New Dwarf Puffers

[axemanchris]

Tonight I finally picked up a couple of Dwarf Puffer Fish. Although
apparently these ones are fresh water puffers, they were being kept in
brackish water at Petsmart, so they're in brackish water in their new home
too. When I was at another pet store a few weeks ago they had Green Spotted
Puffers (who prefer brackish water apparently) being kept in fresh water
because "that's how they were raised". Talk about confusing! Anyway, my 2
little puffers (Rosie and Puffy are what my children have christened them)
are eating frozen brine shrimp and the kid at the pet store told me they'd
eat flakes too. That's what they fed them. I think I'll stick with the
frozen food until I can get a brine shrimp hatchery going. Any advice is
welcome. Wish me luck - they're such darn cute little fish!!

Jacqui

[Elizabeth Armstrong]

Puffers are great. :)

You'll want to feed them any frozen food (for the nutrition), and try the
flake food. I've rarely heard of them taking flakes, but if yours do, go for
it. Dwarf Puffers are freshwater, but if they had them in brackish, please
start them off in brackish. However, it is important to gradually lower the
SG to freshwater. A general rule of thumb is to lower it .001 or .002 every
day, as to not shock them. www.thepufferforum.com has wonderful resources on
all types of puffers.

Green Spotted Puffers start off best in brackish water but actually thrive
the most in full marine by the time they fully mature, so while it might be
ok (aka, they're alive) in freshwater right now, that is a problem. Be
careful not to only feed them brine shrimp (especially ones that you raise)
because they have little nutritional value. If they really like brine
shrimp, there are frozen packets that have been fortified with vitamins.

Enjoy them!

~Elizabeth

"axemanchris" > wrote in message
...
> Tonight I finally picked up a couple of Dwarf Puffer Fish. Although
> apparently these ones are fresh water puffers, they were being kept in
> brackish water at Petsmart, so they're in brackish water in their new
> home
> too. When I was at another pet store a few weeks ago they had Green
> Spotted
> Puffers (who prefer brackish water apparently) being kept in fresh water
> because "that's how they were raised". Talk about confusing! Anyway, my
> 2
> little puffers (Rosie and Puffy are what my children have christened them)
> are eating frozen brine shrimp and the kid at the pet store told me they'd
> eat flakes too. That's what they fed them. I think I'll stick with the
> frozen food until I can get a brine shrimp hatchery going. Any advice is
> welcome. Wish me luck - they're such darn cute little fish!!
>
> Jacqui
>
>

[Eric Schreiber]

axemanchris wrote:

> Tonight I finally picked up a couple of Dwarf Puffer Fish. Although
> apparently these ones are fresh water puffers, they were being kept in
> brackish water at Petsmart, so they're in brackish water in their
> new home too.

They are true freshwater fish. However, you're probably wise to not
make an abrupt change from the brackish they were in to fresh water at
home. I'd suggest slowly reducing the salt content over a couple of
weekly water changes, until you have fresh water.

> Anyway, my 2 little puffers (Rosie and Puffy are what my children
> have christened them) are eating frozen brine shrimp and the kid
> at the pet store told me they'd eat flakes too.

They will also love frozen bloodworms. I had four dwarf puffers for
awhile, and they'd eat that directly from my hand. I never had much
luck getting them to take any flake or dried food. I imagine you could
train them to recognize it as food, but it'll take a bit of time.

> they're such darn cute little fish!!

That they are.


--
Eric Schreiber
www.ericschreiber.com

[Nitesbane]

"axemanchris" > wrote in message
...
> Tonight I finally picked up a couple of Dwarf Puffer Fish. Although
> apparently these ones are fresh water puffers, they were being kept in
> brackish water at Petsmart, so they're in brackish water in their new
home
> too. When I was at another pet store a few weeks ago they had Green
Spotted
> Puffers (who prefer brackish water apparently) being kept in fresh water
> because "that's how they were raised". Talk about confusing! Anyway, my
2
> little puffers (Rosie and Puffy are what my children have christened them)
> are eating frozen brine shrimp and the kid at the pet store told me they'd
> eat flakes too. That's what they fed them. I think I'll stick with the
> frozen food until I can get a brine shrimp hatchery going. Any advice is
> welcome. Wish me luck - they're such darn cute little fish!!
>

My dwarf puffers have never even looked half interested in flake food. They
love snails, though...they destroy any snail too small to hide when they
swim by.
They're the cutest things in the world. I hope you enjoy them as much as I
do. Watch out, though, I've witnessed dwarf puffers chasing around much
larger fish trying to nip their fins. Good luck.

[axemanchris]

"Nitesbane" > wrote in message
news:1T82d.4841$VV2.1242@trndny06...
>
> "axemanchris" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Tonight I finally picked up a couple of Dwarf Puffer Fish. Although
> > apparently these ones are fresh water puffers, they were being kept in
> > brackish water at Petsmart, so they're in brackish water in their new
> home
> > too. When I was at another pet store a few weeks ago they had Green
> Spotted
> > Puffers (who prefer brackish water apparently) being kept in fresh water
> > because "that's how they were raised". Talk about confusing! Anyway,
my
> 2
> > little puffers (Rosie and Puffy are what my children have christened
them)
> > are eating frozen brine shrimp and the kid at the pet store told me
they'd
> > eat flakes too. That's what they fed them. I think I'll stick with the
> > frozen food until I can get a brine shrimp hatchery going. Any advice
is
> > welcome. Wish me luck - they're such darn cute little fish!!
> >
>
> My dwarf puffers have never even looked half interested in flake food.
They
> love snails, though...they destroy any snail too small to hide when they
> swim by.
> They're the cutest things in the world. I hope you enjoy them as much as
I
> do. Watch out, though, I've witnessed dwarf puffers chasing around much
> larger fish trying to nip their fins. Good luck.
>
>

I've heard about puffers being dreadful fin nippers, so they have their own
10 gallon tank. Right now they are merrily attacking any poor MTS they come
across. The puffers are only a little over 1 cm in length right now & the
snails are twice their size.

I'll start reducing the amount of salt in the tank slowly so I don't shock
them.

Thanks for the info!

Jacqui