The Puffer Forum

well, like the topic says, how do I?

I have read about it, and looked at different pics in Eberts book, and I still cant tell the difference.

This is kinda important, becasue i wanted to get a male and female for my 6g eclipse tank.

If im not mistaken, they will fight if its only two males?

I think only 2 males would be ok. It's when the males are competing for limited females that things can get rough.

Supposedly males have a dark strip down their tummy. I guess I must have a female then...

hmmmm, could someone post pics? I have never seen this dark stripe before....

go to http://www.dwarfpuffers.com. there are lots of pics.

Have you checked out dwarf puffers.com? Here's the link to sexing. The best way is to look for the 'wrinkles' behind the Male's eyes. Only males have these. Males do have the stripe underneath them but some females get a goatee as well. Can't really tell when they're young though, check out the site it's very helpful.



http://www.dwarfpuffers.com/intro4.htm

Yes, I was just showing my friend how to sex them and I completely forgot about the "wrinkles" on the males' eyes. And the dark stripe down the belly is a sure bet too.

But unless they are pretty mature at the store, its really hard to tell. The young ones all seem to look alike.

Okay, I just teased my male out with some live blackworms and got some really good shots of him so give me a few minutes and I'll get those online.

I'm trying to resize the photos, its not working for some reason... Oh there we go, it must have been remembering the big ones.


Alrighty.. here's what I have. Maybe later I'll clean up the pictures a little but not now, have to leave for work soon. Sorry about the spots on the glass, I just shot them, uploaded, cropped, uploaded again, lol... rush job.

My female, in her "normal" colors, you've seen this one before:


My female today, in her "shhh, I'm hunting, you can't see me" colors:




My male, this is mainly his normal colors though he's not showing the belly stripe much in these, its usually much darker, looks like a pencil line down his belly. Sometimes he raises up his back and turns his body really dark, that's usually when he's threatening another fish. When he's showing off for the female. In these he was just too busy looking for live worms.




The belly stripe, though its not very dark here:



Main diff's are the eye "wrinkles" on the male, the female is more spotted and chubbier, and you'll notice the male's spots sort of blend into stripes on his back half. When the stripes are that distinct, its almost always a male. But again, when they are young, you might not be able to see that stuff.

Those are seriously great photographs.

LOL thanks.. too bad I haven't cleaned the glass in ages and the tank is scratched up. It would have helped with the focusing a bit!

Its all the camera.. I take no credit for it ROFL

TFM just look for the wrinkles when your at your LFS thats the main thing that will be the key. IME no puffs have ever shown their belly stripes (males) while in a over crowded LFS tank. My single male only has it blaring when he's near the female irrubesco...

Myaj, your male's wrinkles look so metalic! Very nice.

thanks Myaj!! that helped me out a lot.


so if im going to get two, should i get a male and a female, 2 males, or 2 females?

You can take my pair! LOL just kidding, they are promised to my friend's little boy.

I'd either go for a pair, two females or one male, two females. I wouldn't get two males though.

The male is sort of secretive, doesn't like to be seen, ocassionally threatens tankmates. The females seem to be more outgoing and a little more friendly towards tankmates. My pair gets along very well though, I used to have another female but I lost her in the move .

My five males get along fine together. No females are present.

hmmmm, I am alittle confused now lol, I thought that if I was to get 2, that there was a certain combination that wouldnt go well....


Now it sounds like really anything will work?

RTR, how big is the tank with the 5 males? maybe they dont fight if its a hige tank with lots of sight breakers. Ive decorated and planted my 6g to the brim, so there should be plenty of sight breakers. maybe i will go for 2 females.


only thing stopping me from getting my DPs now is my stupid driftwood wont sink yet, been soaking it in a bucket for 1 week.....

I might just put the puffs in now, im a little worried the bacteria will die if i wait too much longer...