Dwarf puffer, toxic?
- Thread starter isaac newton
- Start date
Why could a fish not retain bacteria from the wild? Captive fish are not bacteria-free. Wood-eating plecos which have lost their gut flora tend to starve to death - as actually do many types not proven to be wood-eaters.
Puffers vary widely in their toxin levels seasonally in the wild, and also from species to species. I know of no study of their toxin maintenance or loss in captivity.
Poison dart frogs have been studied in captivity and do tend to show decreases in toxicity with time, which is doubtless dietary. Whether from lack of the proper intake source or proper precursors or long term loss of specific microflora is undetermined. I would expect puffers to follow a similar pattern, but poison dart frogs can be studied through several generations, puffers have not been so studied. The dwarfs are the first puffer to be reliably bred in captivity, and we are not yet stocked with captive-bred fish even there.
Saxitoxin is associated with FW puffers. That does not say that tetrodotoxin is not present or never present. Nor does it mean all FW puffers have that and no other toxin. Jumping to conclusions about toxins is not wise.
Puffers vary widely in their toxin levels seasonally in the wild, and also from species to species. I know of no study of their toxin maintenance or loss in captivity.
Poison dart frogs have been studied in captivity and do tend to show decreases in toxicity with time, which is doubtless dietary. Whether from lack of the proper intake source or proper precursors or long term loss of specific microflora is undetermined. I would expect puffers to follow a similar pattern, but poison dart frogs can be studied through several generations, puffers have not been so studied. The dwarfs are the first puffer to be reliably bred in captivity, and we are not yet stocked with captive-bred fish even there.
Saxitoxin is associated with FW puffers. That does not say that tetrodotoxin is not present or never present. Nor does it mean all FW puffers have that and no other toxin. Jumping to conclusions about toxins is not wise.
I see
K thx for confirming what i thought... I asked a employee at Petsmart if those dwarf puffers were Poisonous and replyed no.. I was a bit skeptical when he said that due to the fact that almost all puffers have some sort of toxin one way or another.
P.S. Do you think it would be safe to mix crabs with puffers?
K thx for confirming what i thought... I asked a employee at Petsmart if those dwarf puffers were Poisonous and replyed no.. I was a bit skeptical when he said that due to the fact that almost all puffers have some sort of toxin one way or another.
P.S. Do you think it would be safe to mix crabs with puffers?
You would be mixing predator and prey in the same tank, which is always iffy. The dwarf puffers are so small, they may not prey on the crabs. Whether or not they would harrass them I don't know. Whether or not the crabs would bother the puffers while they are sleeping I also do not know.
I would not mix the two myself. Besides, the crabs would prefer BW, while the dwarf puffers are FW.
I would not mix the two myself. Besides, the crabs would prefer BW, while the dwarf puffers are FW.
Ok, i take the risk.. Ill keep you guys updated.. I keep my RCC on freshwater.. They say you should keep them in brackish water but seem to do be doing fine in freshwater.. I have had these crabs for about a year now.
P.S. Would 3 female and 1 male be good for a 10 gal tank? Does heavly planted tanks make a difference in the behavior of puffs?
P.S. Would 3 female and 1 male be good for a 10 gal tank? Does heavly planted tanks make a difference in the behavior of puffs?
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