breakaway Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 How many of you keep freshwater dwarf puffers? I've just set up a species tank with 3 x dwarf puffers (2F, 1M) Just curious to see if there are any locals that keep em! I fed my puffers blood worm earlier this evening at 7pm and one of them still has the worm 'sheath' stuck in his mouth - I'm not particularly concerned about this but the mrs can't stop bitching :roll: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 need to feed them snails to keep the teeth trimmed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brennos Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 I looked at them, are they particularly hard to look after? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted January 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 I will be getting some snails from the LFS tomorrow to provide some variation in their diet - however my extensive research tells me that dwarf puffers do not have issues with overgrown teeth. Apparently most of the time the puffer will suck the snail out of its shell rather than eat it whole - http://www.dwarfpuffers.com/ (Click feeding and read the "Snails" paragraph) @Brennos - Not particularly hard, but definitely takes more work than the average tetra or whatever. The two most important things to consider is feeding them (they are picky, and messy eaters) and tank mates - they sometimes don't play nice with other fish. Its very hit and miss with puffers - you might get one puffer that won't mind living in a community tank, and another that is very aggressive to other puffers even. Heaps of personality When I feed them I'm careful to not let excess food accumulate. They have no ribs etc, so they can gorge themselves to death (apparently). They are also very sensitive to water parameters (this is part of why I remove excess food). So putting them into a well established aquarium is an absolute must. Photo: http://iforce.co.nz/i/gvgz5cml.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morcs Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 Watching them eat snails is funny. I have a snail epidemic in a few tanks at work, and I just used to fill a bag up with snails and take em home. The puffers would circle the snail waiting for it to come out of its shell, then dive bomb them. awesome to watch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted January 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 Some photos (You have no idea how difficult it is to get a good shot of these guys!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdarnixx Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 this is probably a really really stupid question but something i always wanted to know :oops: do the dwarf puffers puff up when they get startled? :oops: :oops: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted January 15, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 I'm sure they puff up, but I've never seen them do so. But according to my internet research, a puffed up puffer fish is a bad thing - they often cannot unpuff and float upside down and starve to death. So I'm taking due care to make sure they don't puff up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdarnixx Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 lol ok...id better not get any then...the temptation to test my theory might be to much for me to stop Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ira Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 My brazilian puffer only puffed up once. He was in my hand out of the water after I squeezed him out of the hose end of the gravel vac he'd gotten himself sucked up when I wasn't looking. He was fine. Blew some bubbles and floated around drunkenly for a while after I put him back in the water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jolliolli Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 i only feed fine bloodworms and have never senn any problems with overgrown teeth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 Nice pics - they are lovely wee things, my daughter wanted some a few years ago, but since we only had a 2ft com tank, it was not going to be a good idea, I could just imagine the tankmates with bits missing out of them :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreadbunny Posted January 15, 2010 Report Share Posted January 15, 2010 I have a trio, they just eat blood worms, occasionally snails if I can find some. They are great to watch. Has anyone tried worming theirs? I have issue with a very skinny male who eat well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xxdarnixx Posted January 16, 2010 Report Share Posted January 16, 2010 can they be kept with other fish? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted January 16, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 16, 2010 Nope - they're pretty aggressive even though they only grow to about an inch in size. Suitable tankmates include oto cats, and certain types of freshwater shrimp as a 'clean up crew' since they're so messy. You could try getting them settled into a community tank, but I wouldnt' recommend it - read the testimonials here - http://www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_puffer3.php - almost everytime someone has tried to put them into a community tank, it has ended in disaster. Some people have had success though - Since this fish is imported from India, here in the USA most of the time they are very stressed, but are surprisingly hardy fish. These fish are semi-aggressive, and it is best to avoid keeping males together in a small tank. In a larger tank you can have several males, but be sure to create lots of caves and provide enough plants for protection. Males have a brown vertical line on their belly, which can darken and fade. Females do not have this. Bloodworms seem to be their staple diet, but I have seen mine also eat some flakes and sinking pellets. Little pond snails and ghost shrimp are also very good to include in their diet. These fish are fin nippers, so be careful with what you mix with them. I have found that they get along with most community fish without long fins! However there's also stuff like this on there I recently bought an ADA Advanced CO2 system and added more plants