The Puffer Forum

Hi guys,

I'm trying to get a pair of c.irrubesco. I set up a new tank for them, about 21 gallon. I was wondering since i got a pair of Dwarf puffer in anther tank, can i put the two pairs in this 21 gallon once it gets all cycled? I'm willing to put many plants and roots in order to have lots of hiding places.

My DPs nipped the heck out of other puffers.

Really?? I was actually worried for the DPs to be attacked by Irrubescos..

DP's are tough little dudes

I know! I love them, they are at the moment in my planted tank with chocolate gouramies, halfbeaks, rasboras and more.. but since im setting up this new tank for the irrubesco i wanted to transfer them in that tank so i can put back snails, neritinas in the tank to control algae.

So I'm finally getting 4 Irrubescos this week! Can't waaaitt!! I'm thinking about leaving the dwarf couple in the big tank and putting the four of them in this 21 gallon tank? Do you think is big enough for them?? I can't deny that i'd like to try to breed them in the future..

I have no personal experience with this species, but I believe that you are going to need quite a bit larger footprint, even with heavy planting, to keep 4 of these together. It likely will in the end depend on the sex distribution of the four.

Minimum of 10g ea. I hope they are 2 pair.

So i guess i should put a pair in this 21 gallon tank and the other one in the 80 gallon tank with the dwarfs..

The DPs will bite the irrubescos.

Sounds to me like youre going to have to switch the DPs to the 21 gal. and put the 4 irrubescos in the 80 gal. to avoid nipping...

fugu99 wrote:Sounds to me like youre going to have to switch the DPs to the 21 gal. and put the 4 irrubescos in the 80 gal. to avoid nipping...

Yeah I was thinking about doing that too, but 4 irrubescos can live peacefully all together in the 80 gal?? Also the tank is full of shrimp.. are they shrimp-free like the DPs?

I think they'll be fine in the 80gal. Hopefully you don't have more than 2 males, otherwise you may need more females. They will also happily munch on your shrimp. Ours love shrimp but it actually took them a while to be able to eat them. They're like DPs as they need to slowly stalk, stare at, then inspect the shrimp meanwhile the shrimp would just wander off in that time

Flutter wrote:I think they'll be fine in the 80gal. Hopefully you don't have more than 2 males, otherwise you may need more females. They will also happily munch on your shrimp. Ours love shrimp but it actually took them a while to be able to eat them. They're like DPs as they need to slowly stalk, stare at, then inspect the shrimp meanwhile the shrimp would just wander off in that time

lol! I don't think my dps ever realize that shrimp can be food... unless they're just too full of snails and blackworms to care!

My 4 C.Irrubescos arrived today!! But they all look females I'll post some pictures for confirmation. Do male have red and dorsal fin right?