The Puffer Forum

So I decided to do my first puffer tank. I picked up a 6.6 gallon tank, some florite, and some various plants (banana plant, fern, java moss etc) I would like to do 1 m and 2 female puffers (the one inch "pea puffers", the latin escapes me at the moment) I would also like to have a few ghost shrimp. My question is am I over stocked does this seem an ok mix?

In my own opinion, I would say that yes, that would be overstocked for a trio of dwarf puffers.

Generally we like to see at least 3 gallons per dwarf puffer.

Maybe just aim for a pair, or take that 6.6 gallon tank back for a standard 10 gallon (probably cheaper) tank and a good filter (usually the filters in those little nano tank setups are not nearly strong enough, and puffers like a lot of filtration/water movement).

Well it looks like I can do two and some shrimp so that will work out. I don't really want another ten and the filter that came with this tank is a standard waterfall rated at 75gph which should be fine for the tank size. I managed to do a salt water 5 gallon hex so this can't be to much harder. Wish me luck.

Good luck! Post pics

Personally I wouldn't recommend more than 1 in a 6g tank. Two is really pushing it, not just because of the bioload but because of the potential for aggression/territory issues. And be aware that any shrimp you add may end up puffer food, so I'd recommend trying inexpensive ghost shrimp and see if they get picked apart before trying one of the more pricey types of shrimp.

And actually managing a successful multi-puffer tank can indeed be harder than a nano saltwater tank, believe it or not.

Lol well the nano mantis shrimp tank has no end of aggression either. I'm hoping to breed them and am planting heavily so two would be nice. And the ghost shrimp are exactly what I am looking to get, if they get eaten at least I know the puffers are well fed. 2 puffers ( one male and one female) and 4-6 mantis sound ok?

I think you mean ghost and not mantis in your last question. Whether that sounds okay or not depends on who you ask. IMO and going by the recommendations of this site, no, its overstocked. But its your tank and your decision.

Chances are you won't be able to sex the puffers you get, as they tend to be too young in the store to be sexed. The male's wrinkles tend not to show up until they are adults. Occasionally you'll find a male with wrinkles but mostly they tend to be too young to tell for sure.

You also won't get any breeding if you include shrimp or other fish of any kind, most likely. They'll gobble up the eggs should you get any.

Good point Nick.

Hm...so shrimp will eat the eggs that sucks, and yes I meant ghost not mantis. Looks like I"ll feed off the ghosts, I thought Carinotetraodon travancoricus were pretty small fish? About 1" full grown. The ones in the lfs are about 1/2" at least no chance at sexing those? Would an oto eat the eggs as well or am I pretty much going with two puffers and done? Or should I give up on the idea of breeding and simply do a single puffer alone in the six gallon?

You have an octopus?

I think a singleton would be nice--they are much more personable towards their keepers. Unless you could pick out 2 mature females for sure.

Personally, I wouldn't consider breeding DPs in anything smaller than a 10g as an absolute minimum. At the size available at most LFSes, its doubtful they'll be old enough to sex. Yes, DPs are very small but they can and do chew up shrimp and fish much larger than themselves, including fish 5-6 inches larger. They can be deceivingly evil but cute little buggers.

My recommendation would be 1 DP and 1-2 otos.

There is an article in the library about sexing puffers, check it out and go look at the ones at the store, see if you can tell. I've been told the yellow belly is the first thing to show up on males, but I don't know how true that is.

I would still say go with the 10 gallon, but if you go with the 6 I would say a pair with no tankmates, very, very heavily planted so they can get away from each other and cut down on aggression, or a singleton with an oto or two, or a couple shrimp. They are tiny, but they still can catch and eat shrimp.

Although, if you want to breed them, a 6 gallon tank really doesn't give you any room for the additional bioload of puffer babies growing up...

Someone reputable at the dwarf puffer forum has had good success with breeding pairs in 5.5 gallon tanks filled mostly with huge piles of java moss and some other plants, but these were "proven couples" - males and females placed together under close observation, and the aggressor(if any) removed and switched for another from another tank, until a couple always gentle to each other was formed. That seems to be the only good way to keep a pair in a smaller tank.

Hm..idk then about if I want to do a pair or a single in my 6. Tough choices between a pair and nothing or a single and some shrimp or otos. What's up with the octopus question, I"m a bit lost there....