Dwarf puffer question

[wayne_rowley]

My 33 gallon tank is now cycled! It is a well planted Lido 120 in which I intend to keep dwarf puffers (thinking around 6) along with some otos and maybe some shrimp. However I am uneasy at the thought of adding either puffers or otos to a newly cycled tank. The filter may be cycled but is not mature and both puffers and otos prefer a tank to be mature I think?

I know that everything I have read and all the advice I have heard says that the only tank-mates DPs may tolerate are otos and shrimp, but would adding a small school of hardy, short finned fast moving fish be a real problem? It would help mature the filter for a few weeks before adding the puffers but I may not be able to rehome them easily... Alternatively I was wondering about a small plec such as a clown/flash plec...

Any thoughts? Or am I worrying about a none-issue with the filter not being mature enough for puffers/otos?

Many thanks,
Wayne

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

I have some guppies with my figure 8s and the puffers don't bother them, the guppies are lightning fast. And from what i've read, fast moving fish an ottos go well with puffers, but there is always a risk, so be prepared to lose a fish or 2 just in case.

As for the uncycled thing, you should look at the other posts that have to do with cycling. I put my puffers in a newly cycled tank and they have been just fine... but i did keep a very sharp eye on my water parameters, especially ammonia.

And about the plec, i'm not sure, i don't have any experience wih plecs with puffers but i know the are slow moving and i would be afraid it would be nipped to death.

[lilgirlkat]

I *had* to put my first DP in a completely new, uncyled tank, and he's perfect. I don't recommend it; I guess I was lucky.

Just like capnmorgan said. keep an eye on your params and you should be just fine.

[kelsi.nikoel]

Brannew DPs with fish may not work...I just got mine and the are Tiny, Im waiting a little while to try out some tetras with my them because my danios and mollies harassed the puffers

[wayne_rowley]

Thanks for the replies!! The tank is cycled but only just, so the filter may not be mature enough to cope with dwarf puffers and the feeding of bloodworm etc for a little while. Likewise it is newly planted and there is not much algea for otos yet.

I was thinking of adding a small school of fast moving fish (danios, rasboras, tetras etc) to help mature the filter but am worried that long term they will be puffer toys!!

But if the general consensus of experience is that it is okay to add the puffers now I will do that. I would like to add 6 all at once though to help prevent aggression that new additions may experience.

Thanks,
Wayne

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

if the puffers are just babies you may wait a little while... the other fish might actually pick on the puffers... i would wait until they are an inch long.

[wayne_rowley]

Couldn't resist the little cute puffers! I got 6 of them for now. I may get a few more but may leave it at 6 as I would also like some otos and shrimp.

They are very cute. They have already polished off the few snails that were in there so I will need to source some more. I bough frozen bloodworm and muscle to feed them. They seem happy enough exploring the tank. They are very interested in the CO2 bubbles lol!

I will keep an eye on water parameters for the next few days.

Wayne

[CaptainMorgan_SOS]

Hooray for the new puffers!! Congrats!

Ottos and shrimp are the safest bet. What kind of shrim are you wanting to get? I wouldnt get expensive ones for now... because you may lose them to the viscious puffers. Do the puffers have plenty of hidng spots and/or plants to keep them from fighting for their territory? if not, they may attack each other, now or when they get older... most likely the latter.

[pufferpuggirl]

Hi, just to add to a couple of things you mentioned.
First of all, I've had to put my different puffers in newly cycled tanks because I've had nowhere else to put them, and I agree with the others, as long as you keep an eye on the parameters, and do water changes regularly, there shouldn't be a problem.
I've had good luck with keeping my Dwarf puffers with lots of other fish. At the moment, I have two different tanks with DP's in. One tank is my big community tank which has all sorts in it, and most of the time the puffers are either chasing one another, or harassing the many snails I have in there. I have another tank which is DP's, SAP's and a couple of F8's, they DP's don't bother any of them, just chase each other, but not like being nasty, more like having fun, or playing a game (hide n seek).
The very first DP's I had were in a little 48-liter tank and I had about 5 DP's, one Sailfin Plec, and an Upside-Down catfish. Again, the DP's didn't bother the fish, they chased each other and harassed this big apple snail that was in there something awful (I felt sorry for the apple snail).
There is the occasional DP that will nip at other fish, but it's been my experience that the DP's aren't so bad, they are rather nice, and much fun to watch!

Good luck with your little Dwarfs!!

[wayne_rowley]

Thanks everyone! I am worried I have lost one because I can only ever count 4-5 at any one time. But the tank is heavily planted. Otherwise they seem to have settled in well.

How do I encourage them to eat? I am putting in bloodworm, but they don't come out to feed. If a worm floats past they will eat it but the rest just drift to the bottom.

Thanks,
Wayne

[wayne_rowley]

pdate a week later. I have been quite concerned about the puffers this week as they have not been feeding much. Have been feeding with frozen bloodworm and they nibble it as it floats down but once on the bottom they ignore it. They polished off the snails quite quickly and I have been worried they they have been going hungry and that I had lost one (as I never see more than 5 at once).

Got them some live bloodworm today - and they love it!! Porked out on it in fact! And I have also seen all 6 pufers!! So I am quite happy - six pot bellied puffers swimming around. I have enough live bloodworm left for a few days and I plan to get some more snails. But hopefully live bloodworm will make them more inclined to eat the frozen?

Wayne

[pufferfreak]

You may get them hooked on livefood, then thats all they will eat. They may be getting bored of there frozen food and thats why they nibble at it. Just try to keep their diet varied and they should be fine.

[wayne_rowley]

Hi there,

I also have some frozen fine muscle, but again they nibble at it as it floats around but ignore it once it has reached the bottom. Can you recommend other types of food for dwarf puffers?

Wayne

[Pufferpunk]

FD plankton/krill.