lonely dwarf puffer?

[stbrigid]

Hi- I have a dwarf puffer that was originally in a well planted 10gal tank with:
1 other dwarf puffer (larger)
1 bumblebee goby
3 neon tetras
2 harlequin raspboras
1 oto
a pair of fancy guppies

the puffer shredded the male guppies tail, killed one of the tetras and was picking on the goby and picking on the female guppy. I moved the dwarf puffer and he now shares 1/2 of a split 10 gal tank with 10 guppie fry (with a separator in between). Now he looks bored or lonely... is that possible? Still healthy, has a great appetite but just looks bored. What to do???? What else can I put into the tank that is not too big and wont get picked on/pick on the puffer? He is just so **** cute and has a great personality.... just onery! Any suggestions? Will he eat ghost shrimp? What about a frog? And, does anyone recomend a type of snail to feed him? I have been feeding what the lfs says is blackworms... but i believe they are tubifex worms. Are snails a good variation? anything else I should feed him? What about triops? Sorry for all the Q's you help is appreciated!

[OrionGirl]

Puffers are not group fish, and may nip pretty much anything else in there, so I would not add anything to the tank, unless it's another dwarf puffer.

They do better with lots of plants and decorations, especially in mixed tanks. They'll stake out an area, and constantly patrol it.

Snails are not just good, they are a necessity. Puffers have beaks that grow constantly. Without the trimming provided by crunchy foods, the can become over grown and prevent the fish from eating. Common pond snails work best for me, along with the cone snails that they can catch.

[stbrigid]

would you suggest real plants or plastic? If real what kind?

[stbrigid]

would you suggest real plants or plastic? If real what kind?

[OrionGirl]

I prefer real plants--not only because of their attractiveness, but they add a great deal of biological stability to a tank. They help address waste issues, and encourage the micro fauna in a tank (the little guys we never see, but do a lot of work). With puffers, plants also provide a hiding place for snails, as well as for the fish.

In a low light tank, plants that attach to wood or decorations seem easiest. Anubias, java ferns work very well in my tanks with less than 2 watts per gallon. Crypts are also a good choice for stable tanks, though they are tempermental in tanks that experience sudden changes.

Of course, fake plants are preferred by many. They are easier to maintain, don't need trimming, and don't die off. Make sure you avoid fake ones that have sharp edges--some fish can cut themselves and tear fins on these.

[stbrigid]

well... I got a couple of ghost shrimp... I'm pretty sure that they are too big for the puffer to eat though. The LFS gave me about 4 little itty bitty snails... and I put a couple more plastic plants in the tank.... the live plants just didnt look very healthy. Hopefully this will help a bit, will let u know in a few days.

[Tim Bo]

Snails have also been a necessity for my puffers. The four snails you have will most likely not last long - I would suggest having a separate tank to keep a stable supply of the snails. My main mistake (along with overfeeding) when I first got these guys was not being able to keep their beaks from growing too much. Now I feed MTS' regularly.