Dwarf Puffers

[love_fish]

Hello, i might be getting some for my 10 gallon after i sell the fry when they're big enough. I have a few questions:

1. How many can i get for a 10 gallon. I know they should be kept like 1 puffer per 2-3 gallons of water. So could i keep four of them(3 female, 1 male), or is that pushing it. I also know you need to have lots of decorations to break their eye sight of other puffers.

2. What else could i put with them? I'm looking at getting 2 ADF's, some cherry'ghost shrimp, or maybe 2 otos. Would those fish be ok? Note im not going to add all of those fish.

Thanks in advance.

 

[bogwood]

DPs will be happier with 5g each... so two for your 10 gallon... esp. as it will have to be heavily planted/rocks/wood etc... and you'll be lucky to be able to sex them at the size the majority of shops sell them at...

Ottos are good but expect to one day look in the tank and see it attacked (mine hasn't... yet)... same with shrimp... once the DP recognises them as food you can say goodbye to them (in my experience)...

 

[love_fish]

Oh, ok. Do you think i could get 3 DP's (1 male, 2 females), as 2, one inch fish is going to be a little boring. Maybe ill try the oto and see how it works out, hope it works out.

 

[SirMinion]

In ten gallons three would not work, one would be killed as soon as they mature.

Depending on the personality of the individuals you may still find that two in ten gallons is too much and one of them may be killed by the other.

If you are not prepared to dedicate a whole tank to a couple of fish, choose a different fish.
I'm speaking as a person who dedicated a 60 gallon tank to a single five inch fish.

 

[love_fish]

I see what your saying, but i asked several people about having 3 in a 10 gallon and they say its ok. They've kept DP's for years. I tihnk i may try it out and see what happens cuz like you said, they all have their own personality.

 

[Rocker]

I think all you are after is for someone to say that your idea is ok. It hasn't happen so please take the good advice that you have been given so far.

 

[jkrekord]

love fish you have to understand the most dps you can keep in a ten gal is two and even then there is a chance one will be killed dp's are small but deadly you have asked this question in the hope of the answer you want and have not got that answer so you are going to ignore them why ask if you are only interested in what you think you have been warned i guarantee you are going to have serious problems but if you wont listen there is nothing we can do you have had the correct answer already in that you can keep two max either acept it or dont thats up to you but if you dont you will have trouble and two dps would not be boring they are amzing i intend to set up a biorb for dps and trust me they are not boring one alone is fascinating

 

[SirMinion]

I see what your saying, but i asked several people about having 3 in a 10 gallon and they say its ok. They've kept DP's for years. I tihnk i may try it out and see what happens cuz like you said, they all have their own personality.

I too have kept Dwarf Puffers (and other puffers) for years and have found that after about 3 to six months, dwarf puffers undergo a total change in temprament and become aggresive and territorial.

Three in ten gallons WILL result in the death of at least one of them.

As you seem so determined to do this go right ahead, but I expect to be saying "I told you so" in a few months when you find the ripped-up remains of a puffer in your tank one morning.

 

[love_fish]

I kept being persistent about this because ive gotten mixed answers. Some people say its ok, some people say its not. I tihnk i might go the safe route in order to keep them happy and alive. So you're saying i should keep one in the 10 gallon then? What if i got 2 females? Are females less aggressive than the males? Could i have:

2 Dwarf Puffers (2f)
2 ADF's
5 Ghost shrimp

Or should i stick to 1.

 

[KrayzieVanh]

This is my setup:

10 Gallon
3 Dwarf Puffers
2 Oto's
2 Black Kuili loach

From what I read, you can keep 3 in a tank (1 dp per 3 gallon). You will however, have to make sure the tank is well planted to give them room to escape if one is agressive. The oto's seem to be fine, the Kuili loaches I have not seen, probably in the sand somewhere. Here is the picture of my setup:

 

[love_fish]

Yours looks great. Are your DP's matured?

I think im going to try 2, until they mature, then see how it goes. If they're really good, i might try adding another one, not sure though as i dont want to kill one of those lovely little guys.

 

[Rocker]

Adding another at a later date is a very bad idea. You are going to let two establish their terrotories then put one right in the middle.
People have been listing 3g to a DP.Thats ok but I prefer 5g.
So they suggest 3 dp which is 9g then you've got umpteen shrimp, khulie's ottos etc for the remaining 1g.
Come on people if you gonna look after these fish don't cram them in. Give them space.Why not try that idea with a bigger tank.
Dp's are one of the most active puffers and will benefit from a larger tank IMO and IME.
If you want to see them in their full beauty then give them the space they deserve.

 

[love_fish]

Maybe ill just keep 2 of them as i want them to be happy, not just me happy with having more. So my setup would be:

2 DP's (what sex should they be)
2 ADF's
5 Ghost Shrimp

Hows that? What sex should they be?

 

[SirMinion]

With two Dwarfs, the gender is less important, especially as young fish are impossible to sex anyway.

The Frogs are a very bad idea too partly because they produce a lot of waste but mostly because the puffers will almost certainly eat their eyes, fingers & toes.

The frogs may also attempt to swallow the puffers resulting in the death of both of them.

Shrimps of course, are puffers' natural food so they be killed eventually too.

Your only real option for 10 gallons is

• Two dwarf puffers
• Three oto catfish

This is still a little overstocked, but as long as it's well planted, well lit and over-filtered you should get away with it long-term.

 

[love_fish]

OK, thanks. I'm not sure the frogs wil be able to catch the puffers as they have bad eyesight as it is, but its not impossible. OK, ill go with your idea, but only 2 otos, as i dont want them to starve without enough algea to eat in a small 10 gallon.