The Puffer Forum

1. So I'm planning on getting some live plants for my DP...but I don't know what to get. The main problem is that I don't have gravel in my 5 gallon hexagon tank. So I was looking for plants that might attach to stuff or float possibly. So can you please tell me what species of live plants are easy to care for and don't need to be placed in a substrate.
2. How do you care for live plants? Like...dont they need like co2 or something like that. Also what kind of lighting is needed and for how long??
3. Now I'm also looking for live tankmates. Any tankmates will do (fish and invertebrates). I would also like to know of the care for them. My tank is a 5 gallon hexagon tank with only my single DP inhabiting it.

1. Hex tanks are quite difficult to light for live plants. If you have no experience with live plants, I would suggest not starting in a hex. Use artificial plants instead.

2. See1above.

3. A five,especially a hex, is too small for any tankmates with a DP.

If you upgraded to a fifteen gallon conventional tank, you could have a trio of DPs (one male and two females), substrate,and live plants.

What kind of substrate do you have? Sand?

Some good easy plants for beginners that don't need to be rooted: anubias, java moss, java fern, moss balls...

Different plants have different needs. If you want to stay simple, any of the above plants are fine with normal tank lights and no fertilization, except maybe a little Flourish or something if you want. They don't need CO2. Eight to twelve hours a day is good for light.

In a tank that size, especially a hex, I wouldn't get very adventurous with tankmates. A couple of ghost shrimp, maybe. It's possible that your DP might eat them, though, or at least bully/bite them to death.

Article on ghost shrimp: library/misc/ghostshrimp/

I just drop in some bits of algae water or shrimp food from time to time, and I add a few extra frozen worms when I'm feeding Thumbelina, and other than that, they fend for themselves. As long as they have food and hiding places, they don't really require any care beyond what you're already giving your puffer.

Be sure to quarantine any new animals before adding them to your tank.

Thanks for all the help everyone