The Puffer Forum

I need advice, and need to be pointed in the right direction.

About a month ago I bought three DPs for my heavily planted 20g tank. When I picked them out I couldn't see any sex differentiators. No wrinkles, no lines, nothing.

Now, a month older, they turn out to be all males. I'm not sure what my next step is. They seem to be getting along great at the moment. Every once in a while the biggest will chase one of the others around, but no nipping.

I know I can't keep them together, but I am wondering, since they are juvies, about how long do I have until they get really aggressive? It's the end of the semester and getting to the pet store, what with finals and going home for break, may not happen.

Thanks for any advice.

Without females present, if the planting is fairly heavy, you may get away with it for quite a while to indefinitely. That is especially true if those fish have always been together - which you have no way of knowing, but you can hope.

If/when you add females, all bets are off without really heavy planting in a larger footprint tank.

All IME, YMMV.

Thanks for the advice. I wasn't planning on adding additional puffers until I got a bigger tank, anyways, so at least I don't have to worry about that. I was thinking about seeing if I could exchange two of the males for two females, but I am so attached to these little guys now, I think I will play it by ear. Once they start to pick on each other (if they do) I will see if I can exchange them or set up separate tanks.

To be even safer I think I'll add some more plants. Two of the ones I bought have disintegrated due to lack of light. But I have been hesitant to take them out since the stalks still break up line-of-sight.

Any advice on what are some good, tall and or bushy low light plants to add? I have two or three slots available.

Or should I just go with more fake plants? I have about five of these, and my problem with them is they look....well...fake.

I am not the best person to suggest plants - I actually grow very few different types of plants, just lots of those plants that suit my tanks and style and peculiarities about what I will and will not do for plants.

All of my tanks are moderate light - on the order of 2 normal output watts per gallon, on for 10-12 hours per day on timers. Tubes are replaced annually, offset six moths (i.e., one tube is replaced in Jan., the other in July). All are tri-phospher full spectrum tubes. Most tanks get Seachem Flourish Excel alternate days, some few get other Seachem Flourish supplements but most do not.

I grow much Vallissneria spiralis, some submerse Crinums (mid-sized to large tanks only). lots of Anubias nana, a good bit of Anubias nana petite (the former is smallish, the latter tiny - both are relatively expensive as they grow slowly), and a wide variety of smallish Cryptocorynes. Those make up well more than 90% of my aquatics. Anubias is a great small plant, but do not expect fast growth - it is slow. Crypts are all but indestructible. Ditto for all the plants I grow - when kept under my conditions moderately hard, moderately alkaline water kept in the upper 70sF.

HTH