Dwarf Puffers

[Thedoctor]

Hello,

I have a 20 Uk Gal Tank.

Would I be ok placing a couple of Dwarf puffers with Rummy nose tetras and potentially a Dwarf Cichlid?

Thank in advance for any help/advice.

 

[nmonks]

Not really, no.

Puffers are almost always best kept in their own tanks, whether singly in the case of territorial species or in groups as with those species that enjoy company of their own kind. Don't buy puffers expecting to add tankmates, and conversely, don't expect to add puffers to a community tank of peaceful fish.

A 20-gallon tank could make a good home for half a dozen dwarf puffers, perhaps with some cherry shrimps if you wanted some colour.

Cheers, Neale

 

[hillmar77]

I have a pair of dwarf puffers with 4 zebra daino's and 1 marble crayfish. They've been together for over a month now and all is well.

 

[DarkEntity]

I have a pair of dwarf puffers with 4 zebra daino's and 1 marble crayfish. They've been together for over a month now and all is well.

Just becuase its working now, doesnt mean it will continue to or should be advocated to others. As mentioned above by Neale, Puffers are not sociable fish as a rule and shouldnt be treated as such. Keep them singularly or in groups of their own species where applicable.

 

[hillmar77]

Zebra daino's are probly the few fishes that would work with dwarf puffers in my opinion. As I stated, I had this combo for a little while now and under my observation they can't catch them. Dwarf puffers aren't built on speed, and at night they are sleeping in their nest. During bloodworm feedings, I see aggression from both my dwarf puffers on each other. I mean this is completely my opinion, but I was giving the op an option to try if he is bent on getting fish with dwarf puffers. I've tried dwarf puffers with neons, platy's, and guppies and none of them worked, and had to be put in my big tank.

 

[N0body Of The Goat]

Aquajardin have some C. irrubesco puffers in a display tank with some Zebra Danios at the moment. From a distance, they look fine and I was just about to say so yesterday when a staff member pointed out many missing and/or damaged fins (thankfully no main body injuries) to a customer.

 

[Shovelman]

Zebra daino's are probly the few fishes that would work with dwarf puffers in my opinion. As I stated, I had this combo for a little while now and under my observation they can't catch them. Dwarf puffers aren't built on speed, and at night they are sleeping in their nest. During bloodworm feedings, I see aggression from both my dwarf puffers on each other. I mean this is completely my opinion, but I was giving the op an option to try if he is bent on getting fish with dwarf puffers. I've tried dwarf puffers with neons, platy's, and guppies and none of them worked, and had to be put in my big tank.

It will probably not work out for long. Puffers will chase/hunt down or adventually kill other tank mates that are not its own species (even so tankmates of the same species may even be found in quarrelsome territoria; disputes). I have known many puffer keepers who say 'Oh ill just keep something zippy that cant be caught by the puffers like zebra danios' two months later they are complaining about how all their zebra danios are dead now. Sure there are some species that may be able to coexist like ottos and Dwarf puffers (or so ive heard) but even then your still taking a risk with losing tankmates. Plain and simple NOTHING really makes good tankmates with puffers. If they get a chance to nibble more than likely they will take it.

 

[curlyriff]

I think you just have to try it and see really. As said Ottos are known to be pretty good for puffer tanks. I have been lucky and for a few months now have had 6 neon tetras happily co-exiting in the tank with 3 dwarf puffers and no trouble between them. Was ment to be tempary but never got to moving them. They also had some Cardinals for a few good months in the tank but they got moved.

Also Kuhli loaches were good in my puffer tank as they like to hide in small gaps and in the sand and mainly come out at night. My puffer tank has also got two small Pleco's that seem to be doing well and have had no problems. I would never suggest keeping Tetras with puffers I have just been lucky I think but at least you can know that it may be possible you have to watch them closey and expect the worse.

Ideally you would want to just keep maybe 4-6 Dwarfs in a 20gal and it should be heavily planted with lots of wood or rocks to break up there eyeline.

Kind Regards,

Adam

 

[Squidward]

My LFS has their dwarf puffers in brackish water.

But I thought dp were fresh?

 

[talisker]

My LFS has their dwarf puffers in brackish water.

But I thought dp were fresh?

dwarf puffers are fresh water only, i've seen some shops with f8 and green spotted puffers wrongly labelled as dwarfs, f8 and greens are brackish fish.

 

[Squidward]

My LFS has their dwarf puffers in brackish water.

But I thought dp were fresh?

dwarf puffers are fresh water only, i've seen some shops with f8 and green spotted puffers wrongly labelled as dwarfs, f8 and greens are brackish fish.

These are really tiny. 1cm if that.
Do F8 or greens get sold at such a small size?

 

[markp2067]

I've kept both a Topaz and South American puffers in community tanks, at one point all together. Although just because it worked for me doesn't mean it will for every body. My Topaz was fine with all of my fish excluding noens that he decided to eat all of over night one night

I was told that fast or large fish would be fine so long as they posed no threat to your puffer.

Dwarfs mind you can be aggressive little blighters at the best of times.

 

[Thedoctor]

.