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would there be problem with combining 1 dwarf puffer with harlequins,ghost shrimp and kuhli loaches?

Yes. Your dwarf puffer will eat your shrimp. Also, how big is the tank? Dwarf puffers need alot of space if you mix them with other species. Plus, they require a little bit of salt in the water to keep them happy. Your harlequins and khulis may not appreciate that. Sorry, but I dont think that this idea would work for you in the long run.

Inky

Dwarf puffers do not need and should not have any salt added to their water. They are actually quite intollerant of salt and come from entirely freshwater bodies of water that have no connection to the ocean. Puffers are a rather unpredictable group and will almost always end up picking on or killing their tankmates. Sometimes it happens immediately, sometimes it takes years, but I've yet to hear of any fish that can be kept with any species of puffer and not eventually get picked on. Also any fast fish will steal the puffers food since puffers are rather slow moving and even slower eaters. They have great maneuverability to get around things but no speed and they like to eye up their food for awhile before grabbing it. They do best in a puffer only tank with maybe an unobstrusive bottom feeder that you won't miss when the puffers finally take an interest in it. Some people actually have luck with keeping otos in a DP tank for a few years but eventually you are going to lose at least 1 to puffer attacks.

I'll second sham on that, shrimp will be history and the kuhli's probably will be too unless they hide a lot.The downside to a puffer being outcompeted for food is that it may resolve the problem by helping itself to the bodyparts of the fish that pinched its food in the first place! Necessity being the mother of invention.

They definitely don't need salt. At all. Ever.

Talk to the fish .lol



How can you argue with proof like that?

The only bomb-proof combination of puffers and another fish that ive tried was with Siamese flying foxes, other fish that were nipped included 5 species of tetra, two species of plecs, ottos, and shrimp. The ideal cagemate for a puffer is one that is MUCH bigger, and feeds non competetively, and isnt aggressive, but is capable of being brusque and quick moving if annoyed. Siamese flying foxes fit the bill perfectly as adults, although a juvenile would go the same way as most other fish. There's no way a dwarf puffer will cause significant damage to a 5-6 inch fish.

I have had the DP's(3) and a colomesus asellus puffer with harlequins and ghost shrimp for around 3-4 years together. They are in a heavily planted 55 gallon tank and there has been NO problems whatsoever. The puffers leave both ghost shrimp and bamboo shrimp alone in my set up. I bought 4 ghost shrimp a bit before Christmas, and I often still see two at a time.

No salt in the water, though.

I would not worry about the puffers being outcompeted if you are feeding frozen or live food. My DP's will not touch prepared foods. But they definetly are active enough to get their food.

I have had at least one dp for around 6 years and have seen no signs of aggression. Also, I worked at a FIsh Store with a tank full of them for about 9 months, the only aggression that I have witnessed was toward snails.

What I have written is from personal experience with DP's, not from second hand information.

I always thought dwarf puffers needed salt? Mabey I'm getting them confused with another type of puffer. Sorry about the false info!!!!


I still say no to the combo though for the reasons stated above ^_^*

Inky

LOVE that photo.

Dwarf puffers are Very intolerant of salt. The tetroadon genus is actually very verse in its tolerance of salt. Some puffers like your spiny and dogfaced puffers require marine salt at around 1.020, your green spotted puffers start life in freshwater but move thru brackish into full marine in adulthood. Figure eight puffers start life in fresh but like to be in water thats specific gravity is around 1.010 and will live for years there. Then there are thos like the dwarf puffer that is only an inch big at full adult size and he wants nothing to do with salt ever.

There are a few websites out there that go over the differnt spiecies and what kind of water they like, and when I pull my favorites off my old puter I will pass them along.

Cheers, and love the puffer pic!