Dwarf Puffer -- min tank size?

bluetik

bluetik

AC Members
Dec 10, 2008
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Sunny Florida
OK, there's a little back story here, which I'm going to share for your amusement -- no commenting on my parenting strategies please. If you don't care to be amused by the antics of a 5-year-old sociopath in training ;), move directly to the red font question below. My son is about to get expelled from Kindergarten for violent behavior toward his peers (he tried to strangle someone on Monday :eek3: and has had a few other incidents in the past few weeks). He is really a great kid, and tries hard to be good, he just has a little bit of an anger / impulse control issue.:nutkick:

Anyway, one of the ways I am trying to modify his behavior is through positive reinforcement. :thm:Every day when he brings home his sheet from school, if he gets a good report, he can draw a smiley face on a sheet of paper. He can then use the smilies to earn rewards.

I picked up a 3 gallon tank kit the other day at WalMart, b/c he likes our new Amano shrimp, and I was thinking of holding a few back for him in the 3 gallon when I add the others to our community aquarium after QT. So, I told him -- "10 smilies earns you an aquarium of your very own."

Well, today, I took him to see his shrink. :thud:And he was so stoked by the new puffer in her big salt-water tank, that it gave me pause. Finally, the question you've been waiting so patiently to read: "I wonder if I could put a single dwarf puffer in a planted 3-gallon?"

If not, he liked the puffer so much that I might take the 3-gallon back and upgrade to a 5 gallon, or let him have the 10 gallon QT tank. Would the DP be okay with a few Amano Shrimp? My water is hard and alkaline -- is this okay for a DP?

If I decide to stick with the 3-gallon and the DP is a no-go, is there anything that can go in there with 2-3 amano shrimp? Maybe a guppy or two?

Thanks!
 
I've heard that it's a 5g minimum, but 3g's may work. Hard water is fine. A DP may attack the shrimp, but it really depends on the temperment IMO. Guppies would be good with the amanos, or another type of small non-aggressive fish (not bettas!!).
 
In a heavily planted interesting three gallon I've seen it work. A five gallon would be a safer bet, though. If I wasn't extremely happy with the use mine is being used for right now I would get a DP.

Some people have had luck with shrimp and others haven't. Seeing as how amano shrimp tend to be more expensive and wild-caught I would reccomend against it, as it would not be fun coming home to several shrimp bigger than the puffer nipped in half.

Well wishes towards your son :).
 
Dwarf puffers need a minimum of 5 gallons. Puffers are messy eaters, so they really need the water capacity as well as a great filter (like one rated for a 10+ tank on a 5g).

The puffer diet consists of shrimp, clams, snails, crabs, mussels, etc, so keeping a puffer in the same tank as inverts is really just asking for a massacre (and a horribly overstuffed puffer, possibly a dead, exploded puffer). Keep in mind that a puffer will only eat live or frozen foods such as the above.

Hard water is the preference for most puffers. I haven't kept dwarf puffers or other freshwater puffers before (mine are brackish), so their needs may be a bit different.
 
bazil323 said:
Keep in mind that a puffer will only eat live or frozen foods such as the above.
Click to expand...

You should probably count on this, I just wanted to tell a funny story. My FI got one that was trained to eat freeze-dried bloodworms. When he switched to frozen, the puffer actually refused to eat for a little while. They're so crazy.
 
Yea, I would probably go with a 5 gallon or a heavily planted/decorated 3 gallon. If you feed the puffer with syringes that would help a lot with the messy eating since you control the amount they eat instead of dropping it all in at the same time.
The only problem with the three gallon is they are very smart fish for their size and might get bored in such a small tank.
 
have had puffers for years and i would get the 10g only because they get really bored and they are very intelligent and need space to explore, then they won't feel like your son, this is why they are more agressive they are stressed, the puffer will be more relaxed and happy in a 10g,.. if you crowd they will react,.. and no only get 1

2 for a 20long,.. i have tried the size amounts and the anger comes out with smaller spaces,..

try looking up info on the dwarfpuffer.com website, they are really good info their, and i differ a bit with them as they know me there well,.. i have made things work that they say can't ,.. so research and good luck with your boy i'm have issues myself with my kids one is perfect the other is well i'm at a loss, as to understand the minds of others,..
 
Okay Vamp, I'll bite. What are you using your 5-gallon for that you are extremely happy with?

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'm going to take the little guy out looking around to see what he thinks he might want, then decide whether to upgrade the tank. I grabbed it on a whim, thinking "shrimp only". But he is thinking "fish", and I'm not sure I'm comfortable keeping fish in anything that small.

Of course, he's only on smiley # 2 today, so we have a week or so to think about it if things go well. If not, we have even longer to think about it ...... Then we'll have to cycle it, so .... don't need a decision right away.
 
Oh, I didn't mention it, but another awesome site is www.thepufferforum.com. They have tons of info about puffers, including profiles and articles on puffer care and keeping.

The forums on there are great, and there are many members with years of experience keeping all kinds of puffers.
 
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