Question About Dwarf Puffer Fish

[corygirl]

well a couple questions. do they need a day and night or can you leave their light on all the time? and what is the optimal water temperature? ive read anywhere from 71-80 degrees.

 

[dc3]

I think the ideal temp for them is 80F - lighting can be on for a while - but it's unnatural for any fish to live with the lights on 24 hours a day. I'm assumung you want the lights for plants? Get a filter that can handle more than the tank you stick the fish in - they're messy little critters.

 

[corygirl]

okay just another quick questions, just cause im curious, i know someone who keeps their bettas light on all the time as a nightlight in their bathroom. i asked them about it and they said bettas dont need a night. is this wrong?

 

[dc3]

I am almost sure leaving the light on all the time puts some amount of stress on the fish - you got to remember that they need to sleep too. Betta's need the same amount of care as any other fish - just because they sell them in a cup, doesn't mean that's the way to have them. I find more than any fish (possibly goldfish too) betta's have some of the highest proportion of irresponsible owners.

 

[corygirl]

I just because they sell them in a cup, doesn't mean that's the way to have them.

ive been wondering about that, do bettas not need to swim or something? why are they kept in such tiny spaces? usually were they can barely turn around?

 

[dc3]

The reason they sell them in cups is because the betta is capable of surviving in it... if they could get away selling a discus in a cup they would too... i guess they try to use the fish more as decoration, without considering its needs.
I am sure betta owners are in a better position to comment on this - but I've got a betta female in a 75 gallon and she just loves to swim all over. The male before her too would patrol the whole tank.

 

[stang1]

I keep my Bettas in a divided tank which gives them 6 gallons each. There is plenty of decoration and planting so they have somewhere to hide. This gives them plenty of swimming space.
Some shops use the argument that because Bettas are found in paddy fields then they only need a little amount of room. This is rubbish for two reasons. The water in which they live in the wild is certainly not the size of a cup!
Also, the Bettas that people buy are tank bred, not from the wild so this argument is invalid anyway.

 

[Fella]

If you take a look in the oddball forum, I wrote a pinned topic on the best way to keep dwarf puffers. be sure to take a looK!

 

[corygirl]

If you take a look in the oddball forum, I wrote a pinned topic on the best way to keep dwarf puffers. be sure to take a looK!

thank you fella i will look at it!!

 

[loachman]

If nothing else, you probably want to turn the light off just so you dont have wild algae troubles. Any more than about 10 hours of daylight will really favor algae growth.