dwarf puffer - another question

[houndour]

I'm setting up a heavily planted 5 gallon tank that I had planned for a betta, when Erised came a long and put a spanner in the works and suggested a dwarf puffer. I've been reading up about them and it seems my 5 gallon planted would be perfect for 1 puffer. (I can see future plans of moving existing fish from 20 gallon into dream 200 gallon and using the 20 gallon for 2 puffers...)

ANyway, maybe a really silly question here...but when I think puffer, I automatically think of bloated fish with needle like things sticking out and being poisonous. Now I can't seem to find any reference to anything like this with dwarf puffers...so do they not do this then?

They are very cute fish and I keep reading about people's puffers having personalities and stuff and I'm now really excited about getting one. My only concerns were about them being dangerous ) cos being a planted tank, I plan on having my hands in it quite a bit.

 

[OohFeeshy]

No, puffers rarely puff up at all. They usually do it if they're very stressed, although I know some (mainly the larger species, eg. Martha) start puffing if they want food. Don't worry, you'll be safe

 

[LadyMinion]

Don't worry, dwarf puffers are not at all dangerous. Only the exotic marine puffers are poisonous, and only then when they are eaten. And I doubt you're intending to make puffer sandwiches anytime soon.

I've never seen any of my dwarf puffs up, but because they are so small it wouldn't be very noticeable anyway. When most people think of puffers, they tend to visualise the Porcupine puffer, which is probably where your understanding of spiky and poisonous comes from.

 

[OrkyBetta]

I've been considering a dwarf puffer for the longest time, I just gotta find a decent place that carries them. (one HORRIBLE place keeps like, 5 or six in this little half gallon mini aquarium and they are usually all sickly and or dead. But, good luck, they are supposed to be really great fish.

 

[pnyklr3]

I have seen a dwarf puff up. One of mine swam into another puffer's part of the tank. The trespasser was bitten on the throat (if you can imagine) and the aggressor wouldn't let go. So the one being bitten puffed. Honestly, it all happened so fast and looked very strange...almost transparent as the skin appeared stretched. The little guy who was bitten always had a little spot on his neck afterwards that looked like an adam's apple.

EDIT: Didn't see any spines...but dwarfs are so small, you can barely see into their mouths *runs off to get better glasses*

 

[houndour]

thanks guys!

Yes the porcupine puffers are what I must be thinking of.

I'm definitely going to get a dwarf puffer then Just wanted to make sure before I got one and regretted it.

Fishless cycling will hopefully start this weekend and then I can go hunting to see which fish shops sell them, as I'm not sure I've seen them in the ones I go to so may have to order one.

 

[houndour]

I popped into a maidenhead aquatics on the way home just to see if they did puffers. When I asked if they sold dwarf puffers he asked "it depends what dwarf puffer you mean". I said fresh water and he said that dwarf puffers are often sold as dwarf puffers and people think they'll only be small then they grow to 6 inches.

I said I had researched the "dwarf puffer" and that on the website it said it grew to an inch.

He showed me figure of eight puffers, but they grow quite big.

Basically I'm now all confused. I don't want to buy a dwarf puffer thats not really a dwarf puffer and end up with having a too big a fish for the tank (its only a 5 gallon).

He mentioned Pygmy puffer...is this the same as dwarf puffer? How would I even know I was being sold the right fish?

 

[SirMinion]

I popped into a maidenhead aquatics on the way home just to see if they did puffers.  When I asked if they sold dwarf puffers he asked "it depends what dwarf puffer you mean".  I said fresh water and he said that dwarf puffers are often sold as dwarf puffers and people think they'll only be small then they grow to 6 inches.

I said I had researched the "dwarf puffer" and that on the website it said it grew to an inch.

He showed me figure of eight puffers, but they grow quite big.

Basically I'm now all confused.  I don't want to buy a dwarf puffer thats not really a dwarf puffer and end up with having a too big a fish for the tank (its only a 5 gallon).

He mentioned Pygmy puffer...is this the same as dwarf puffer?  How would I even know I was being sold the right fish?

[snapback]870510[/snapback]​

Although there are only two puffer species that are true dwarfs (c. travancorius and c. imitator) several of the other species including greenspots and figure eights are sometimes sold by stores who lable them incorrectly as dwarf puffers.

Pygmy puffers are indeed the same as dwarf puffers c. travancorius and are also sometimes called Malabar Puffers, Pea Puffers and a variety of other names invented by the fish trade.

 

[@ombomb]

Would that be too small for a Red-tailed Puffer?

 

[SirMinion]

Would that be too small for a Red-tailed Puffer?

[snapback]870526[/snapback]​

If by 'red tailed' you mean c. irrubesco then yes, that tank is big enough for one fish.

Beware common names!

 

[houndour]

they don't make it easy do they with all these names?

So when I go to buy one, I need to ask for c. travancorius. But what if it's labelled wrong? I've been looking at pictures of all different puffers so at least I can attempt to identify a dwarf puffer, but some look similar to me. (green puffer - doesnt look particularly green, but does appear to have more spots and more rounder spots than the dwarf).

 

[SirMinion]

True Dwarf puffers (c. travancorius) don't really look much like the other species that stores sometime call dwarfs. Apart from anthing else, dwarfs are absolutely tiny, much smaller than green spots (t.nigoviridis) usually are when they reach the shop floor.

Here's a picture of a typical Dwarf puffer. The spots can be metallic blue, brown, green or black, depending on the individual's ancestry and mood.

[Photo courtesy of Erised from this thread]