Fish to keep with red eyed puffers!

[Hexo]

Hi all, this is my first post, looks like a great repository of information on here and will be glad to help out where i can.

We (shelleyboot) and I have got a couple of puffers. They are ready to breed as the males got his colours on and is puffing out and dancing with the female. We hope to get some young on the go at some point.

The tank is about 40-50G and has 6 danios, 6 cherry barb, 2 x yellow labs and a catfish, oh and some small rainbow that is yet to be identified.

We're looking to get a larger fish in the tank, any ideas on what else we could add or perhaps remove to get some bigger characters in there? I like the looks of the larger danios but am unsure about their tempermant.

The puffers are not that aggressive to the other fish at all. Only one incident when another fish had a go at the puffer so she bit back from underneath but thats not happened again. (I think it learnt its lesson!)

Thanks for any help in advance.

[pufferpuggirl]

Sorry I don't have the answer to your question (and I have redeye puffers too), but I wanted to welcome you to the forum.

I have some corydoras' in with my redeyes and also some rasboras, but haven't thought about anything large. Actually though, as mine are fairly docile, and you're saying yours are too .... you could get whatever interests you, as long as it's nothing that will harm the puffers.

Good luck!
Suz

[Hexo]

Hi thanks for the warm welcome!

Thats a healthy list of puffers you have there!

[pufferpuggirl]

Yes, I've got a small addiction to puffers, nothing serious though!

[Hexo]

Thanks for the reply on Hexo's post, the yellow labs we have should get big so i think we have decided to just let them grow up with the red eyes, they have no sign of aggresion. Corys are a good idea though, will look into that! our puffers are so mellow they dont mind they fish they are keep with now at all, they have plenty of space and their own cave, they are happy little critters! I think we have alot of infromation on the red eyes now, but any information/tips would be very much appreciated, especially when it comes to the breeding.

[pufferpuggirl]

I'd like to think mine would spawn, as I've got more females than males, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I think it would be really fantastic though. I also have 2 other redeye species in with the irrubesco puffers. The only females that I have not added to my tank are the salivator females, and that's because I've heard of people saying that the males will kill them. I have 2 salivator males in my tank and they are absolutely beautiful, I'm really taken with them.

Can I ask how long you've had your redeyes together? Are they showing any signs of courting yet? The only puffers I've had that have gotten to the courting stage are my suvattii, and my Congo puffers. Of course I don't have a male Congo now, so that's out. And not sure what's happening with my suvattii.
I'd love to hear that your redeyes have spawned, that would be fantastic!

Keep me informed.

[Hexo]

We've had the puffers for a couple of months now. I thought as most i guess that puffers were sea living creatures like in finding nemo, never knew you could get fresh water ones that are so small and cute!

On a quick note, i take it that these ones dont actually puff up unless the mail is displaying?

The male started turning a brilliant blue tail, banding and a red band down his keel a few weeks ago, then they started dancing a lot and he fans out his keel at her.

Shes looking really fat now. The male puffer is trying to taunt her into going into hidey holes, he hovers over the entrance but she does not want to know.

We've got a separate tank that could be used to try to get some little fry on the go but we need to do some research first of all. We might end up missing this one as we are waiting for a filter to use in the other tank. (ebay purchase)

[pufferpuggirl]

You say the male has a blue tail? Then I think you must have Carinotetraodon lorteti. He's one of my favourites in my tank, I love that tail! I have one male lorteti and 3 female lorteti, but I think if any of them are going to spawn, it will be my irrubesco. I'd be happy for any of them to spawn though.

It sounds to me like you've had some courting action, that's a good sign. I know they do keel at the female when they are trying to impress her. They also will keel at other males to warn them off.

As far as I'm aware, the only time puffers "puff" up is when they are trying to intimidate, or when they are frightened. I don't really know if they puff up at the female, it's nothing that I've read about or heard of them doing. My suvattii will puff up sometimes for no reason at all. Looks really odd!

Do you have lots of plants in your tank? I would try to have as many plants as you can have and I'd also provide some Java moss, or other moss, so that they have a place to lay the eggs, should they want to do that.

Sounds promising though, good for you!

[Hexo]

Yeah we need some moss for sure! Looks really nice as well.

The puffers have never puffed up yet! I've read it can be very bad for them in case they get air bubbles stuck inside but cant remember where i read that. He just puffs up his keel, the red bit on the bottom of his belly, nothing more!

I saw some puffers that the shop that were puffing up though, very strange! Must say these are the most interesting fish i have come across to date, proper little characters that can look around and blink!

[Hexo]

Oh and i think the female has taken a couple of chunks out of the males tail, does it grow back normally or will he have these nicks for the rest of his life?

[LilGreenPuffer]

It'll grow back. Just make sure that he has very clean water to help healing and prevent infection, and you could add a little Melafix. He'll be fine.

[pufferpuggirl]

Oh and i think the female has taken a couple of chunks out of the males tail, does it grow back normally or will he have these nicks for the rest of his life?

And I thought it was the males who were the aggressors!

[Hexo]

No, she used to run away, but these days she gets behind him and gives him a bit of attitude. She is a lot smaller than him as well. Except that gut of course!

I will be over shelleys place tomoz with a camera.

The nicks on his tail are very very small, i think shes stopped it now they are mates

[LilGreenPuffer]

I have DPs, and it's gone like that, too. It was so funny to watch Thumbelina figure out that James Bond was just a big bully and that if she chased him back, she'd get the lion's share of the worms!

[pufferpuggirl]

No, she used to run away, but these days she gets behind him and gives him a bit of attitude. She is a lot smaller than him as well. Except that gut of course!

I will be over shelleys place tomoz with a camera.

The nicks on his tail are very very small, i think shes stopped it now they are mates

So she's changed her attitude now that she thinks she might get some lovin' !