The Puffer Forum

Hello,
I bought a 5 Gal tank and I want to put in 2 (1male, 1female) or 3 (1 male, 2females) Dwarf Puffers. Is it possible?
I read that it's possible but I am not sure.
Can you advise me?
Thanks.

Unlikely to work with 3, under ideal conditions with puffers that really get along, 2 might work.

I agree with Nick, as he says you need 2 puffers that really like each other for them to be happy in a 5G. Also keep in mind that when you buy them at the store, very often they are so tiny and young they don't have their mature marking yet. I wanted 1 male and 2 females and got the opposite! 2 males and 1 female in a 10G right now, and the males are not liking each other at all! I'm trying to add more plants to the tank to hide them and if that doesn't work i'll be adding a tank divider. That's how bad it is with those 2! So in a 5G it'd be disaster! One of them would probably be dead or badly injured by now.

If you want more than 1 DP, I suggest you get yourself a 10G and use the 5G to breed snails for them (or return it if your can).
Good luck!

Nick and Mareva are right. Also, you can get 10gal tanks for less than 10 US dollars in most stores in America (not sure where you live), and filtration and lighting say another $20, $60 if done right and as for the rest of the decorations and plants say another $15, and hopefully you'll be able to keep some of what you have.

Remember it is very important with DP's as well as any other puffer to have enough decorations and plants, without enough for them to have to move around as well as places to hide they'll take out their frustrations on each other.

Summary of Costs
Item Amount
Tank $10
Filtration and Lighting $20
Decorations and Plants $15
Total -- $45+tax

Hello,
Thank you for your answers.
I think I will not put the DP in 5 gallons because it did not looks good for them ...
I will therefore reflect to buy a bigger aquarium, but I do not have a lot of space in my room.
Thank you for your advice.

PS: I am French and I live in France so the puffers are hard to find. And the prices are generally higher than US ... For example, in France one DP costs $ 10 (and sometimes more )!!

Do you understand what I write? because I think it is full of mistakes!!

A bientôt !

Your english is better than that of some americans I work with, and your choice of words("therefore reflect" instead of "think about") indicates you've got a pretty good vocabulary. Most of what you already have for the 5 gallon tank will probably work on the ten... the same size filters and heaters are generally sold for both.

Thanks for the compliment:)
Yes, I already have almost all the equipment for the 10G, but the real problem is the space for him.
For my 5G, I will certainly put a betta with several shrimps, and if one day I have some puffers, also as a breeding snails!

Even if it is a pleasure to speak with you, I am going to sleep because in France it is midnight!

I never would have know English wasn't your first language.

Bonjour Bascatrip!
(Moi je suis Québécoise!)
I hope you find a place for the 10 G. It's not that much bigger and DPs are so much fun! I love my 3 little ones, they are really fun to watch! (never mind their bad temper! They are behaving better with the addition of plants!)
Keep us posted!

hello! (salut mareva )

In 10G, How many puffers we can put? 3? 4?
And is it possible to put others fish with them? (like microrasboras galaxy or big shrimps...)
Thanks

It's recommended to have at least 3 G of water per dwarf puffer. So in a 10G, 3 would be a good number. DPs are small but quite courageous and will be tempted to nip the fins of other fishes even if quite bigger than they are. Otos (otocinclus) have been known to coexist peacefully with DPs. They are a small type of suckermouth fish, very cute in fact. As for shrimp, it's a guess, but some people on this forum were successful at keeping red cherry shrimp with them I think.
Keep in mind that when we say your need 3G per DP, it's not only because they need space. It's also because they are messy eaters and produce a lot of waste. So even if DPs were not fin nippers, you wouldn't be able to put much more fish in the 10G because they would all polute the water too much.
I would think 3 DPs and 2 otos would be your maximum in a 10G. I'd like to have the opinion of other members on this as I'm not 100% sure! (is 2 otos too much?)