Dwarf puffer question

[Jayhawk]

Although I know dwarf puffers are fresh water, all you puffer folks seem to hang out here...

I'm annoyed with my current fish - pair of convicts in a 20 long (they're getting to nasty with each other), am in an area with few Tanganyikans, but my LFS does have a tank of dwarf puffers...and I'm guessing they might like my water (pH 7.6-7.8, KH 4, GH 12) and they're small.

So, how would dwarf puffers do in a 20 long?

How many would you suggest if I buy them?

Will they like my water?

What do you feed the little ones? I know puffers prefer snails and such, and if I tossed in some adult snails they should produce plenty of babies for them, but would they also eat frozen blood worms, freeze dried foods of any sorts, etc...

Do you have to trim the beaks/teeth on these little fellows like you have to on some larger puffers?

And finally, how long do the little suckers live?

Thanks,

Eric

[rjl420]

Originally posted by Jayhawk
So, how would dwarf puffers do in a 20 long?

How many would you suggest if I buy them?

Will they like my water?

it will depend on the puffers temperment as to how many you can get in there, try to get mostly females and you can probably keep 5+ in there. they will do good in your water, a slightly alkaline tank is ideal.


Originally posted by Jayhawk
What do you feed the little ones? I know puffers prefer snails and such, and if I tossed in some adult snails they should produce plenty of babies for them, but would they also eat frozen blood worms, freeze dried foods of any sorts, etc...

Do you have to trim the beaks/teeth on these little fellows like you have to on some larger puffers?

dwarf puffers aren't quite as bad as other puffers as far
as keeping their beak in check. but a diet that includes snails and shrimp is still a must. my dwarfs team up on the larger snails (larger for dwarf puffers LOL, these are still tiny snails) and often don't break the shell (they prefer sucking the snail out of the shell), so small snails are best. if you get a nice snail colony in the tank ahead of time it should aide in getting the puffers to eat the snails. they will also eat prepared foods like freeze dried krill, blood worms and even flake in some cases (not mine).


Originally posted by Jayhawk
And finally, how long do the little suckers live?

all I can say is years. puffers are such a misidentified/misinformation species, people that say puffers live about 5 years. that's way off the mark, a lot of puffers can live 30+ years. as for the dwarfs, I'm not too sure of life expectency, but it'd be safe to assume 5-10 years as reasonable.

I just picked up some more dwarfs last night at my lfs, the lady there started asking me about my tanks and I told here that I had several including a brackish tank (there was a goby labled brackish goby that I was curious about), she proceeded to tell ask me if I knew that my puffers were brackish, and I said absolutely not. after she swore up and down that the were in fact brackish, i finally reasoned her into accepting that they were completely freshwater. I wonder how many dwarf puffers were sold under the brackish guise. when I go in there later, I'm bringing a better spec sheet for them to pass out.

good link for dwarfs (http://www.rr.iij4u.or.jp/~kohda/en/en-dwarfpuffer.htm)

[Dangerdoll]

Originally posted by rjl420

I wonder how many dwarf puffers were sold under the brackish guise. when I go in there later, I'm bringing a better spec sheet for them to pass out.


UGH!! I can't believe I just read that. Thank goodness you were there to set her straight, hopefully not too many were sold by her under that guise. I didn't realize that while a lot of people can be confused here with the FW, BW, and SW puffers, that people selling them can be just as confused, if not more......Kudo's to you for bringing in spec sheets for future sales on these little guys. It's obvious, you've done a world of good. ;)

[rjl420]

thanks DD

my lfs is actually very open to opinions, and since I go in there regularly buying filters/tanks fish all at the same time (looking like a newbie) they used to always ask me what I'm doing. now they all know that I have several tanks and I've become the puffer/brackish guru.

[Pufferpunk]

Same hare, although I don't think they take much heed in what I tell them though. They just keep buying more GSPs & F8s, & I see them dying in the tanks all the time. I posted a sign about puffers not being for community tanks & to ask for puffer info sheets I printed up. Every time I go in there I count the 10 info sheets I gave them & they're all there. I gave them to the lfs over 6 months ago!

[Firsttanks]

I know puffers prefer snails and such, and if I tossed in some adult snails they should produce plenty of babies for them

I am currently trying out that theory with my little 6 pack of Dwarfs....unfortunately the 3 adult snails don't get much of a chance to breed because every time they open their hatch to move about they get a nasty bite from one of the puffers and snap shut again. I thought they would at least be able to breed at night when my babies were asleep, but it's been 4 months with no sign of babies that I can find, not even in the water bucket after I do a gravel vac:confused:

[OrionGirl]

Snails that bury themselves in the gravel will reproduce in a tank with puffers, but most other kinds will not be able to keep up with the consumption rate. I recommend setting snails up elsewhere, even if just the filter box.