dwarf puffer vs South American Puffer

[jbauza2012]

I am new to puffers and currently am looking to get one or two i am interested in the dwarf puffer because it seems they are best for new puffer owners...while browsing the forum i came across the south american puffer and they seemed like an interesting option...are south american puffers o.k. for novice owners? I have a 20gal tank that i will be using....also, can you mix the 2 species? thanks for your help!!

[Pufferpunk]

I wouldn't mix the 2 species. This may deter you from the SAPs:
library/hospital/dentistry/

[pufferpuggirl]

Personally, I think dwarf puffers are an excellent option for the new puffer owner. They are just as rambunctious as a bigger puffer. They are fairly hardy, not given to sickness easily. And I think they are very easy to care for as you don't need to worry so much about dentistry with them as you would a bigger puffer (not saying they don't get dental issues, but I think it's a rarity).

They were the first puffer I had and I loved them, still do in fact!

[Myaj]

IMO, if you like puffers due to their silly little "helicopter" way of swimming and how they love to try to get your attention, neither of these species really fit the typical puffer profile. SAP's are pretty frantic, nervous fish that zip around all the time and never hold still, and of course need their teeth trimmed. Very cool fish but not the "cute and fuzzy" puffers that we generally fall in love with initially.

Dwarf puffers do have the lovely little flutter and hover before going in for the kill type of swimming, and they are just gorgeous little fish, but they are tiny, and very independent. Its not very likely that you'll find a dwarf puffer begging at the glass for some food like you will with other species, but you will find them watching you and you'll swear they are plotting to control your brain and take over the world using your body as their tool. Very fun fish in their own way, but they aren't as interactive as many of the other species.

Dwarf puffers would be more suitable for a beginner, just due to the dental issues. But really, I think most people would be thrilled with a Figure 8 or GSP, they just get scared off by the word "brackish".

For the 20 gallon tank.. it would work for dwarves, but not SAP's.. you could keep one or two SAP's in there but they are a schooling fish that likes to be in groups and needs a lot of room for their very active swimming style, so I wouldn't recommend it.

[jbauza2012]

Thanks for your help! I think as a beginner i will stick with the dwarf puffers...

[pufferpuggirl]

Good for you, good option. I think you will be very happy with them, but if you want to really enjoy them, and you've got a tank big enough, get like 5 of them! They are cool the way they interact with one another, just make sure you've got sufficient plants in the tank, they like lots of plants.

[J-P]

I am in the same quandry but different situation.
Stats:
I have a 210 long (moderately planted)
Existing fish:
3x Oto
1x common pleco
2 x rubbernose pleco

I was wondering if I should put a school of SAPs in there or a group of DPs
AHWBW (any help would be welcome)

[pufferpuggirl]

I would say it depends on how much up-keep you are prepared to do .... SAP's = dental work, whereas DP's are pretty much maintenance-free.

[jbauza2012]

i was afraid to get too many dp's b/c i thought they were aggressive? I was thinking of only getting 2 or 3 but are they happier with more?

[eieio]

thats a huge amount of room for DPs, they'd probably be scattered all over & not give you much to see & watch
seems like a great opportunity for a school of SAPs, if you can deal with the dentistry (or the minimizing of it!)

[pufferpuggirl]

Not to be argumentative ... but I have a group of DP's in my community tank, and that's 142-gallons and yet I can still observe their behaviour and their interaction with the other fish. Sorry, but I'm just not keen on SAP's. I had some and now my friend has them. They are just too hyper for my liking, although they are pretty. And in my opinion, DP's can be nippy sometimes, but not always and I've had great luck with them. I think they do better in groups of more than 3, but again, that's just my opinion and from my experience.

[kilofey]

i completely agree with PPG, when i had just one DP, she was really boring... like she would just sit there... very shy and didnt like me to watch her eat for some reason... now that i have a small school, she is all over the tank, and at feeding time, it seems like before the food even hits the water, shes already snatching up the food and getting all plump lol... ive seen quite a change in personality just in the last week or so that ive had the other 3 with her. just personal experience...

ive never had SAPs, so i cant really say yay or nay, but the dps are very fun to watch, i have my tank on the breakfast bar in my kitchen, its placed convienently right behind the sink, so when im doing dishes, i can watch them play... also, i added a couple ghost shrimp, and they seem to interact with them quite a bit. i always catch the DPs getting super close to the ghosties and cocking their heads/bodies to the side as if saying "what is this???? its so cool!!!"... maybe consider adding 2 or 3 ghosties? and the ghost shrimp are pretty comical to watch too... just going about with their little curious shrimpy selves