Dwarf Puffer tank mates?

Ara

Ara

Catquarium
Feb 4, 2010
425
0
16
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Hello all!

Okay, so I know some people/websites out there say not to put Dwarf Puffers with any other fish. But, I also know from experience that it can work out fine..


SO.. I was just curious.. anyone out there have Dwarf Puffer(s) in with other fish? Tell me about them!



I have one little girl DP, currently alone in a 5-gallon, but I want to take down the tank (it was temporary), so I am contemplating putting her in a bigger tank (10, 12 or 20 g) with other fish. I USED to have a DP in a 20-gallon community (I inherited the tank that way, already living with cory's, a betta, ADFs and danios).. and there were no issues for 3 years... but she passed away finally of old age and I ended up getting a new DP on implulse.. So I thought I would check with other people's community DP stories.



:) Thanks guys!
 
I've heard that it depends on the puffer. I've heard that otos are always fine,and that ADF's are usually ok. It all depends on the size of the tank, and how planted it is. the more stimulation the puffer gets, the less it cares about the other fish.
 
The puffer will nip at anything not fast enough to get away from it's strong teeth, so frogs are out of the question. Ottos & cherry shrimp seem to work well as well as fast-moving fish, like danios.
 
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Based on your sig, I would say a good fit would be the 12g. Zippy danios and "10000000+ pond snails". :p:
 
I had a DP in with some panda cories in a 10g. Everything was fine for a couple months, then one morning I wake up to the cories with shredded fins and looking terrified. IMO/E, I wouldn't do it. More than likely you will end up with 1 of 2 outcomes: the puffer will end up shredding the other fish in the tank with it; or it will be so shy that it will not even come out to eat.

I know you say it worked fine before, I have to say that I think you got very lucky. I'm working on the law of averages and my own experience here.
 
fishycat said:
Based on your sig, I would say a good fit would be the 12g. Zippy danios and "10000000+ pond snails". :p:
Click to expand...

Haa haa... you are totally right... that would work well...

And it WOULD be a happy puffer! :lol: So.. much... prey..

That might be what I end up doing. I thought I could always move some folk around.. but danios & snails would fit.

Heh, also, It would save me having to scoop up snails from time to time to throw in the little tank with the puffer.. :)


Thanks for the suggestions guys!
 
I have kept my dwarf puffer with a variety of other inhabitants, some i found were not good and others seem ok. First place i stuck my puffer was in my 29g bowfront invert tank, where i caught him killing some shrimp, so that was no good. Then i moved him into a 130g amazonian style community which he still resides(but is being moved to his own tank soon) and he lives with some angles, used to be a ram and hatchets, couple ottos and some cory cats. I havent noticed him damaging any of the fish in the big tank, he seems to keep to himself until i drop in the bloodworm cube and he zips across the tank to get food. Taking the 130 down slowly to clean and rescape for a big puffer, going to move the dwarf puffer into his own 10g that im working on scaping and thinking about gettin him a little female friend to keep company
 
I wanted to share what jbradt said in another thread about DP...

jbradt said:
They can smell a snail as soon as I put it in, and will hunt it down with a vengeance. When I first started feeding them snails, I put in about 20 at once, thinking "that will last them for days". Nope. They systematically hunted down every last one until they looked like my uncle after thanksgiving dinner. They did everything but unbuckle their belts.
Click to expand...

:laugh: Now, I'm sure that DP will stop before their tummies go 'splodey right?? :lipssealedsmilie:
 
fishycat said:
I wanted to share what jbradt said in another thread about DP...



:laugh: Now, I'm sure that DP will stop before their tummies go 'splodey right?? :lipssealedsmilie:
Click to expand...
So far they have. There have been a couple times I've over fed a little, and they don't seem to have done any damage. There are times that I wonder though.
 
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