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I decided I wanted to get 2 maybe 3 Dwarf Puffers for a ten gallon but the more I read the more I realize there is no way to keep these fish healthy unless they are fed snails. I have a huge phobia of snails and worms.....huge.....:#(:#(
So, I guess Im out of luck in getting some puffers, huh??

Are you afraid of those small Snails?.


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Yep....All of em! And I have to put my hand in that water!!! Very scary

DPs really don't need live snails in their diets - they just don't have the same tooth growth problem many puffers have. Frozen bloodworms (thawed of cours) work well, and you can feed small freeze dried things (worms, small shrimp, water fleas, etc.) after rehydrating them.

ONLY feed what they'll eat while you watch for a few minutes and use a brine shrimp net to scoop out uneaten food or your water quality will go down the toilet really, really fast. After awhile, you know how much to feed and their easy.

HTH,

Eric

"and you can feed small freeze dried things (worms, small shrimp, water fleas, etc.) after rehydrating them"

After rehydrating them??? What do you mean by this exactly?

So, they DONT NEED snails? I feed my fish dried blood worms now along w frozen ones and flake foods.
Why do you say that about the water? Are they dirty fish? Dont eat as much as other fish? What about some bottom feeders on the bottom? As long as I dont over feed the water will be as any other tank, right? Or no?

Thanks!

I always soak freeze dried foods in a shot glass of tank water so they are fully rehydrated - most of the foods say to do so on the label.

They really don't need snails - piscivore puffers and DPs are kind of exceptions to the rule on tooth growth. DPs slurp snails anyway, so they don't get much from the crunchy shell.

And they are messy fish - think of oscars in their eating habits - they simply make messes. However, if you don't overfeed, you'll be fine. Otos and glass/grass shimps are possible tankmates that'll eat crumbs and stuff. However, it's truly best to feed small amounts, watch them eat it all, and stop feeding when they have nicely round tummies...it's not hard, doesn't take long, and they're really not harder to keep than other fish once you're used to them.

Eric

All the people I talked to when I got my dp fed them on mostly frozen bloodworms and only raised snails as treats. Mine wouldn't eat frozen or dried food yet so I was feeding him on only snails. I finally got him to nibble on a frozen bloodworm and was headed to find him a friend when the filter stopped while I was gone during the day. Poor puffer didn't make it. Puffers really appreciate snails but they don't need them to be healthy. Bloodworms are a better staple and a few puffers actually learn to take flakes. Any bottom feeder has a chance of being killed or eaten by the puffer. I would just use some cheap ghost shrimp and see how the puffers do with them. I also suggest at least 2 puffers since they seem to do better and encourage each other to eat especially with new foods.

Thanks you guys! I think I am going to get two when I get all my tanks reestablished. I just hope my LFS has more of them!

Ill keep them, 2, in a 10 gallon, alone.

Any more advice on sexing them that what is in the profiles? Is it ok to get a male and female?

Last edited by ladiejl at 23-Nov-2005 23:23

A male and a female, or a male and 2 females would be fine in a 10 gallon tank - either would work.

Belly stripe and wrinkles around the eyes are most likely males...that's about the best advice I can offer!

I had 4 in a 10 gallon for a while, and there was no fighting and I didn't bother sexing them...but they were young. With time I could tell I had I had 2 males and 2 females.

Eric

Check dwarfpuffers.com. They have great sexing info and pics. It was actually pretty easy to tell what mine was after reading through that.

Last edited by sham at 24-Nov-2005 00:31

Before you buy your puffers ask someone in the shop to feed, them , and then take the fish that take the bloodworm eagerly. If youre not prepared to offer them snails and they dont take bloodworm youve got serious problems. I wouldnt hold out for a dp that takes flake, I know someone who raised a batch of 300 of the little fellas. Not one would take flake, although they all went for bloodworm brineshrimp and snails.