Unwanted Dwarf Puffer

[Raechal]

So about 1-2 months ago my sister got 2 DP's for her 10 gallon. A week after she put them in her tank one of them died. So my mom took away her tank and offered the DP to me since she knew I would take care of him. The only place I could put him was in my 120 gallon. So I acclimated him to my 120 gallon and he has been there for a couple weeks. My oldest molly did have some small bites from her tailfin so I expected he was nipping fins. Now he follows or "hunts" a fish until he can get close enough to nip at their tail. The fish usually are too fast and get away from him and never get bit. But I know this is a problem and he can not be kept in a community tank. I just didn't have anywhere else to put him. I thought my mom had saved the 10 gallon, but she gave it away to the goodwill or some charity place. So he is still in my 120 gallon and I don't know what to do with him. I've called up the LFS and they said they can't take him because they have no room to put him in his own tank and they don't have anymore DP's for sale.

The only spare tank I have is a 1 gallon kritter keeper with no filter or anything. What should I do? I don't have any money to go out and buy another tank set-up for him. I have a filter for a 10 gallon a HOB filter but there is no way it would fit on that small 1 gallon tank.

 

[SirMinion]

Intitially get the largest breeder trap you can find to isolate him in the 120 gallon before he harms any more of his tankmates.
Then you need to convince your Mom to help finance a five or ten gallon tank to house him properly.

Unless you can find someone else to take him on, it's your only option as far as I can see.

 

[troutfly]

Keeping him in the breeding trap will work if it isn't made of netting, he will chew through it. Does the 1 gal. critter keeper have a lid? I know it would be un-sightly, but you colud isolate him in it as one would do with a lobster, and bring him up to put food in there for him. Of course this is a very temporary solution, I would look for a 10gal. set up for him, that is if you have the room.

 

[Raechal]

Keeping him in the breeding trap will work if it isn't made of netting, he will chew through it. Does the 1 gal. critter keeper have a lid? I know it would be un-sightly, but you colud isolate him in it as one would do with a lobster, and bring him up to put food in there for him. Of course this is a very temporary solution, I would look for a 10gal. set up for him, that is if you have the room.

I do not have any room for a 10 gallon. maybe a 2.5 gallon or 5 gallon MAYBE. I have a breeding net but it is made of net material and I fugured he would just chew through it. I isolated him in the 1 gallon kritter keeper with the lid and put an air stone in there along with some plants for hiding. He seems to be doing fine and swimming around and eating nicely.

He will just have to live in the 1 gallon until I can find somethiing bigger that is pretty cheap. Or until I can find another job.

 

[Erised]

If you can get him a 5G, that would be perfect for him. A single dwarf puffer will not need more than 5G really ... bigger is better ofcourse, but he'll happily live in a 5G. A 1 gallon is too small to keep him in on long terms, but I'm sure you're aware of this

Hope you'll be able to figure something out.

 

[Raechal]

If you can get him a 5G, that would be perfect for him. A single dwarf puffer will not need more than 5G really ... bigger is better ofcourse, but he'll happily live in a 5G. A 1 gallon is too small to keep him in on long terms, but I'm sure you're aware of this

Hope you'll be able to figure something out.

Yea, I know the 1 gallon is too small. I will just have to pick up a 5 gallon or something if I can get some money. How much is a 5 gallon anyway? I know my 2.5 gallon was $10.00 at petsmart. Anyways, each of my 2 male bettas have their own 10 gallons which could be used for the DP, but I would feel bad taking my betta out of his home and putting him in the 1 gallon kritter keeper. Would a divider work in a 10 gallon? I think a 10 gallon divider is around $8.00 and I am sure I could get $8.00 by the end of the weekend.

I just tried to feed him mysis shrimp and I would put them in the air bubble flow so they looked alive and he just ignored them. He ate like a half of one yesterday. Is this normal or should I be worried that he is not eating? I have PLENTY of small snails in my brother's 29 gallon. Should I try a few of those?

 

[pica_nuttalli]

i'd definitely do the divided 10g. bettas are naturally equipped to deal with each other, so i'd put them both in the divided tank. i dread to think of what a dp could do to a betta should he jump over the fence... to minimize the risks of a jumper, be sure to invest in some sort of top or netting.

hrm... if one of your bettas is especially peaceful, you could think about putting him in the 120g. you'd have to watch him, but it could work.

 

[MAM]

Um, so what about just using the 10 gal your sister had him in and keeping him in her room, but you continue to care for him?

 

[Puffer_freak]

I thought my mom had saved the 10 gallon, but she gave it away to the goodwill or some charity place.

 

[MAM]

LOL, sorry, my bad, missed taht somehow )

Agreed, get a 10 gal divider, put the bettas on either side, give the dp his own 10 gal.

 

[pnyklr3]

I really thought that I had purchased a 10 gallon for around 10 dollars at one point from Petsmart.

 

[Blue Lobster]

Use the 10 for the Puffer and get this for the Bettas.
The $9 solution.

http/www.petlanddiscounts.com/detail.asp?product_id=433688

 

[Raechal]

i'd definitely do the divided 10g. bettas are naturally equipped to deal with each other, so i'd put them both in the divided tank. i dread to think of what a dp could do to a betta should he jump over the fence... to minimize the risks of a jumper, be sure to invest in some sort of top or netting.

hrm... if one of your bettas is especially peaceful, you could think about putting him in the 120g. you'd have to watch him, but it could work.

I have females in the 120 gallon and there is no way any of my males could be healthy in that strong of a current. I'll probably just get a divider and then give the DP his own 10 gallon.

I was wondering why is it okay to keep a male betta in a 1 gallon, but not a DP that is considerably smaller than the betta?

 

[Raechal]

Use the 10 for the Puffer and get this for the Bettas.
The $9 solution.

http/www.petlanddiscounts.com/detail.asp?product_id=433688

NO WAY! I bought one of those to breed snails in and it holds less than a half gallon of water. It holds about maybe a cup of water. I would NEVER put a betta in there. Let alone two. The whole container probably holds 3/4 of a gallon IF that much water. I wouldn't even put one male betta in there.

And they sell that at walmart for like $5.00.

 

[Raechal]

I can buy a tank divider for less than $9.00 and each betta would have WAY more room.