Dwarf Puffer, Eclipse 3 Gallon, could it work?

[jbradt]

I'm reading up a bit on www.dwarfpuffer.com and it seems that a rule of thumb for these type of fish is 50% weekly, which I could totally live with. The every other day thing just does not seem like something I would realistically be able to honestly do for years on end as much as it might sound simple initially. So to be fair, if that was the case then this idea would be a no-go.

Does anyone know if the amount of "real" plants that you could fit in a 3 G would have a worthwhile impact on the bio-load? Or would it just make more sense to go artificial (to ensure dense foliage these lil guys need) and count on the WWC's to keep things clean?

I would do 30%ish 2x/week rather than one large one.

Real plants are always the way to go! The lighting on the Eclipse 3 leaves a lot to be desired but you can pack it full of low light plants. Plants are great for keeping your nitrate levels low and your tank free of algae. Plastic plants are algae magnets. These fish are hunters and giving them plenty of nooks and crannies to investigate will keep them entertained all day.

I would also go with live plants. They will add to the water quality/stability as well as adding aesthetically to the tank.

 

[jbradt]

The only thing that I would be cautious about is putting them in a new tank. If there's nothing you have in another tank you could stick in there for a while or something, I'd just keep a very close eye on him. One thing I've noticed is I can tell pretty easily if my DP is stressed, and anytime he looks stressed at all I check the params and usually do a WC.

This is important! DPs are incredibly sensitive to ammonia and nitrites. Make sure your tank is fully cycled before adding a DP.

Also, 3 gallons per fish is the minimum you really want to do. I would advise against putting more than 1 in that tank.

 

[ChakaRaka]

I was not sure how to edit my previous post, but that was www.dwarfpuffers.com I previously had it incorrect. Thanks for all the feedback, now to look into substrate and plants and get this tank up and cycling. I was just planning for a Betta or a couple Dwarf Frogs, but this seems so much more interesting. Thank you for showing that this is a possibility. Gotta go buy another heater too now. :woot:

 

[bazil323]

Najas grass would make a really dense feathery-looking plant for ya. I find it's super easy to grow, even with practically no light. Just avoid getting it caught in the filter since it gets broken up easily, but that shouldn't be a problem.

I would really watch the parameters in a 3 gallon. The minimum tank size for these guys is 5 gallons since they are messy fish and they are highly intelligent, inquisitive fish that need plenty of things to check out to keep them occupied. However, I think that doing at least twice weekly water changes should keep the water clean, along with not overfeeding. As for the decor, make sure you have something for them to swim through/into along with the plants. I really do think that having live plants is a must here for the nitrate removal. You could even use a pothos plant (emersing roots only). You could either emerse the roots in the tank itself (not particularly pretty, okay kinda ugly) or put them into a HOB filter.