Dwarf Puffer Question

[axemanchris]

I just added 2 dwarf puffers to a 10 gal. tank. Other than some very
frightened MTS, they are the tank's only inhabitants. There definitely
seems to be a dominant fish and it eats all the food I add - whether it
needs it or not - and chases the other puffer away. Would adding a third
puffer even things out a bit or would it just make it worse? Is 10 gal.
enough for 3 of these little guys? If I'm going to add a third puffer I'd
like to do so soon - before I start making the conversion from brackish
water to fresh.

TIA,

Jacqui

[Sue]

If the tank is cycled ( which it need to be for these fish ) you could have
five in a ten gallon.

[chris nuttall]

i have a 15 gallon community tank with several fish in it, inluding
(until recently) 3 dwarf puffers, two female and one male. The females
look fat and round with prettier markings, and the male is kind of
lumpy looking with more drab markings. The male will also have a faint
brown line running the length of his belly.
The females ate all the food chasing the male away, he occasionally
retalliated but mostly he was the sub in the relationship. I actually
became quite worried about him for a while.....actually thinking about
it, their aggression became a bit less with time, so you might find
the same happens with your puffers.
The two females would take it in turn to be the ultimate boss.
Recently both the females died in a ph crash, but the male survived,
he is now much fatter with bolder markings, and behaves like the
females used to.

So the moral of the story is that you probably want to work out what
sexes you have. Two males will very often fight seriously for mating
rights unless they can establish separate territory in the tank (not
likely in a 10g) So dont get a male if you already have one. I should
think if you add the fish soon you will be ok, but it really all
depends upon the temprement of the individual fish in question.

You might consider adding lots of sword type planting, its what
puffers like, they can hide from each other in it!

One last thing is, i found white mosquito larvae to be better food
than the red type, they are pretty much nuetrally bouyant, so they
float aroud at all different water levels, whereas the red ones float
it a lump, then sink in a lump, and the fish are all trying to feed
from the same spot, and fighting is the result.

what sexes have you got?

what does the tank setup look like?

what do you feed them?


chris

[Dustin The-Wind]

http://puffernet.tripod.com/travancoricus.html

http://www.rr.iij4u.or.jp/~kohda/en-index.htm

[axemanchris]

Midposted...

..
>
> what sexes have you got?

I think I have a male & a female (thanks for the descriptions!), but I'm not
totally sure about that.
>
> what does the tank setup look like?

The tank has a couple of small live plants (water wysteria & hornwart) , a
rock cave & a small roman column ornament. I will be adding more plants
when I find some nice ones.
>
> what do you feed them?

They are eating frozen brine shrimp and any of the snails they can get...
which seems to be the majority of them!

I will see if I can choose another female. I think that will be enough for
the space I have. Do they just breed on their own or do I need to do
anything special in order for this to happen?

thanks!!

Jacqui

[chris nuttall]

Do they just breed on their own or do I need to do
> anything special in order for this to happen?
>
> thanks!!
>
> Jacqui


mine were in a community aquarium , which is possibly why they only
ever got as far as courtship behaviour.

in addition to the links posted above you could also try
http://www.rr.iij4u.or.jp/~kohda/en-index.htm
it is written by a japanese guy who did successfully breed
them...plenty of good pictures and descriptions, although his english
is not perfect you get the idea!


chris

ps.
i have never tried mine on brine shrimp, what are they like? do they
float / sink? big / small? etc....

[chris nuttall]

oh yeah, another question.

i have snails in my gravel, but they burrow so the puffer never even
sees them.
What substrate do you have? and are the snail burrowing in it or do
they crawl all around the tank?

chris

[axemanchris]

"chris nuttall" > wrote in message
om...
> oh yeah, another question.
>
> i have snails in my gravel, but they burrow so the puffer never even
> sees them.
> What substrate do you have? and are the snail burrowing in it or do
> they crawl all around the tank?
>
> chris

I have very thin covering of gravel in the tank... some of the bottom of the
tank is a bit bare. The smarter/luckier snails are the ones that burrow in
the gravel. The others are lunch.

Jacqui