The Puffer Forum

Finally got me some dwarf puffs! They're very small at the moment, about a centimetre long, and I was wondering what tank-mates would be cool. Currently they share a tank with some Iriatherina werneri (small rainbowfish) and some juvenile Geophagus Steindachneri, the rainbows are too fast to be caught by the DPs but some of the steineys are showing signs of fin-nibbling. So they're going to get transferred soon. Once they're out the tank will look a bit bare (120 litres with 3 1cm fish in it) so I was thinking of adding my chinese fire-bellied newt from another tank and maybe some dwarf clawed frogs. Would these make good tank-mates? Are there any fish I could add?

Umm... no on the clawed frogs. Clawed frogs will get REALLY large, 5-6 inches vent to snout, and will eat anything and everything that fits into their very large mouths. No idea about the newt as far as aggression, but I think they need larger tanks than 120 litres. They also aren't really aquatic and need to spend a good bit of time out of the water, as well as being best in brackish I believe.

I really think the newt tail will look WAY too wormlike to be safe in there... my DP's would eat it off him, they bite anything remotely wormlike. And dwarf clawed frogs may or may not work... some puffers will ignore them, but some will eat their toes, and/or eyes, which is really sick to have to see or deal with. It's not like fin nipping, it's permenent deformity, so do so with the UTMOST caution if you must. ADF's do NOT see well, and won't be able to flee the puffers for more than a few moments at a time, if you are not there and the puffers start in on them it will be a sickening situation when you do return, frogs with no toes and eyes, but still perfectly alive, amphibians being hard to mechanically kill.

OK, so 'phibs are out... Any fish that can be tank-mates? The tank looks very empty with only the DPs in it.....

Most do okay with ottos. Some people have had success keeping them with ghost shrimp too but it matters mostly on the individual puffer so theres no guarantee with anything.
Good Luck

Here's a shot of their tank, 3' X 1' X 1·5'

Some do well with kuhli loaches. Those and otos are your best bet.

Cool! I've got a pair of khulis lurking in another tank, so they'll move in straight away, otos have been next on my hit-list of catfish for a while too. Thanks for the advice!

Get more kuhlis. They like to be in the company of others and their personalities really change and come alive when there's at least a half dozen of them.

Yea kuhlis love pretty much anything long and slender...I had some buddy up with my eel...very odd looking... A dojo loach would also be a good add.

Yea the clawed frog will eat your DP w/ no problem, mine is almost full grown and still tries to eat his eel tankmate that is a good foot long...the eel just looks at him like he's crazy.