Just starting with please help me :)

[WGWC]

Well, I am new. And I am confused. I guess that is normal, but now I come to you all with my hat in my hands begging for assistance. My DH gave me a fish tank for the Holliday season (I love fish). I had many fish when I was in college but when I graduated, I had to leave them with my roommate (I was afraid of bagging all of my babies up and taking them with me). I had a beautiful and HUGE pleco, Ciclids (and have had a beautiful bright red Beta in his own tank). Now, I would love to have Dwarf Puffers.

Now, I have done ever so much research and now I am more confused than I was before I started. My DH purchased a 10 gal, after researcing, I decided that this was perfect. After talking with the LFS, he said that I would need at least a 20. We returned the 10 and purchaces a 20. Still it has not been set up (I am being good, even if I am impatient). I went back and was told that the fish that I wanted (they have none but they can be ordered) is a brackish water fish. TO make sure, I was told to check the lattin name and return. I am again doing research, and I find that the Dwarf Puffer (Tetraodon travancorius ), is a fresh water fish, however it can survive in brackish.

Now, who is right? And if I need to set up a brackish water tank...how do I do that!
I would love to have 1 male 2 females (Dwarf puffers) and a few mollies (I think they school ) and something to clean the tank...a cat fish perhaps? I know that I will need many many higing places for them, so plants and caves are a must, and they will also need a steady suply of snails to much on as well as shrimp.

So, how am I doing on my research? Have I forgotten anything? Please please walk me through everything step by step, I do not want to kill these fish. I have twin 3 year olds in the house and they are just as excited about the pufers as I am (they even do this really cute thing. WHen asked what puffers do when they are scared, they will puff our their cheeks and bug their eyes, then slowly rise and say "oh no, not again" a' la' Nemo) and I am not in the mood to scar them for life when they run down the stairs to see the family fish and one is "sleeping" on its back! EEEK!!!

So, my fellow puffer friends, please educate me!
I am new

WGWC

 

[Lithril]

Welcome to the totally addictive world of keeping puffers

First things first a 10 gal would have been fine for a couple of dwarfs but a 20 is even better. You want to make sure you have good filtration in the tank, you want the water cycled about 5 times an hours... puffers are messy!

Dwarfs are definately Freshwater, whilst they may survive in brackish, they won't be happy and definatley won't live as long.

I would say the Mollies are a definately no no, the tails will prove too much of a temptation for the poor lil dwarfs, if you can find FW bumblebee gobies they can go with dwarfs, although personally I keep bristlenose plecos and otoinclus for a clean up crew and the puffers totally ignore them (although I have actually seen the plecos chase the puffers!!). Make sure if you go down this route that you don't get a common pleco as they get huge!!!

If puffers do "puff" themselves up then they're stressed, personally mine never have yet which I'm taking as a good sign.

You'll want plenty of caves in the tank, usually the same number as the number of fish plus and extra few. Lots of plants or decor to break up the line of sight is needed as the lil fellas can get terratorial.

HTH

Matt

 

[jread]

Lithril pretty much covered it. I just wanted to add that you cannot just feed them flakefood, and will have to use frozen or live foods.

 

[diVer]

For a 20 gallon you could probably get around 7 or 8 puffers (give or take a few) with lot of caves. Otos are great with them, I think mine bug the puffers more than the puffers bug the otos. Good luck.