Dwarf Puffer Help

[emily_boone]

i have a 20 gallon fresh water tank and i have quite a few guppies, four corys, an albino pleco, two black mollies, a balloon molly, a platinum lyre-tail molly and her fry, and some cherry shrimp. i just added a dwarf puffer a couple of days ago and i have no had any problems or aggression from him or to him. i bought blood worms to feed him and he seems to really enjoy them but the mollies eat most of them before he gets a chance. any suggestions how to just feed them to him?
 
 
 

 

[Gizaroo2]

Dwarf Puffers aren't an ideal community fish, often doing much better in species only tanks. However, seeing that you have yours in with some other fish (which I've heard of being done successfully), have you tried using a Pipette to be able to give them only to him? 'Tis how I feed my dwarf puffers, and it's so much easier. I can easily regulate how many bloodworms each puff gets. Also, make sure to offer him some small snails every once in awhile at least. While they don't need the snails for their beaks like other puffers do, they should have some dietary variety. Also, you can try some frozen brine shrimp.

 

[Chad]

I love dwarf puffers and have kept dozens of them over the years. Pond snails are a much better food source for them. I had a separate tank for breeding the snails. They are a food source few other fish eat (other puffers and loaches mostly) so he doesn't have to compete, they help to keep his teeth in good shape, and it allows him and you to enjoy the natural hunting behavior of the dwarf puffer which is massively fascinating and endlessly wonderful to watch. 
 
As has been stated they aren't the greatest of community fish in tanks that aren't planted with very tall plants. As the fish gets older it does become more aggressive so that is something to expect. In a tank with the proper aquascaping and of the proper size they will stake out a territory and stay there. They defend it vigorously but the other fish learn to stay clear. In a 20 gallon I would make one of the back corners the puffer's home and put some tall plants like a val sp. there. Then give it a clear zone for a few inches around so it feels more comfortable in the corner than elsewhere. 
 
As for the worms, which they do love and which do make a good supplemental food source I have two suggestions. 

1. Feed on two sides of the tank. Let the guppies get their food first then feed the other side.
2. Use a couple of hang on feeders. Lee's is one company that makes them. They are a cone that suction cups onto the side of the tank or that float. They look similar to the one shown in the photo below though that is admittedly quite a large one and I would pick a smaller.