The Puffer Forum

Hey guys, I'm new to this forum and found it while researching about dwarf puffers. I recently bought 3 of them and put them in a 2.5 gallon tank but quickly discovered the 3 gallon per dwarf puffer rule. I'm also not sure of their sexes as it seems a higher female to male ratio would be best. I guess I have no control over that now. It was kind of an impulse buy since they were so cool.

My question is how long would I be able to keep them in this tank for until I can get a bigger tank? This tank used to be a shrimp tank and I made the mistake of seeing how small the puffers were and assumed they would be ok in a 2.5 gallon.

For now how often should I be doing water changes when they're in this tank? Also, would I definitely need a 10 gallon tank since I have 3 of them or would they be ok in a 5 gallon or so tank?

Thanks!

3-5g minimum for a single DP.
library/puffers-in-focus/dwarfpuffercare/
library/puffers-in-focus/sexing-carinot ... rf-puffer/

I'd be doing 50% WC daily but between the aggression of 3 stuffed in there & the bioload, you need to remedy this ASAP!

3 DPs in a heavily planted 10gal tank makes an awesome tank

Flutter wrote:3 DPs in a heavily planted 10gal tank makes an awesome tank

Hi Flutter!!!!!!!!!!

I'll be going to check out the 10 gallon tanks sometime this coming week. What I'm afraid of is that it won't fit on my desk. I'll have to look into this and go from there. I may have to buy a small stand for the tank if I get the 10 gallon.

Currently I've been using a syphon to syphon out any waste after feeding or whenever they poop and doing 50% water changes every 2nd day. I don't notice any aggression so far except during feeding time when they all fight for the blood worms lol.

How long do you guys think I can keep them in this current state? Even if I buy and setup the 10 gallon tank it may take weeks for it to cycle right?

Pufferpunk wrote:
3-5g minimum for a single DP.
library/puffers-in-focus/dwarfpuffercare/
library/puffers-in-focus/sexing-carinot ... rf-puffer/

I'd be doing 50% WC daily but between the aggression of 3 stuffed in there & the bioload, you need to remedy this ASAP!

seeparks wrote:How long do you guys think I can keep them in this current state? Even if I buy and setup the 10 gallon tank it may take weeks for it to cycle right?

Better by far to have them in an uncycled 10 gallon than in a (probably not cycled anyway) 2.5 gallon with the constant stress of overcrowding and too heavy of a bioload.

Move them to the 10 gallon as soon as you can get it set up.

+1 and move everything except the water from the small tank over, every little bit of bacteria will help speed up the 10g tanks cycle

So I've moved the puffers into the 10 gallon and I think it's currently in the middle of the cycle process. I see about 0.25 ppm ammonia or less (my tap water has about 0.25 ppm ammonia naturally) and between 0.50 and 1.00 ppm nitrite. I did a water change last night when it was about 1.00 ppm and tonight when I came home and tested the water it was back up to 1.00 ppm again.

I guess I should continue with daily water changes to try to keep the nitrite below 0.25 ppm until it stabilizes and stays low?

Add Tetra Safestart to your filter & be done with it.

I've read online that safestart is a hit or miss though. I wonder if it really works. Do you have first hand experience with this products?

Pufferpunk wrote:Add Tetra Safestart to your filter & be done with it.

Yes, I have always used it when adding extra bioload to a tank. No ammonia/nitrite spike at all. When I move my tanks 750 miles, I will be sure to add it to my tanks!

Several people have reported success on this forum, no one has said it didn't work. Go for it you have nothing to loose