# Dwarf Puffer in 5 gallon minibow



## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

yes or no


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Sure, I think he'd be great in there. Just provide lots of broken sight lines so that he has things to explore and doesn't spend all his time rubbing his face against the glass


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

i guess it would work but it would be kinda boring for him if hes by his self


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## sadboy (Jan 6, 2005)

Wonder if a figure 8 would be okay too?


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

can i add a oto and some neons?


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

hmm i dono ur kinda pushing it.
u can try but i think ur puffer would atk the neons


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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

ottos usually seem to stay out of dwarf puffers way from what I understand, but I wouldn't add the neons. Not because of compatibility issues, but because puffers are scaleless fish who are especially sensitive to water quality, and there's no sense in stocking any heavier than you need to because you'll run into problems. Just do the dwarf and an otta and leave it at that


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

:nod:


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

im setting it up right know will have more pics later

1 pic the tank 
View attachment 65070


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## clintard_leonard (Mar 24, 2005)

like he said what about a figure 8 puffer?


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

figure 8's get too big. but 2-3 dwarf puffers should work. maybe even a bumble bee goby or 2


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

i dono about 2-3


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

King Oscar said:


> i dono about 2-3
> [snapback]1063584[/snapback]​


they get 1" long and are not agressive. why couldnt you do 2-3 in there?


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

well the rule is 1 per 3 gallons

edit:and they can get agressive


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

King Oscar said:


> well the rule is 1 per 3 gallons
> 
> edit:and they can get agressive
> [snapback]1063629[/snapback]​


first off, rules dont mean jack sh*t. My best friend has 6 in his 10g brackish tank with a few bumble bee gobys. I personally would go for 2-3 of them so you can see them interact other than just one fish swimming in a circle all day


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

lemmywinks said:


> King Oscar said:
> 
> 
> > well the rule is 1 per 3 gallons
> ...


Well. Firstly, dwarf puffers are a fresh water fish. Keeping them in brackish will definitely hinder their lifespan. It may be working 'right now' but I guess we'll have to see how long it goes for... Kind of like how some people have kept an oscar with their piranha for MONTHS and then _poof_, oscar is dead...

I had five dwarf puffers in a 10 gallon tank. After observing them a lot I decided to upgrade them to a 29 gallon and add more puffers. But I only added four. Even though the 10 gallong was insanely well planted, I still found a lot of issues with aggression.

And yes. They ARE aggressive. Or rather, better put, territorial. They are also ambush predators. So too many in too small a place means lots of chasing... And it's hard to pick whether you're getting a male or female as most places don't sell mature dwarf puffers so the main sign (belly stripe on male) is often not present and you have to squint to try and see eye wrinkles instead...

The actual dwarf puffer keeping rule would say one puffer for that 5 gallon. Issues include territory, as already mentioned, but also water quality. Someone already touched on how they are scaleless and susceptible to poor water qualities. Puffers are very messy fish. Think of them as being up there with oscars... Plus, 99% of them only accept live or frozen foods. Those who eat flake and/or pellets are the exception. So this can spoil water quality even fast... And I'm pretty familiar with the tank being used to house these future fish. The filter isn't the best.

I would say there are a couple of options here... Get just the one dwarf puffer. It'll be fine alone and will be surprisingly interactive for a little fish. If kept on something like, say, your computer desk you'll still like it a lot, I'm sure. 3 could also be tried like some people suggested. But then I would recommend water changes at least twice a week of 20-30%. And if you're doing 3 I would say that eliminates the ability to put otos in, but you might be able to try it. In such a small space the oto would probably be terrorized. (I personally have 3 otos in my 29 gallon, but will soon be adding 3 more, most likely.) And if the three dwarf puffers are done then the little tank has to be REALLY heavily planted. I mean from front to back, top to bottom. No real open swimming space. (The puffers are not going to lose out from the lack of swimming space, don't worry.) Firstly this breaks up the lines of sight and helps them establish territories. Secondly puffers like to explore and this keeps them busy.

Anyway... That's all that my hung over self can come up with for dwarf puffers.

As for a figure 8 puffer in that 5 gallon. NO. Just no.


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

Mettle said:


> lemmywinks said:
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> 
> > King Oscar said:
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## elTwitcho (Jun 22, 2004)

Mettle said:


> lemmywinks said:
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> 
> > King Oscar said:
> ...


