ok Im confused, need advise

[GinaGV]

I'm still in the planning and learning stages about Dwarf puffers. Everything I have read has told me they need to be with their own, and if you have more than 1 it needs to be a big space with lots of plants and rocks, etc...

Ok here's the thing:

On another board (not dwarf puffer specific) I look at regularly someone there has this stock list in their 55 gallon tank:

55g-
Carinotetraodon travancoricus(Dwarf Puffer) x1
Colisa lalia (Dwarf Gourami, female) x2
Colisa lalia (Dwarf Flame Gourami, male) x1
Corydoras paleatus (Peppered Cory Cat) x3
Brachydanio rerio var. frankei (Leopard Danio) x5
Hyphessobrycon serpae (Red Serpae Tetra) x6
Ilyodon furcidens x3
Monodactylus sebae (Mono) x1
Pimelodus pictus (Pictus Catfish) x1
Poecilia butleri x4

and when I questioned his choice of tank mates someone else said "I have kept a pea puffer with dwarf cichlids and Buenes Aires Tetras before and had no aggression problems"

So, Im sure you can understand my confusion.. I mean right now I have a 55 gallon tank with 4 small angels ( Im waiting for them to pair off then I will return the other 2 to the LPS), 1 albino bushynose pleco, 6 female cherry barbs, 5 otocinclus cats and 5 cory cats (soon to be more in the spring).. and I wouldn't think a single dwarf puffer would be good in there, even with it being planted and have lots of hidey places and rock work. Am I wrong? Because I would put a dwarf puffer in there right away. There are tons of snails in the tank and he would be fat and happy for a LONG time

Thoughts?

Gina

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

Hey Gina, A 55 gal. would give alot of room for about 1 male and maybe 5 female DP's or maybe more if it's well planted, someone else might give you better advise then I . But I would not add any FW puffer in the same tank with angel fishes due to the fact puffer's tend to be fin nippers. The rest of the fishes in your tank seem to be fine with DP's but again you might get one that might like to aggravate the bottom fishes.

[Pufferpunk]

I wouldn't listen to anyone who is keeping a mono as a singleton, in a FW tank.

Angels have nice, long flowing fins & are not fast swimmers. Perfect targets for nipping.

[J-P]

I can kind of see where the other member is coming from. A DP solo in a large tank with other large fish really isn't a threat. It would be the other fish picking on the DP and or the DP constantly hiding. My DPs don't attack anything larger than them (or with any success). That being said, that is a pretty poor stock list for a tank. You want to see your little friends, no go searching for them wondering where they are.

[Pufferpunk]

LOL, it takes me 5 minutes sometimes, to find my 2 DPs in a 10g hex!

[GinaGV]

That's why I wanted to post here.. It just seemed to contradictory to what I had been reading. I know that even though the angels will be huge when they are full grown (compared to a dwarf puffer) the fins would still be a temptation. I was never considering adding a puffer to my 55. And I would never do anything to stress out my corydoras... I love those guys...

Sometime down the road though I was thinking about getting my 20 gallon tank out and doing puffer there.. The thing is I really can't stand it when fish are so aggressive with each other that one or more are hidden and stressed out all the time.. I mean that's why I sent all my male cherry barbs back. Even when the ratio was down to 1 male to 4 females, he had all of the females frantic trying to stay away from his.. um.. continual.. um.. advances.. even the other fish in the tank were bothered by the chasing.. Now, my 6 females (when we took him back the store gave us 2 females free) live a very slow and gentle life, and everyone is out and peaceful.

That said, for puffers in the 20, I would worry about aggression unless I could be totally certain I was getting all girls, because it is my understanding they dont have the territorial issues the males do. And I'm reading that you cant be certain of gender when they are still in the store since they are not mature yet. Thus, my quandry,

Gina

[J-P]

I have 2 male DPs in a 30 gal... there are no aggression issues. Cramping may cause issues but given adequate space, it wouldn't be a problem.

[Flutter]

I wouldn't listen to anyone who is keeping a mono as a singleton, in a FW tank.

No kidding.

You could try 4 DPs in the 20gal and make sure it's very busy. That leaves them some extra room. The other option is to possibly buy 3 DPs for the tank and keep a look out for additional females to add. You'd have to rearrange all of the decorations when adding the newcomers.

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

I was going to say something about the mono in a FW tank but I did'nt.

[RTR]

To be brutally honest and unkind, the world has more than enough poor to awful stock lists. You can find all you would ever want to see on any introductory board or go to MFK for the real horrors.

The fact that most folks stock their tanks without any knowledge whatsoever of the needs of the fish does not exactly set shining examples of well-set and well-kept tanks.

Why would you even give a second thought to someone who has a single mono in an undersized FW tank? That person obviously does not know anything about the fish they are supposedly trying to keep.

Everybody has to go through some learning curves. We have all dome it wrong more than once. Some folks learn from their mistakes, Others just keep making more mistakes without ever learning anything.

[jeromecarlyoung]

This site has amazed me. DPs are big fin nippers and should only be kept with Otos.
Water quality is a big issue with these chaps too. Angel fish and Mono with DPs?? if the Dp gets a little peckish then those large fins will look really tasty.
This is the first bunch of people who don't say that DPs are species only. Their behaviour can change too as mine never used to eat MTS and Ramshorns but she got hungry one day and now there are no snails at all.
If you manage a happy tank for a year with the DP and the others then send me a PM please; I'll be astounded!!

Cheers Jerry

[JRC3]

I'm having great luck with khuli loaches. But I wouldn't try any other fish besides huhlis and ottos.

[GinaGV]

well I didnt mean to stir up a big to do.. I was just trying to learn as much as I can before I jump in to getting a new species I have never attempted before. I don't mean to criticize anyone, I just want to learn..

What do you all think about Zebra Puffers? If I understand it they are FW as well.. Could one do well in a 20 gallon tank? They still require snails right?

Gina

[Pufferpunk]

library/puffers-in-focus/sap/

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

PP, I think she is talking about Carinotetraodon salivator. I see these alot on aquabid going by the name Zebra puffer.