Freshwater Puffer??? Need help!!!
- Thread starter Stephen
- Start date
Dangerdoll
Global Moderator
for my own curiosity, pufferpunk, if they are dwarf's, wouldn't the salt be bad for them? I know a lot of FW puffers can take slightly brackish environments but I always thought they (dwarf's) were one of the FW type that are intolerant of it......they can handle it?
Actually no, they can't handle BW at all. When I 1st started collecting puffs, I assumed they were all BW, & put my dwarfs in BW. They died in one day. 
mwood posted a pic in the freshwater forum that's the same as what I have. I did a 25% water change today in the tank incase the salt I added did any harm. They are dwarfs though. Finally able to stop frantically searching. Thanks for all your help. Any info???
I believe in a previous post, I gasve you the link to Ren's dwarf puffersite. Here's another one: http://home.t-online.de/home/schraml.e/21art1e.htm
Dangerdoll
Global Moderator
hey firefighter,
I've had 3 dwarf's for close to a year now and they are one of my favorites....... when I first got them, I was feeding them frozen brine shrimp and then started feeding frozen blood worms. They liked the worms a lot better. There's always a nice supply of snails making it around the tank and I'm guessing they are controlled from my 3 little puff's......I've never saw the snail and puffer confrontations, or the puffers anywhere near the snails but I know something is keeping the population down because the snails can get out of control rather quickly. Something they like even better than the frozen blood worms was the live black worms. I've had them in the tank with cories, red tail sharks, angels, and pleco's, and they all seem to do fine with them. I've never had any of the rumored fin-nipping that I've heard about and can assume at best that this is an individual trait. With that, if you do go community with them, I'd think it'd be best to carefully watch them when introduced to other fish or vice versa, this way you can also come to the tolerance level of your little guys. Good luck with them, I have a ball with them in my tank, and hope you do too!
I've had 3 dwarf's for close to a year now and they are one of my favorites....... when I first got them, I was feeding them frozen brine shrimp and then started feeding frozen blood worms. They liked the worms a lot better. There's always a nice supply of snails making it around the tank and I'm guessing they are controlled from my 3 little puff's......I've never saw the snail and puffer confrontations, or the puffers anywhere near the snails but I know something is keeping the population down because the snails can get out of control rather quickly. Something they like even better than the frozen blood worms was the live black worms. I've had them in the tank with cories, red tail sharks, angels, and pleco's, and they all seem to do fine with them. I've never had any of the rumored fin-nipping that I've heard about and can assume at best that this is an individual trait. With that, if you do go community with them, I'd think it'd be best to carefully watch them when introduced to other fish or vice versa, this way you can also come to the tolerance level of your little guys. Good luck with them, I have a ball with them in my tank, and hope you do too!
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Dangerdoll. I've got the 2 in a 30 tall. Only only thing in there are 2 guppy fry smaller than they are. They aren't eating well. I'm planning on going to the LFS tomorrow evening for some frozen black worms, frozen brine shrimp, and maybe some frozen blood worms. The don't like the krill and tubifex worms the pet store assured me they were eating.
I'm thinking I can add a few more of these to this tank? Since they stay so small. The LFS had about 20 of them in a 10 that was in a corner. I overlooked them a few times while I was browsing. I'm thinking about picking up 4 or 6 more. If I need to I can purchase a bigger tank for them in the future. How many could I put in this tank?
I'm thinking I can add a few more of these to this tank? Since they stay so small. The LFS had about 20 of them in a 10 that was in a corner. I overlooked them a few times while I was browsing. I'm thinking about picking up 4 or 6 more. If I need to I can purchase a bigger tank for them in the future. How many could I put in this tank?
They grow to be 1". I would go with 1 fish/3gal. You need to learn the difference from m/f, as the males will fight.
Ok. I've established a few things with these fish. They love live blacks worms, frozen bloodworms are ok, live bbs are great, and little bitty crayfish are attacked by the wolf pack the eaten.
Pufferpunk. Females are more rounded right? If not, how do I tell the difference? If they are more rounded I have one male and the rest are females. But there's one that doesn't hang with the pack all the time. Could it be there's a dominate male already in the pack? I've not noticed any disputes between any of them. The one just does it's own thing and hangs with the pack when it decides. Or to feed.
Also... There are some really small snails in my greenhouse koi pond. Like the size of a pin head. Can I feed them to the puffers? Or maybe put a few in the tank and let them grab them on thier own? There are also a bigger snails. The biggest the size of a dime. I didn't add them so they either came from the plants or some other unknown means.
And last but not least. The ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers are full of freshwater shrimp. I laugh when I see them in pet stores now. A net and a bucket and you can have tons of them. Anyway... I know the puffers are only going to get an inch or so. Think they could manage to feed on a small freshwater shrimp? Around the thier same size.
I'd like to offer them a varied diet. Black worms seem to be a must. And the crayfish. If the snails and shrimp will work I'll keep it to those 4. I'm not interested in raising bbs, and like with the frozen bloods worms they just nibble them. They'll have one, and ignore the rest. The cories love them however. Also the flounder.
I saw a 45 gallon breeder tank at the lfs when I was getting another cory and think I'd like to get it for 15-20 of these guys. I liked the fact that it was wider instead of taller. Say like a 55. I'm a big fan of larger fish, but these guys have me in front of thier tank more than the others. My oscar is intelligent. But these puffers are in a class of thier own.
Pufferpunk. Females are more rounded right? If not, how do I tell the difference? If they are more rounded I have one male and the rest are females. But there's one that doesn't hang with the pack all the time. Could it be there's a dominate male already in the pack? I've not noticed any disputes between any of them. The one just does it's own thing and hangs with the pack when it decides. Or to feed.
Also... There are some really small snails in my greenhouse koi pond. Like the size of a pin head. Can I feed them to the puffers? Or maybe put a few in the tank and let them grab them on thier own? There are also a bigger snails. The biggest the size of a dime. I didn't add them so they either came from the plants or some other unknown means.
And last but not least. The ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers are full of freshwater shrimp. I laugh when I see them in pet stores now. A net and a bucket and you can have tons of them. Anyway... I know the puffers are only going to get an inch or so. Think they could manage to feed on a small freshwater shrimp? Around the thier same size.
I'd like to offer them a varied diet. Black worms seem to be a must. And the crayfish. If the snails and shrimp will work I'll keep it to those 4. I'm not interested in raising bbs, and like with the frozen bloods worms they just nibble them. They'll have one, and ignore the rest. The cories love them however. Also the flounder.
I saw a 45 gallon breeder tank at the lfs when I was getting another cory and think I'd like to get it for 15-20 of these guys. I liked the fact that it was wider instead of taller. Say like a 55. I'm a big fan of larger fish, but these guys have me in front of thier tank more than the others. My oscar is intelligent. But these puffers are in a class of thier own.
