in a 30 gallon you could have a max of 6, but I'd go with 3 or 4. Ottos always seem to work, but like LilGreen said, you'll have to wait until you have a nice algae bed. When vacuuming sand all you have to do is keep the mouth an inch or two above the sand. Of corse you'll pick up some sand on the first try, but you'll get it.

[WalkingTarget]

If you take your sand bed past 1", plant a few cryptocorynes (live plants) and invest in better lighting. The massive root structure of these plants negates the need to stir up substrate to a degree.