Dwarf Puffers

[Porffor]

Hi all,
I'm new to puffers and have a cycled tank ready for first 'housemates' in the shape of dwarf puffers.
My question is, how many to introduce?
it's a 21 L tank so am thinking 2 but would like 4 if its ok - as I know groups are best.

My parameters are:
Nitrite 0.25
Nitrate 5.0
PH 7.0
and
Ammonia 0

Also can you tell me if it's best to go brackish? or remain freshwater? Seems to be differing advice on this from time to time. They're at the LFS in freshwater conditions.

Thanks for all your help.

[Pufferpunk]

If you are still showing any nitrite at all, keep cycling. How are you attempting this?

[pufferpuggirl]

Dwarf puffers are totally freshwater.

[Porffor]

Thanks will try and get the nitrates down then.
I've been cycling from start with media from my freshwater community tank and water also. Then just a little food for ammonia. So fishless basically.

I realise they recomend 50% water changes weekly and given that the LFS have little juvenile so figuring bloodworms are best for now. I buy them for my community tank as have leopard bushfish.

Can you also tell me if giving cockles and muscles if I'm best to cut up the flesh for them or give a while one? when adult I mean - as I live by the sea and can pick fresh for them. Sorry to pick your brains! lol

[RTR]

You do not have the room for 4 DPs, stick with one pair.

Is the tank at least half (more is better) heavily planted? They should have lots of cover, with some bushy plants whether real (best) or artificial. Some Java moss (live) is a good spawning medium - just stick the clump us in the plants.

I use Red Cherry shrimp offspring (immature young ones) or snails, and live blackworms as their staple diet. They are not picky eaters, but want/need to examine each bit of food carefully as it falls throng the water before they will take it. Mine always seemed to ignore dead ,unmoving food.

HTH.

[Porffor]

That does really help yes thanks
I have a larger 2' tank that has a couple of coldwater fish in it, so perhaps in time I can swop tanks over for more space. But will stick with the little one and a pair for now then.

Plants are not a prob as have a good set up on my 3' and always have excess plants I have to garden out. Have a good supply of java moss from there too as it's on bogwood.
we bought some fake coral thinking it would be nice to have it 'look' like a marine set up but not be one! lol But I guess that's not really suitable after what I've read on here about breaking up the eyeline - It is large and has lots of 'fingers' if you know what I mean. Not sure plants would look right with it though so may have to resign it to the cupboard.. a shame and my hubby won't be best pleased as it cost me £20. lol

Will see what food they do locally as can get some live food but mostly for reptiles I think. will remember to put the food in slowly so they can inspect it - I take around 10 mins to do this with my bushfish in the bigger setup so it's not alien.

[RTR]

If live blackworms are available, and cone-feeders for them, they are a worthwhile investment. DPs love them, but must really examine each one before selecting it to eat. Poor gross-scale humans cannot see any differences, but the DPs have a very critical eye. The cone allows the worms to escaape individually - ideal for DPs. If you put a small dish below the cone, non-dominant fish can eat from there while the alpha-fish monopolizes the cone. It is fascinating to watch. Puffers in general do not swim like other fish, and DPs really show it off in very small size - they "helicopter" around the slowly sinking worm making sure it looks yummy before they pounce - keeping their nose aimed at the worm while their body revolves around the worm - a good show of just what oddballs puffers are. Nice things can come in small packages. These are one of the very best small-tank fish in the hobby.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Thanks will try and get the nitrates down then.
I've been cycling from start with media from my freshwater community tank and water also. Then just a little food for ammonia. So fishless basically.

I realise they recomend 50% water changes weekly and given that the LFS have little juvenile so figuring bloodworms are best for now. I buy them for my community tank as have leopard bushfish.

Can you also tell me if giving cockles and muscles if I'm best to cut up the flesh for them or give a while one? when adult I mean - as I live by the sea and can pick fresh for them. Sorry to pick your brains! lol

I would use more than a little food. Can you get ammonia up to 2ppm with it?

You need to get nitrite down, not nitrate. Probably that was just a typo, but I figured I'd point that out just in case.

My DPs have never touched seafood (cocktail shrimp, scallops, etc.). I've gotten them to eat live blackworms, live snails, frozen bloodworms, and, more recently, I've convinced Thumbelina to condescend to eat frozen mysis shrimp. They won't touch frozen tubifex worms or any prepared foods.

[pufferpuggirl]

My DP's seem to mostly like bloodworm, but they also will eat King Prawn (the kind that people eat). In fact, I love it when I put food into the tank, and all the guppies come along, and the DP's hang around the edges snatching and grabbing a few pieces here and there. And just like RTR said, they helicopter as the food falls down, watching and following it. They are very entertaining fish to watch.

[autophotos]

hi , llanelli is just down the road from me - im in swansea - hows it going -

[autophotos]

my dps will nibble at muscles then discard them -

[Porffor]

Well a funny old day happened in that my dear hubby 'surprised' me with a belated valentines gift.. yep you guessed it! 2 DP's are now resident!
I'm hoping I can keep the parameters stable for them and they do well.
I have tried feeding them this morning (really must name them) lol but no joy on the interest front, they were content to swim around the tank.

So.. juvenile DP's.. with no interest in food or knowledge of my offering food.. any tips?

Oh and yes I gave DH a pep talk on buying fish for me!! he thought the tank was fully ready.. in honesty I thought it was pretty much too. But.. water changes aplenty and good cleaning definately needed. I can over filtrate as have another spare filter too so might add that if you all think it'll help.

[pufferpuggirl]

Hi Jane,
Your puffers are probably still settling in, so don't worry too much about them not taking food. I'm sure they will get hungry and will eventually eat. I would just keep offering little bits, but remember to take out what's not eaten the next day, and I think they will eventually get hungry and decide to eat.
Well, at least your husband got you a gift for Valentine's!
And over-filtration in my opinion is always a good thing, especially with puffers, and not only that, I tend to run extra filters on my tanks so that if I need to start another tank, I've got a filter ready, no cycling needed.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Overfiltration won't help with stability or speeding the cycling process. You need to be checking parameters twice daily now.

[Myaj]

If you haven't yet put live plants from your other tanks in there, move a bunch over now. They'll bring in tons of bacteria for you and do their own thing as far as filtering the water somewhat.

Do some large water changes over the next week or two, and you should be nicely set.. Your bacteria was well on the way to being established and with live plants, you should easily have a strong system. You could also steal some gravel, decorations or even filter media from your other tank to boost this one right up. No need to stress over this when you have plenty of established biomedia at your fingertips!

As far as the feeding, these little guys do like to hunt out their own food, so if there's plants in there currently, they may be finding little "critters" you don't know are there.. but wait a few days and then offer them some live blackworms, they'll love them!