Dwarf Puffer Dorm Room Aquarium

[Hitchhiker]

I'm going to college this fall and I'm only allowed a 10g tank. My LFS has some dwarf puffers that I've been eying for a while so I figure this is the PERFECT time to get some! I haven't bought anything yet, because my fish experience is rather... limited. In the past I've had some kuhli loaches, goldfish, zebra danios, and a bluegill (Well I have the bluegill now; he ate my danios. >/ ). So far my plans are to get a male and a female dwarf puffer, here is what I plan on buying:
A 10G aquarium kit (if anyone can suggest one, please do!) with a heater, (which should be set to 80F), filter (which should be overpowered because puffers are messy), and lighting (for aquarium plants).
I've never had a 'serious' aquarium, I've never even had a heater or a real filter. SO. I need advice.
First off, will DPs be fine with the moving from school to home for winter break/summer vacation? I live 20 minutes away from my college so it wouldn't be a long trip.
And I'm not sure on what substrate to use. I have some whitish play sand, will this work? However I also really like like natural looking gravel. Could a combination work? I've seen white sand used and it really makes the DP's colors pop!
Also I've read people having success with kuhli loaches with DPs. I LOVE kuhli loaches and was wondering if I could keep some with 2 DPs in a 10g- or even a single DP with some kuhli loaches.

ALSO how do heaters work? Do you set a temperature and it heats the water to that temp or what?
Thank you in advance! I've already read the articles in the forum and I'm excited to learn more so I can keep these fish successfully.

EDIT:
Oh geeze I forgot. ALSO WITH FOOD. Obviously I will be in a dorm room (a single, though) with not much access to my LFS- I don't have a car and buses don't go to any LFS I know. I wouldhave transportation under an EMERGENCY though. ANyways, I wasplanning on having like a goldfish bowl with a java moss covered rock and some pond snails in that and using that for food. Also frozen food? I've only ever used flake so I'm not sure how all this works!

[energizerfish]

I'm just curious, but what state are you going to be going to college in? And as far as keeping snails in a goldfish bowl, most snails can and sometimes do climb out of the water on occasion, so be sure that you can keep a lid on any tank you keep snails in.

[Hitchhiker]

Virginia!
Also Would like cling wrap work for that?

[Salmon]

Cling wrap would work fine as long as there is air circulation in the bowl because snails need oxygen too. I would suggest using some kind of air stone in the bowl at least.

[Pufferpunk]

DPs really don't need snails.

[energizerfish]

I also go to college in Virginia. Great to see another fellow Virginian. Although technically I'm a transplant.

[sevenyearnight]

Pond and ramshorns gather air from the surface in their shells.

[Pufftastic]

My DPs rarely if ever eat snails. Their staple diet is frozen bloodworms and frozen mysis shrimp. DPs don't have the same issue as other puffers with their beaks overgrowing, so they don't require crunchy food like other puffs do.

I'm a big advocate of species-only tanks for puffers, even DPs. I think two DPs would be in heaven in your 10 gallon tank, without any other companions.

[jeromecarlyoung]

I'm a big advocate of species-only tanks for puffers, even DPs. I think two DPs would be in heaven in your 10 gallon tank, without any other companions.

+1

The sand should be bought from an LFS store for freshwater fish.

You would need to visit daily if feeding worms etc, if using dried worms then they would be needed to be properly soaked prior to feeding. Frozen worms would be better.

Your Goldfish Bowl for the snails would need some air holes in the Clingfilm for air to circulate.

The Heater has a guage on it so set it to 75-80F. Buy a Thermometer for the Tank to cross reference the temperature readings.

-Jerry

[Pufferpunk]

I wouldn't waste my time or space for snail breeding for DPs.

[LilGreenPuffer]

RTR says that snails and blackworms are the best possible diet for DPs. If you have the space and time, why not?