The Puffer Forum

Fine I'll do it.
library/puffers-in-focus/sexing-carinot ... rf-puffer/

I don't know their sex.
I checked the website for the store I got the tank, it is 5 gallon.

I was told by three fish places now that if I had enough plants and caves 5 gallon would be enough for 3. I also was told they should be kept in groups hence three, otherwise I would have only bought one.

I can't afford a larger tank. They are so tiny I really don't see that the tank size is an issue at this time. They are the size of my thumbnail. I will get them a bigger tank soon, I look often, but for now this is what I have.

Alot of the time,...'fish places' are more interested in selling stuff than giving correct info. We are right in this instance ...they are not. We are not trying to sell you anything. You came looking for advice and we have told you the truth. If you choose not to listen, for whatever reason, then why bother asking.

A 5 gal is only large enough to keep 1 DP healthy over a long period...regardless of how many plants or caves you put in. It is a matter of the amount of waste produced by the fish, regardless of their size, puffers put alot of waste into the water and a 5 gal tank does not contain enough water to safely dilute the toxins while they are handled by the filter.

In essence you will be slowly poisoning your fish, little by little, day by day,..until they get sick and die.

You ask for advice on a subject that you admitedly know little about....then dismiss our information.
You are willing to take the advice from a LFS person who maybe has 6 months direct experience working with and keeping puffers.
You get mad when we ask you necessary questions and give you the benefit of decades of direct experience keeping puffers...then dismiss our advice in favor of the people that sold you the puffers into a bad situation in the first place.

You have no right to get mad at us for being honest with you...our only concern was/is with helping the puffers stay healthy.
You can choose to listen and do what's right by your fish....or you can choose to get your advice from the store and watch them slowly die.

If you have no intention of listening to those who know better than you (not conceit, just fact) then don't bother responding again. Just listen to the three fish stores and you will soon be able to get another betta for that tank.

Well calm down ever one.

Yah as long as there is no aggression you should be able to use the 5g. as a temporary home till you can get a bigger tank. I would only suggest you do very large, maybe 60%+ weekly water changes during the time there in there, or use a large plastic tub as a temporary home.
Also for a new filter on the larger tank you plan to get, get a Aquaclear filter for a tank larger than the one you get. An oversized filter on a puffer tank is a good idea because it helps keep up with there waste load, though no filter should replace water changes a large filter also gives some room for error in case maybe you forget to do a water change and do it a few days off schedule.

Wow you people are SUCH cuties. I said what I was told because I am trying to understand. Forget it. I'll go elsewhere.

Thanks for your response greenspotted, it is greatly appreciated!

Its no big deal I'm in the same situation, sort of. I have a GSP in a 20g. tank and it needs at least 30g. full grown, but I'm saving for a new setup.

No need to quote yourself, check the timestamp, we posted at the same time. I do very much appreciate your actual help as opposed to arrogance!

Thanks. It's aggravating because I explained what I was told so people would understand that I bought the fish for thetank because I was told it'd work. I didn't come here to be judged, yanno?

Anyway I'm looking online at a 35 gallon so hopefully I can get that soon

mbnoelle wrote:No need to quote yourself, check the timestamp, we posted at the same time. I do very much appreciate your actual help as opposed to arrogance!

Well to be fair some of the people on this site have been keeping puffers for as much as 32 years. Not me , but still these are the experts, I owe my puffer's life to most of these people.

greenspotted is there anything else I should do besides the water changes before I can get a bigger tank??

greenspottedlover wrote:

mbnoelle wrote:No need to quote yourself, check the timestamp, we posted at the same time. I do very much appreciate your actual help as opposed to arrogance!

Well to be fair some of the people on this site have been keeping puffers for as much as 32 years. Not me , but still these are the experts, I owe my puffer's life to most of these people.

Right I understand that and that's why I came here but they treated me with arrogance instead of trying to help. It was rude and I just think they should try and be less judgmental to new fish owners. Everyone starts somewhere and I DOUBT that none of them ever screwed up along the way..

I remember my first aquarium. Bought the tank and fish same day. People at the store told me that was fine. Next day the water was cloudy and the fish were dead. I learned about cycling a tank after that.

mbnoelle wrote:greenspotted is there anything else I should do besides the water changes before I can get a bigger tank??

Well not really, you could buy a large plastic tub and put a filter in it that way you could divide your fish into 2 setups. make sure you either buy some sort of instant cycle product or do a fishless cycle on the tub before adding puffs.