Ideal Puffer Setup

[pnyklr3]

What is the ideal substrate to use with Dwarf Puffers? I have gravel at my home (most convenient) but I suppose if sand is best (for them, not for looks) I'll do that. Also, for multiple DP, it needs to be planted or HEAVILY planted? Oh, and what food do they like the best? I need something somewhat easy to store (this is going into a classroom). Thanks!

 

[SirMinion]

They like sand, but gravel is fine.

If you are keeping more than one, the heavily planted is important, especially as they mature and begin claim their own personal space.

Nothing that they like to eat is particulaly easy to store unless you have a freezer, as they will almost never eat flake or pellets and need to be fed live or frozen small invertibrates such as bloodworm, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, microworms, daphnia & cyclops.

Also live snails & snail hatchlings are an important part of the diet to maintain dental health.

Occasionally some will take dried versions of these foods but this is rare.

How big is the tank? With Dwarf puffers, the 'inch per gallon' guidline doesn't work. Each fish needs a minimum of 5 gallons in order to establish territorial space. Any less and they will start to kill each other as they mature, although to start with as young fish they may seem peaceful.

Suitable tankmates are limited to armoured catfish such as bristlenose plecs and small freshwater gobies.

 

[Gimli]

My puffers all love any live and frozen food as long as the food insn't too big for them because one of our puffers got some live river shrimp and they were to big for him so he killed them then left them so i had to pick up the dead shrimp and get them out before they turned the water bad.

 

[pnyklr3]

It's a 10 gallon tank that I have and will be using in a clasroom. I knew about DPs not taking flake or pellets, but I was sure about the dried versions (thanks SirMinion!) I am able to keep frozen foods there (I feed my tank frozen yummies) it's just a little out-of-the-way because most classrooms don't have a fridge (some have mini-fridges that the teachers bought...will look to see if someone close has one!)

Another question: In the lfs the DPs had their tails closed up like a tafpole, and others had them fanned out. This is "normal" right? It's not like clamped fins in other fish?

Do the DPs need to be fed very slowly? I have read one reason not to have them in a community is that they can't compete for food with faster fish. How long should the feedings be? Is it still how ever much they can eat in 2-3 minutes? Thanks!

 

[Erised]

It's quite normal for their tails to do this. When resting on the bottom they do the same thing and curl up Best things to look at when buying them in the shop is to see if they've got a nice colouration (faded colours is obviously bad) and see if they've got a belly on them. Sunken in bellies (which you'll probably see a lot seeing as I'm yet to find 1 lfs that does feed them properly) can mean illness or simply underfed. Best to pick the ones with some belly on them still. See if you can see a black line on their belly and wrinkles behind the eyes. If so, these are male. Best to pick 2 females or 1 m and 1 f if you ask me

Feeding dwarf puffers slowly if not really something you Have to do, but its better. Not so much for the puffer, but for the fact you'll end up with a lot of food on the bottom. It took my puffers 5 months before they started touching food that was not being moved by the current and/or laying on the bottom. Best to feed about 6 bloodworms at a time, wait till they've gotten eaten (or at least most of them) and then repeat untill you can see a belly show on the puffer

--Edit--

I would go for sand if I were you. Mine love laying on the bottom at night, and in the morning are often covered in sand ... gravel might make this harder and if it has sharp edges it could hurt them. Not something you Have to do, but just a prefered choice

 

[pnyklr3]

So that's why some had their tails curled! They were resting! Will they float and curl their tails too, or only at the bottom?

PS You guys have been sucha great help!

 

[Erised]

Hey again

Sorry for taking that long to answer! I've had a lovely couple of days of packing and having a 6 hour delay on a 1 hour flight

Yes, they do sometimes curl their tails when swimming around. I dont think its a bad thing, seeing as mine do it all the time and are healthy as far as I can see

 

[pnyklr3]

What would be the best size food to feed a small puffer? About 1/4 to 1/2 inch? It looks as if brine shrimp and blood worms might be too big/long. Will they even notice BBS?

 

[Erised]

Mine absolutely ignore everything cept for bloodworms and snails. Been like that right from the start Its best to start feeding them bloodworms right away because they've got most protein and all that in it I think that they'll go for it, even though they'll look too big to be eaten. Just give it a try, make sure that the bloodworms will move though. Either live food or have a strong current so the food will keep moving. As soon as it just drops down and lays on the bottom most puffers lose interest.

I'd try bloodworms first, and you can try brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, white bloodworms, snails, daphia (or however you spell it Absolutely tiny, but a bit useless if you ask me) and pretty much all frozen foods. Best to see what they'll eat Just throw in some snails if they're not accepting bloodworms yet ... a daily supply of snails should keep them wellfed untill they can eat the bloodworms