New tank and new to puffers

[nehctik]

Hey, ive me and my dad went to a LFS the otherday well I say LFS its not so local anyway, they had some dwarf puffers and i enquired about them and they told me I could put them in a community tank but will very likely nip tank mates, me being the bullheaded idiot I am Thought ah we'll give it a go. So bought 2 of the little guys.
Got home and looked them up to get a better understanding of them and found this site started reading after a few posts I realised I best get a new tank for my new best friends. So far they havent nipped anything but why risk it, I figure now i know what they should have I should give it to them or whats the point in having them.

As we speak im ordering a 15gallon tank for them, which I plan to jumpstart using living bacteria, be it filter media or liquid bacteria.

1: I was wondering, I know you dont put fish in right away until the nitro cycles sorted, but Can I put the plants in, as im going to plant it with real plants and wanted to get it settled before the puffers are moved to the new home.
2: I was also wondering if I could add another dwarf, 3 oto's and a few shrimp once the new tank is up and running.

Thanx in advanced for any replies or helpful tips/comments
(I also posted this on another site, hoping to get lots of responses to learn and know how to care for them the best

*Editted*

[drj1259]

i dont know much about dwarf puffers but here is an article that you should read

library/puffers-in-focus/dwarfpuffercare/

[greenspottedlover]

How many puffers do you have already.

[nehctik]

I currently have 2

[purplecandle]

You could do 3 dwarfs in a 15 gallon, maybe even 4 IF they are all females.

Even if they have not nipped yet, they will. They get meaner with age

I only know of 2 liquid bacteria products on the market that actually work, Dr. Tims and Seachem Stability, other wise you are wasting your money on dead bacteria.

You have a 50/50 shot with adding shrimp, mine eat the shrimp but others keep ghost shrimp with no problems.

[nehctik]

I had a look in a few aquatic stores today and a brief check online and it seems I cant find dr tims or biospira in the uk I'll have a look for the seachem but if I cant find the other two im not holding out much hope

[nehctik]

I just had a look online and I have found the seachem online in the UK YAY

Oh and I forgot to say thank you for the suggestion, im hoping this will speed up the cycling some as I want to get stanley and reginald out of the community tank asap

[nehctik]

Oh also regarding substrate, ive read I should use sand and ive read I should use small rounded gravel, which is the case? Or is it not that important which out of the two I use?

[Flutter]

With DPs, ottos, and shrimp the substrate doesn't matter.

[nehctik]

UPDATE:

So I went to a supposedly reputable Aquatics store today to get the tank, which I decided to get in person as it would be faster in the end, while I was there I mentioned I was planning to use live plants in the aquarium so the owner/manager showed me this substrate, voted best product last year, Its called JBL Manado, guy at store said no need to rinse, but decided to rinse it just to be safe (packaging says to rinse so I rinsed)...

BOOM water so brown and murky you couldnt see your hand an inch under the surface, had to rinse it about 10 times to get it to come clear and even then it wasnt perfect.

Put substrate in the tank, and filled the tank, added dechlorinator and the bacteria it said to, turned filter on and within 30 min the filter was clogged and the vents on the filter that the waters drawn in were clogged up too, so had to take filter out, completely disasemble and clean the muck and gravel or what ever the substrate is out of it. Drained tank and removed substrate, lesson learned for me dont use that stuff, so tomorrow morning gotta go get some more substrate, just gunna go for plain old aquarium gravel this time, and then start over.

Some people may have had good luck and success with the JBL manado but I wouldnt recommend it to anyone

[purplecandle]

That substrate is known to be easily disturbed by currents and clogging filters. But, I have also heard good things

[nehctik]

The fricking idiot in the store only had good things to say, and claiming I didnt have to rinse it, I should have guessed he knew nothing when I told him I was getting the 15 gallon aquarium for 3 dwarf puffers, his response was why only 3 you could fit 15-20 in there, saying about how many inches of fish you could put in there. Which I know to be untrue for dwarf puffers

[JRC3]

... his response was why only 3 you could fit 15-20 in there, saying about how many inches of fish you could put in there...

What does Bill Engval say? Something like, "Here's your sign"?

wink