on my tiny setup...tragically, I also introduced snails in my aquarium on that particular event. The snail infestation grew and grew and I decided to act on it. Through research I have found out in this site that there are fishes that can actually handle this situation. The clown loach is good for this, but my community tank is so small that tiny species are the only choice, or else chasing and stressed fish will result. I opted for the pygmy puffer, bought 2 of these cute swimmers. At the pet store, I watched them as they hover like choppers around while nipping each other. I thought maybe they're just aggressive to each other and bought them anyway. Day one, never a shy fish, nipped at the angels right away. It would swim to a fish in a slow-hovering-friendly manner, like a curious kid trying to get to know another...then nip! Day two was like a scenario if your tank was infested with a fin rot disease, all of the fishes got the nip. The fan tail guppies looked like a siamese fighting fish with its fins shaped like a punk`s head. They're now on the other small "on-probation" aquarium, together with the other "not so friendly" fishes. The bad boy fishes are serving their sentence with the new guys on the block - "The nippers". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANB001 Posted January 16, 2010 Report Share Posted January 16, 2010 Hello I have Travancoricus too It`s really nice and funny fish. 100% freshwater. Mine eats red mosquito larvae, grindall, and small sniles. They dont brake the shell, they bite and bite their meat, until the snail is too weak, and can be sucked out of it. I`ve put in a different tank what i think is a couple... These one should be the male and those, maybe, a couple http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa22 ... en1561.flv Googled things when bought them few ago, maybe you like to take a look Youtube channel of someone who breeds them, a lot of interesting videos http://www.youtube.com/user/PXYG#p/a/24 ... 3jS3bwfO_Y Origin of Carinotetraodon travancoricus http://www.zwergkugelfisch.de/Origin.html Post in Indian forum about their biotope (I like native fish zones http://indianaquariumhobbyist.com/commu ... vancoricus Travancoricus text with pics and ideas to sex them http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/lib ... rf-puffer/ They make it look easy... and a couple more http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebI...ffwpuffaqs.htm http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile93.html Sorry for my english & luck with them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Nice video ANB001, I did not realise they got so fat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANB001 Posted January 17, 2010 Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 JAJAJAJAAJ yes, eats like beasts... but they burn it every day Grindall is a passion for them... they digest all fast... one day is one day... Anyway... I recognize... these one got too much these day XDD if it was dry food should be a big problem... but unfortunately mine dont eat it :C Made changes these afternoon http://s196.photobucket.com/albums/aa22 ... gen737.flv They look a lot nicer with a clear substrate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted January 17, 2010 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2010 Yeah.. these guys won't eat dried food at all. In fact I'm having trouble getting mine to accept mysis shrimp. They will gladly eat bloodworm (2 each!) and have a go at 'pest' snails which I got from the LFS. I put 4 in yesterday, and today all that was left were the empty shells! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gatito Posted January 26, 2010 Report Share Posted January 26, 2010 I have a trio, have had for just over a month now i think? Just posted a photo thread with pics of mine viewtopic.php?f=4&t=43800 I didn't realise they varied so much in appearance, my females are almost identical apart from individual markings (no two puffers are the same apparently), my male is a lot paler, almost scuffed-looking, with very obvious blue "boy wrinkles" around his eyes. All the puffers posted in this thread look so different from each other, very cool my male, Mister Puff females foraging among their snail carcasses Clearest pic i've managed to get so far (basic cybershot camers, no slr or adjustments) I put 4 in yesterday, and today all that was left were the empty shells! Lucky you breakaway, mine eat the foot of the snails, then leave the rest to rot. They pick at it as long as it sits there, but never empty the shells (would make maintenance easier if they did!!!!!!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted February 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Just a bit of an update - my 3 puffers have grown up and it looks like they're all boys :lol: I know this because they all seem to have a line down their belly right from their chin. Still good though, as they aren't aggressive towards each other. Coupla vids: / @ gatito - looks like the snails that you're giving them might be a bit big, try giving them smaller ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phoenix44 Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 I like the name mr. puff. may i steal it for a certain fish im getting? :lol: so what sort of snails do you feed them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 I seem to recall reading somewhere that you feed them snails the same size as their eye - or is this not correct? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
breakaway Posted February 25, 2010 Author Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 Yeah that's a good guide to go by Zev. However the general concencus amongst keepers of carinotetraodon travancoricus is that they don't have the issue with overgrown teeth that other puffers to do so you don't need to worry about feeding them snails to grind their teeth down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zev Posted February 25, 2010 Report Share Posted February 25, 2010 By the sounds of it Gatio's puffs aren't getting much teeth grinding practice anyway if they are just nibbling on the snail and not the shell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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