Dwarf puffer compatibility?

[Raechal]

So my sister bought 2 dwarf puffers and lots of plants. We stuck 4 snails in there, but that isn't very "interesting" in her tank and she wanted to know if she could get away with anything else in her tank.

The tank is well planted, has a sand substrate, and is 10 gallons. The puffers are about 1/2 an inch and get along fine together. I've seen no nipping or any chasing at all. But I know these are territorial fish and can be aggressive and will nip others' fins.

So is there ANYTHING that can be kept with 2 dwarf puffers?

 

[Erised]

Absolutely nothing? Puffers are not community fish, and nothing is classed "compatible" with puffers, not even dwarfs. You might get very lucky and be able to pull off keeping ottos, a bristle nose plec or freshwater bumble bee gobies with them. But thats pretty much where it will end. You will also never have any security that your puffers wont do anything ... the minions kept a shoal of rummynose tetras with their dwarf puffers for half a year, untill they woke up one morning and a number of tetras were ripped to pieces (had their stomachs taken out etc).

Dwarf puffers are NOT community fish, nothing should be kept with them.

And frogs will Definatly not work, can give you that much.

Adding the responds again

If this came over harsh, I'm sorry ... I didnt mean it to do, its just what its like with puffers. Too often when people dont get a straight forward answer like this, people go ahead anyway making other fish suffer

 

[Raechal]

Absolutely nothing? Puffers are not community fish, and nothing is classed "compatible" with puffers, not even dwarfs. You might get very lucky and be able to pull off keeping ottos, a bristle nose plec or freshwater bumble bee gobies with them. But thats pretty much where it will end. You will also never have any security that your puffers wont do anything ... the minions kept a shoal of rummynose tetras with their dwarf puffers for half a year, untill they woke up one morning and a number of tetras were ripped to pieces (had their stomachs taken out etc).

Dwarf puffers are NOT community fish, nothing should be kept with them.

And frogs will Definatly not work, can give you that much.

Adding the responds again

If this came over harsh, I'm sorry ... I didnt mean it to do, its just what its like with puffers. Too often when people dont get a straight forward answer like this, people go ahead anyway making other fish suffer

That is what I told my sister as she wants something a little larger in her tank and I kept telling her she should keep it a species only tank with MAYBE otos. I have also heard people kept cories with them, but I wouldn't risk it.

I always though the frogs would work? Guess not. Maybe we will try some otos, but I am kind of iffy on that as well.

 

[Erised]

I think your best bet would be a bristle nose plec then. Also, its a bit larger So perhaps your sister will like that better. I'm not too keen on ottos myself, simply because I cant even get them to eat properly, so they only last for 3 months ish.

Good luck convincing your sister

 

[jflowers]

I have a one eyed oto , yes he is proof that they don't mix with puffers.

Jon

 

[andywg]

I wouldn't recommend Otos, they are too twitchy and would attract the DP's attention. I keep a couple of BN plecs and some bumblebee gobies with mine.

However: I think the plec may be too large and messy for a 10 gallon, and I reckon most of My Bumblebee Gobies are in fact the brackish variant (brachygobius doriae as opposed to the freshwater version Hypogymnogobius xanthozona) and it is very hard to actually tell the difference between the two species and most LFS can't be trusted to fully understand the differences.

In these circumstances the best bet is to keep it as a species tank.

 

[dwarf-puffers]

it worked in my case i have a 90 gallon and the fish r fine i have guppies in there 2 only thing is dont put fish in with really long tails ( no that u would but fan tailed goldfish)all my fish r quitea bit bigger than the puffer

 

[Jezah]

Puffers are aggressive, and I wouldnt put them with otos. My loaches killed my otos...and they arent even that aggressive. Bristlenose plecos are a great idea, as is the idea of a Bumblebee goby or 2. Besides that I would say nothing else. Puffers are just not social fish.

Edit:

P.S If you want a puffer you can POSSIBLY keep with other fish...you should look at a figure-8 puffer, they are less aggressive. Still you would be taking a risk.

 

[andywg]

Yeah...but Fig 8 is brackish and as a result you'd have to turf out most of the fish anyway (unless you're already running brackish).

dwarf-puffers: I seem to recall you've had your DPs in with your Guppies for about a month or two, non? Remember the Minions' experience with their tetras. They were fine together for months and then one night the DPs decided they didn't like their tank-mates and duly ripped them to shreds.

I stand by the general advice. Keep nothing with a puffer that you don't want to find dead or ripped up.