Betta or dwarf puffer

Betta or puffer in a 12g?

  • betta

    Votes: 34 45.9%

  • dwarf puffer

    Votes: 40 54.1%
  • Total voters
    74
cant vote, no "both" option. i have both at the moment the bettas are a blast, but as mentioned with the setups i have they are destined to be loners in their tanks. the DP's are great also, and am thinking about adding them to another tank with other fish if i decide to set it up. the DP's have a great personality as they are right now. every time i walk near the tank they swim right over to me.
 
nerdyguy83 said:
Dwarf puffers will supposedly come to the glass to watch what you are doing and beg for food. I have never seen a betta do that.
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Not only do most bettas come to the glass, but their curious nature is a telltale sign of a healthy fish. All my bettas come up to me when I come home from work and wait for their food. This is normal, and if a betta doesn't watch activity with eagerness then it is unhealthy and neglected.
 
Second fishman1979, I can't decide. That's why I have both!

A lot of my fishies will let me "pet" them and feed them by hand. I pity the sad individual who says fishes aren't lovable. My golden dojo loaches actively seek out my hand to give me kisses and curl up in my palm.

As for anyone who says "bettas are boring", maybe you should house them better or try interacting with them, stupid! You'd probably be boring, too, if you had to sit in a barren room with nothing to do.
 
How many DPs could I put in a 55 gallon tank?

I always thought puffers were brackish or salt, nice to see there are freshwater species also.

Of course it would be species only unless you think they'll do ok with 4 ottos, 1 danio,2 Black Skirt Tetras,and 2 Guppies.

I was thinking of getting shell dwellers but I'd never get the pH near what they enjoy.
 
Geez, the recommended stocking level is one puffer for every 2-3 gallons so theoretically you could have 20 in there? I wouldn't recommend that many, though, because they tend to be messy eaters and will probably foul the tank pretty quickly. A more conservative figure is 5 gallons per dp, so I guess about 10 or 11. With lots of plants/decorations and hiding spots.

For more info, check out www.dwarfpuffers.com
It's where I go for dp info.

As for tankmates, a few people have been successful with them in community tanks. But I think that's mostly with juvenile dwarf puffers. I would guess that those same dp's tend to get more aggressive and territorial as they get older. Some dp's will get along with shrimp, while most will just devour them on sight. In short, dwarf puffers have a wide range of "personalities" and you won't know until you get them. Give them time to come out of their shell and get over the shock of a new tank, to see their true temperament.

As with all fish, don't rush it! Be patient and err on the conservative side.
 
I personally would get both a flagfish and a dorkfish. Both are somewhat verbally agressive. I think a fishy argument would be great entertainment when there's nothing on TV.
 
Only had bettas so far, and find them excellent fishy companions. However, I've read lots of great things about dp's, so I'd like to try one or two at some point.
 
woofgrrmeow,
No, they most probably (I don't want to say definitely) would not get along. Dwarf puffers are notorious "bullies" that will take on anything that moves. Especially with platies and mollies, with their nice chewable fins. The dp's would most likely eat their fins and harass the livebearers until they die from stress.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. There are a few people who will say their dp gets along with a platy, but the vast majority would say keep dp's in a species' only tank.
 
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