Hi all,
We have a 20 G planted tank with 3 dwarf puffers in it and we have been thinking about adding a tank mate or mates... ATM the puffers have 3 Amano shrimp for company, but we were wondering if we could add a different, fishy tank mate, or if we should let our trio of DPs keep the tank to themselves.
Can anyone recommend a fish that might do well with our DPs? I have seen folks on the Toronto area aquarium group talking about DPs and bumblebee gobies, but I have not read about anyone on the Puffer Forum trying that combination. As always we defer to what folks here recommend, since we want what is best for our puffers.
Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
- TOPuffers
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:12 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 3 pea puffers/dwarf puffers in a 20 G freshwater planted tank
29 G community tank with plecos, bamboo shrimp, khuli loaches, swordtails, neon tetras and apple snails - Location (country): Toronto, Canada
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water - Loren Eiseley
- pufferjw
- Green Spotted Puffer
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- Gender: Male
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Red Congo Puffer
Striped Redeye Puffer
Dwarf Puffer
Have Owned:
Amazon Puffers - Location (country): USA
- Location: Boston/Chicago
Re: Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
I have a dwarf puffer in a 10 gallon long with 6 neon tetras, and so far it's fine. However, any fish that is fast-moving and peaceful should be fine. Bumblebee gobies wouldn't work with DPs, as the gobies are brackish and the DPs are freshwater.
220 Gallon - 1 Super White Leopoldi Stingray
55 Gallon Planted - No Fish
29 Gallon Planted - 1 Duboisi Puffer
29 Gallon - 1 Red Congo Puffer
55 Gallon Planted - No Fish
29 Gallon Planted - 1 Duboisi Puffer
29 Gallon - 1 Red Congo Puffer
- pufferjw
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 379
- Joined: Sat Sep 05, 2015 9:16 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Duboisi Puffer
Red Congo Puffer
Striped Redeye Puffer
Dwarf Puffer
Have Owned:
Amazon Puffers - Location (country): USA
- Location: Boston/Chicago
Re: Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
Also, be careful with the amano shrimp, as my DP loves to eat live shrimp.
220 Gallon - 1 Super White Leopoldi Stingray
55 Gallon Planted - No Fish
29 Gallon Planted - 1 Duboisi Puffer
29 Gallon - 1 Red Congo Puffer
55 Gallon Planted - No Fish
29 Gallon Planted - 1 Duboisi Puffer
29 Gallon - 1 Red Congo Puffer
- Welch4
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 698
- Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2014 5:22 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Abington,MA
Re: Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
This is short term and do not take this as gospel. My dps have been cohabitating with a peppermint plec, amanos, and zebra Danios.
Forget other advice about puffers you don't hear here - Pufferpunk
-
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 105
- Joined: Thu May 28, 2015 3:25 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: DP
- Location (country): USA
- Location: CA
Re: Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
Agreed! Thanks for posting this! So bad bad info out there! Ugh. Always do your research, no matter how knowledgeable a LFS seems to be.pufferjw wrote:Bumblebee gobies wouldn't work with DPs, as the gobies are brackish and the DPs are freshwater.
Use the search function on this forum, you'll find info about tank mates for DPs. It is actually really useful.
10 gallon: 1 dwarf puffer, 3 Otos, 1 amano shrimp
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
Don't let your wet friend suffer - PufferPunk
- TOPuffers
- Dwarf Puffer
- Posts: 63
- Joined: Tue Sep 08, 2015 1:12 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 3 pea puffers/dwarf puffers in a 20 G freshwater planted tank
29 G community tank with plecos, bamboo shrimp, khuli loaches, swordtails, neon tetras and apple snails - Location (country): Toronto, Canada
- Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Re: Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
Thank you all for your replies
Ok, so no goby - can't believe the folks in the GTA forum have not pointed out the incompatibility of DPs and gobies to the members talking about that pairing. Once my account is 'approved' (they are SO slow to do that, and I cannot post yet) I will put something into the thread to let them know about the FW/BW needs.
Thank you TheStig - searching the forum was an excellent suggestion! It seems that little fish like neon tetras or endlers might do well with our puffer trio.
TBH we are not even sure the tank needs more fish - it just seems a little quiet and empty at 20 G with our 3 DPs in there.
Ok, so no goby - can't believe the folks in the GTA forum have not pointed out the incompatibility of DPs and gobies to the members talking about that pairing. Once my account is 'approved' (they are SO slow to do that, and I cannot post yet) I will put something into the thread to let them know about the FW/BW needs.
Thank you TheStig - searching the forum was an excellent suggestion! It seems that little fish like neon tetras or endlers might do well with our puffer trio.
TBH we are not even sure the tank needs more fish - it just seems a little quiet and empty at 20 G with our 3 DPs in there.
If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water - Loren Eiseley
- Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
Endlers are too delicate IMO, as are neons. Maybe faster-moving species like zebra danios. Many have had good luck with otocinclus.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
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"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
- G S P Freak
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 421
- Joined: Sat Sep 22, 2012 6:58 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Figure Eight Puffers, Binks (29G)
Dwarf puffers, named "He-Puffer" (male) and She-puffer (female) (10g)
Non-puffer:
1 Red-eared slider, Tortuga (female)(100g)
1 rubber lip pleco - Location (country): USA, Indiana
Re: Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
Mine happily resides with a rubber lip pleco, no issues after 1 1/2 years or so.
No human being, however great, or powerful, was ever so free as a fish.
-John Ruskin-
"I have to laugh when people call fish-keeping a hobby, if anything, it's a science... and for some, an obsession." - Me
-John Ruskin-
"I have to laugh when people call fish-keeping a hobby, if anything, it's a science... and for some, an obsession." - Me
Re: Tank mates for Dwarf Puffers :)
To anyone returning to this thread years later; research into bumblee gobies has come on leaps and bounds, and we now know that there are multiple subspecies, most of which are happy in both fresh and brackish water when acclimatised correctly. DPs and BGs can happily share very similar parameters, and have similar enough temperaments to get along well with each other.
I currently have a tank with both, the gobies tend to rest in areas, but have definitely picked up behaviour from the DPs and swim up and down the glass when they see food may be coming.
I highly recommend the Practical Fishkeeping December 2023 article, and as always research the specific species and sub species you are considering first.
In terms of shrimp - don't forget hiding places; if the puffers don't get them, the stress will. I've had much better results, and healthier shrimp population when there's been places they can hide which the puffers don't get to, otherwise they will always drop their eggs and be reluctant to moult.
I currently have a tank with both, the gobies tend to rest in areas, but have definitely picked up behaviour from the DPs and swim up and down the glass when they see food may be coming.
I highly recommend the Practical Fishkeeping December 2023 article, and as always research the specific species and sub species you are considering first.
In terms of shrimp - don't forget hiding places; if the puffers don't get them, the stress will. I've had much better results, and healthier shrimp population when there's been places they can hide which the puffers don't get to, otherwise they will always drop their eggs and be reluctant to moult.