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stocking a 55 gallon.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 12:16 am
by hasanzong
hey everyone, I been looking into ideas of stocking my 55 gallon for some time now. I was looking into getting some dwarf puffers in my tank, I'v done a lot of reading about them I was hoping that you guys could answer some of my questions. First I have a black gravel that has really grown on me, from what I'v read dwarf puffers don't need sand as much as other puffers is this true? Will I be fine with the gravel if not could I mix it with sand? Second I understand that I need a heavily planted tank/deco to keep them happy, do you think I will be able to view them and find them in the larger tank? Bringing me to my third question how many should stock? I'v seen from 5 gallons-10 gallons per puffer, which should I go by?
I should add that my tank is fully cycled, with a HOB and a powerhead to filter and move the water around. thanks!
Re: stocking a 55 gallon.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 1:17 am
by Pufferpunk
![[welcome]](./images/smilies/welcome.gif "welcome")
I have a heavily-planted 10g hex with a pair of DPs & I really have to hunt around to see them!
Re: stocking a 55 gallon.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:12 am
by RTR
Mixed sand and gravel is rarely satisfactory, as the particles sort themselves over time by size. The smallest particles (the sand) will be the bottom layer, while the larger (the gravel) will be the top layer. Mixed sizes are not stable. You will even get sorting while you are vacuumig - you can even see it in the siphon tube as you work.
With DPs, it is better to have males<<females. Personally I like about 3 females to each male. Unfortunately, at LFS sizes, it is very hard to determine gender.
Re: stocking a 55 gallon.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:55 am
by Pufferpunk
Re: stocking a 55 gallon.
Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 11:45 am
by bertie 83
Hi and welcome. Pretty much all the info you need is above. 5g each is a minimum but by all means give them a little more if you wish.
Re: stocking a 55 gallon.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 12:42 am
by hasanzong
Hi guys thanks for the info and greetings! I think that I will not be stocking the 55 with puffers, but rather getting a 5 gallon compete tank instead. I just need to find the space for it now!
Re: stocking a 55 gallon.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 2:26 am
by Pufferpunk
That would be a nice tank for a singleton.
Re: stocking a 55 gallon.
Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2013 3:51 pm
by Pufftastic
Pufferpunk wrote:That would be a nice tank for a singleton.
Agree. I have my single DP in a 5 gallon, and she's very happy and healthy. Keeping up on water changes is an absolute must, though. No slacking!
