It's been a while, but I'm finally returning to the tank. Considering dwarf puffers...

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Jakezori

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Jan 24, 2009
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Pennsylvania
Hello All!

I haven't had a tank in at least four years but I got the itch. I snagged a solid 15g tall deal on craigslist and I'm considering getting 3 dwarf puffers (ideally a male and two females).
My questions are:

* Do you think two-three cherry shrimp (grown ones) will be OK with the little guys? Any other small bottom dwellers?
* Any good plant suggestions (w/o CO2 setup)?
* Any suggestions on picking a good puffer fish and/or telling whether it's a male or female?
* Will a sponge filter suffice?

As always, I appreciate the help!!!
 

fishorama

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Jun 28, 2006
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Welcome back Jake! I think shrimp would be puffer food as will "parts" of other fish but I have never kept puffers, cute as they are. Sponge filter should be good enough for 3 tiny fish. Can you have a snail grow out big jar? I know puffers need them to kept their "teeth" in shape. & that's my full extent of my second hand puffer keeping knowledge, lol.
 
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Jakezori

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Jan 24, 2009
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Pennsylvania
Thanks!

Yeah, I was considering that they my chomp on the shrimp.
As far as I've heard, these puffers just need blood worms.
 

Amazoniantanklvr

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Feb 26, 2020
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Pea pufers? I wouldn't do just 3. Id do ONE or 5-6+.
Otos usually make great takmates for them.
I would feed them Ramshorn/pond snails as their main diet.
 
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May 12, 2020
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Hello All!

I haven't had a tank in at least four years but I got the itch. I snagged a solid 15g tall deal on craigslist and I'm considering getting 3 dwarf puffers (ideally a male and two females).
My questions are:

* Do you think two-three cherry shrimp (grown ones) will be OK with the little guys? Any other small bottom dwellers?
* Any good plant suggestions (w/o CO2 setup)?
* Any suggestions on picking a good puffer fish and/or telling whether it's a male or female?
* Will a sponge filter suffice?

As always, I appreciate the help!!!
The cherry shrimp might get eaten, but they will probably be fine. for the other bottom dwellers, i think corydoras, otos, kuhli loaches, small plecos, and twig catfish will do.

as for the plants, you could have some Dwarf baby tears, Water wisteria, Java fern, Anubias species, Amazon swords, Red tiger lotus, Marimo moss balls, Java/Christmas moss, Brazillian Pennywort, Green cabomba, Glosso, Tropical hornwort, Ludwiga species, Madagascar laceplant, Bladdetwort, False Tellenus, Rotala Rotundifolia, Parrot's feather, Pelia, Duckweed, Butterfly fern, Water lettuce, and Water hyacinth. The tank needs to be heavily planted.

Female pea puffers have a rounder belly, lighter coloration, and random spot markings. Males are smaller with a dark line running down their white belly, and they may be darker in color too. Choose a healthy pea puffer ( e.g. clear eyes, normally swimming, eating fine)

A sponge filter would probably suffice, althogh i'm not too sure about this part. You could have more pea puffers, about 6-8 of them will be great. Other tankmates for the puffers include tetras, danios, amano shrimp, mollies, platys, barbs (except Tiger barbs), harlequin rasboras, siamese algae eaters, german blue rams, rainbowfish, and African dwarf frogs.
 
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