Yes but experience does, and you have none with dwarf puffers, so maybe you shouldn't be questioning the rules just yet









Listen to mettle, he's got a pretty solid grasp on the whole dwarf puffer thing


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

yup he knows alot about dp's


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

elTwitcho said:


> Mettle said:
> 
> 
> > lemmywinks said:
> ...


I set up my friends tank and check them out every time I go over there... so saying I dont have any experience with them is not true.

I was just stating what was my experience with them. My friends tank doesnt have any problems at all with agression and they seem to be doing fine in the brackish tank with the little gobies.

I realize that not everbody has the same experience with the same fish. sorry for any confusion.


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

lemmywinks said:


> elTwitcho said:
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> 
> > Mettle said:
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Surviving is different than thriving... A figure 8 puffer, for example, can survive in fresh water. But it will thrive in brackish.


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## lemmywinks (Jan 25, 2004)

k, thanx for that info. I'll tell him to add less salt to the tank next time he does a big water change (the gobies are brackish, or I'd tell him to make it a pure fresh tank).


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Yeah, gobies are brackish... Does he have a hydrometer to measure the SG? Or does he just randomly toss salt in there? (A hydrometer cost me less than $20 Canadian.)

Problem with the tank is you have two types of fish with different needs. Techincally speaking they'd be better off in different tanks.


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

thanks for the info guys


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

change of plan, no more dp, got my self a male betta instead
pics








View attachment 65488

View attachment 65489

View attachment 65490


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Well that was a lot easier, lol.

Nice betta! He's going to be extremely happy in that setup. That's for sure.


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

u should get some neon tetras


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

Mettle said:


> Well that was a lot easier, lol.
> 
> Nice betta! He's going to be extremely happy in that setup. That's for sure.
> [snapback]1068246[/snapback]​


yes he will


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

King Oscar said:


> u should get some neon tetras
> [snapback]1068358[/snapback]​


cant, he will kill them. he already ate 3 guppys that i put in the tank with him and a ghost shrimp


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

o ok
did u see him atk them rite away


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

King Oscar said:


> o ok
> did u see him atk them rite away
> [snapback]1068607[/snapback]​


yep


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

i got the meanest one they had out of 12, he was the only one that was flaring


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

sweet


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## eL ChiNo LoCo (Apr 16, 2004)

Awesome choice, best companions at my desks (have 6 of them, 2 female)


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

eL ChiNo LoCo said:


> Awesome choice, best companions at my desks (have 6 of them, 2 female)
> [snapback]1069458[/snapback]​


1 gallons (x4) & 1/2 gallons (x2):
2 Female Bettas & 4 Male Bettas

so you have 4 males in one gallon tank and i guess 2 female betta in the 1/2 tank, dont they fight?


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## eL ChiNo LoCo (Apr 16, 2004)

I should fix that, its the other way around, oops....haha. Everyone has their own bowl.


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

o i was like wtf they dont fight. lol can u breed the battas? or will the male rape the female


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## oojit (Feb 24, 2005)

henry 79 said:


> change of plan, no more dp, got my self a male betta instead
> pics
> 
> 
> ...


Wow, nice headfake. Get them all talkin about DP's and then you get a betta. BTW nice betta.


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## King Oscar (Apr 5, 2005)

ya dude is betta is crazzy and agressive as hell


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## kove32 (Oct 26, 2004)

I once bred bettas in a 15 gallon tank. That was probally the most memorable experience for me ever. I really enjoyed that.. IT was a GREAT feeling. I dont' know why I brought that up but yea, neons are too quick. They'll work, guppies they often see the bright tails and attack!! THey love to eat ghost shrimp, I know I often fed them that!


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

Neons can be a bit fin nippy though. So if adding them to a tank with a betta, be careful.


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## Joga Bonito (Oct 30, 2004)

today i added 12 Dainos and a new light over the tank


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## Mettle (Dec 29, 2003)

The danios will slowly but surely pick away at that bettas fins. They are evil little fish. I hate them, personally. And now your lil' 5 gallon is also very much over stocked. Good luck with that, heh.


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## Shadow_weaveR (May 23, 2005)

henry 79 said:


> change of plan, no more dp, got my self a male betta instead
> pics
> 
> 
> ...


Cool betta, but that seems like a kinda boring tank, if you enjoy it then thats all that matters, but I personally would have gone with the DP, or maybe even a shrimp tank!


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