Dwarf puffer needing fish buddies ...

[PCDawg]

Im stumped as to what fish to get to go along with my dwarf puffer....

I have a 5.5 gallon tank and at the moment I have a cory, the puffer and 4 flame tetras....all the fish gets along but i found a home for my tetras and want to place something in there that wont be bugging or my puffer be bugging someone....

Brackish water is out fo the question ( no bumblebee gobies)

Any suggestion is appreciated!!

Thanks!

[ChilDawg]

I think that you had an overstocked tank as it were, and that your dwarf and cory will be all right alone, stocking-levels wise. That aside, dwarf puffers are not community tank inhabitants, so keeping your DP on its own or with others of its species would be for the best.

[demon_surfer]

mmm im not sure how big flame tetras get but i believe you may be maxed out there for a 5.5 gallon tank. or did you mean a 55 gallon? which is a totally diffrent story =o

[PCDawg]

The flames dont grow too much...about 1" to 1.5" ....that's why im moving them out and want to put some other fish in there.......

Is one angelfish good?? or dwarf gourami??

[OrionGirl]

The angel would get way too big for a 5. A single dwarf gouramie might be okay. Or, you could just 2 more cories (depending on the species-if you have bronze or peppered, you can't add--they will get too big) and one more puffer. The cories will clean up after the puffers, and as long as there are enough plants/decorations to allow the puffers to hide from each other, they will be fine.

[RTR]

I don't usually disagree w/OG, but no way would I keep two dwarf puffs together in a 5.5 gallon tank unless they are both females.

[OrionGirl]

Really? I guess I thought it would work because I had a 5 setup that way, with 2 males. They have since moved into the planted 40 and I picked up a pair of females, and they all seem fine, but they were in the 5 for about a year.

Listen to RTR--he has more experience with puffers in general. I only know what has worked with my pair.

[PCDawg]

So a dwarf gourami is fine?? with my 2 lil cories and the puffer?

I wont mind getting another puffer...but around my area it is hard to find...i would have to probably travel a fair distance to find some....
I do have several plants.....2 live ones and 2 plastic ones...so plenty of places to hide...

[JP457]

I would just add some more corys but not the gourami. Gouramis
(except for the bigger ones) are actualy pretty vulnerabe to anything that would have a chance at picking on them.

[isaac newton]

Your puffer hasnt bothered any of those fish??? Arnt dwarfs known to be nortorious fin nippers???

[PCDawg]

I think it depends on the individual puffer.....i have only noticed the puffer peck at the tail of one of the cories, but other than that the puffer on occasion seems to school with the tetras :D

Some of the tetras have tattered tails..but that's cuz i seen them peck at one another but not once have i seen the puffer peck at the tetras....

[isaac newton]

U know if ur puffer is male or female????? I too am thinking of mixing a puffer with tetras/guppies but very cautious in doing so...
Seems very risky too me :(

[ChilDawg]

Puffers are notorious fin-nippers, and will certainly damage the fins of any species placed with them. Just because you do not see it happen does not mean that it doesn't!!!