Considering Dwarf Puffers...

[Channti]

I've got a 10 gallon tank at home, filtered with an Elite Hush 20 HOB filter (rated for 20 gallons). As of the end of the summer, it will be empty (it's currently housing guppies). I'm planning to bring my 5 and 10 gallon tanks to school with me next year as I'll finally be living off campus without residence restrictions on what size and how many tanks I can have. (I can see Multiple Tank Syndrome setting in very quickly and every and any flat open surface in my room becoming home to a fish tank...)

My 5 gallon is a divided Betta tank, and I've been considering ideas for what to do with my 10 gallon. I wanted to keep something different in the tank... less common than the typical livebearers and other usual pet store fare. I stumbled across some puffers in an LFS near my school and did some research....

The 10 gallon would be cycled by cloning my filters on other tanks at home, and heavily planted with low-light plants (to be determined, as by the time I'm ready to start this setup, I'll have a 46 gallon planted setup going and will be taking plants from it).

How many Dwarf Puffers could I keep in a tank of this size?
In pairs, is there less agression in a mixed or single-sex pair (just male or just female)?
Is feeding them just snails a suitable diet for them?

 

[lilacamy931]

Hello
Welcome to pufferdom, dwarf puffers are excellent little guys chock full of personality. For your 10g I would go with 2 maximum simply as they are messy feeders and allow the room to lessen aggression.

You could go with one or two, they are happy on their own so dont worry about one getting lonely. You could try two but you would need two females or one male and female (two males are likely to fight, and even with teh other combinations it is down to the personality of the puffs themselves). You can try it and just see how they grow togehter. Heavily planting is ideal with lots for them to explore and break line of sights up.

Mix their diet as they can grow tired of one food over and over again, best to vary. Bloodworm, blackworm, snails, daphnia, brineshrimp, prawn, try them on anything meaty. They do adore snails though so definately keep a breeding program to give their favourite treat.

Hope that has helped!