The Puffer Forum

I've had Dj and Skoot now since January 2009 and have not major issues until the pat couple of weeks where Dj keeps nipping Skoot. I was thinking about giving Dj free to a good home but I am worried that this may affect Skoot. Even although Dj goes for him most of the time I don't want Skoot becoming ill if I give Dj away. I am however looking into getting a divider for my tank but if I can't get what I'm looking for I don't know what to do. Both my puffers are healthy and have their own wee characters.

Any advice from an experienced dp owner?

Sorry, I don't own any DPs, just F8s and an SAP. What size tank do you have them in and what is the decor like? Do you have plants? Do you know their genders, are they both male? I know DPs like heavily planted tanks and the plants help to break up the lines of sight which is supposed to help curb aggression issues. If they cant see each other, they cant stalk each other. If you do decide to give DJ away, be sure to give him to an experienced puffer owner.

I'd go for a divider. One should be very easy to find at any LFS.

That's good what omplmpa3 has said. Plants -- they are one of the best things you can have in your tank when keeping Dwarf puffers. I have had a very large group of DP's and never had any problems, and I contribute that to the fact that I've always had heavily planted tanks. If I were you apocraphya, I'd add more plants and/or ornaments to your tank, breaking up line of sight. How big is your tank? If you tank is big enough, you could try adding a few more DP's, and maybe with others added DJ won't pick on Skoot, especially if they are both male, maybe getting some females will ease the aggression.

But before you get rid of DJ, I'd get more plants and put as many as you can afford to into your tank, and see what happens then.

Are they both males? Maybe you could trade one in for a female. Definately be sure you have tons of decor in there, breaking up lines of sight.

I've seen the tank pictures. It's huge and it's packed with decorations. It sounds like it might be time for a divider. Too bad - you'll have to change the design, and it's so beautiful!

LilGreenPuffer wrote:I've seen the tank pictures. It's huge and it's packed with decorations. It sounds like it might be time for a divider. Too bad - you'll have to change the design, and it's so beautiful!

Is the tank big enough for a few more? I know I read a recent post by schismy007 about her group of DPs establishing a pecking order and then I believed they settled down.

Yes, I do believe they actually thrive in a group. I've just added 2 more to my little dwarf puffer mob. I know I used to read that you couldn't keep several dwarf puffers together, but I have a different theory in that I think they enjoy being in a group, and I think when people have problems with their DP's nipping or bullying another, it's usually because there's only one or two of them, and therefore they get frustrated and take it out on their tankmates. If you could see how mine all follow the leader, it's funny to watch. They all follow the alpha puff and where he goes, they go and if he turns and swims in a different direction, they do too!

It's just my theory, but I think they are happier in a group and behave better as well.

schismy007 wrote:Yes, I do believe they actually thrive in a group. I've just added 2 more to my little dwarf puffer mob. I know I used to read that you couldn't keep several dwarf puffers together, but I have a different theory in that I think they enjoy being in a group, and I think when people have problems with their DP's nipping or bullying another, it's usually because there's only one or two of them, and therefore they get frustrated and take it out on their tankmates. If you could see how mine all follow the leader, it's funny to watch. They all follow the alpha puff and where he goes, they go and if he turns and swims in a different direction, they do too!

It's just my theory, but I think they are happier in a group and behave better as well.

I've also heard it's fairly reasonable to have them in groups with the assumption that the tank is of the appropriate capacity to handle the bioload and decrease aggression.

Get more females. Tell me how big the tank is? I can't keep all the threads straight.

This is the tank I have them in and the picture is when I first got the tank in July this year as they were previously in a 29 us gallon jewel tank.

Their tank is a 39 us gallon



I will take a picture of their tank tomorrow of how it's set up now as their light is off and don't want to disrupt them as it's night time here. I have more plants since that plant was taken and won't be able to put anymore in as they won't have enough room to move about, hence the reason I've went from a 9 us gallon tank to a 29 us gallon tank and now have the 39 us gallon tank. I'd hate to me in a confined space and that's why I got them a bigger tank to explore but also more plants etc for the obvious reasons fro my Dp's.

The store I bought them from has since closed due to the credit crunch and I haven't been able to find a store where I can get Dp's. I also won't give them to anyone that has know experience of them as I researched for weeks before I got them. It wasn't until they were older that I found out they were both males as they were so small when I first got them. I am having trouble to find a divider for my tank as it's square in width and depth but longer in height.

LilGreenPuffer wrote:I've seen the tank pictures. It's huge and it's packed with decorations. It sounds like it might be time for a divider. Too bad - you'll have to change the design, and it's so beautiful!

Thanks for your kind comment on my little cherub's tank.

You're welcome. I've always loved it!

I don't know why I didn't think about the adding females thing...

If you do decide on a divider, you can make one out of craft canvas (plastic "cloth" for needlepoint). You can make it whatever size you want.

Here is a pic of my tank how it is at the moment. There are load of plants at the back too including 2 moss balls and a large artificial one and the mopani wood that's hidden by the plants is the width of my tank. I am going to have a look online to see if there's any reputable fish stores that could order me some adult Dp's because if they are juvenile, I could end up with more males and end up with a bigger problem

I still think, even if you do get more males, your problem shouldn't be alleviated. Let me just give you an example. When I first got my mudskippers, I had only two, and the big male was a bit of a bully to the smaller skipper, then I got another, and after I added the 3rd, the big male no longer bullied the other one. It's almost as if he couldn't concentrate on just the one anymore, and I never had any problems from there on.

I'm thinking that possibly it could work the same way with your DP's. Maybe if there's a pack of them, they can't concentrate on just one and then they no longer try to bully. I mean, with all the ones that I have, surely I don't have just the right amount of males to females, and yet I don't have any problems with them bullying each other. It's just a theory of mine that when they are in a pack of their own, that they don't seem to bother other fish so much. I think they're more concerned with interacting within the pack.