[prettyrustyrobot]

they claim that dwarf puffers are NOT aggressive, whereas every other site i have seen online (and many of you forum members!) insist that they are.

"This is the smallest puffer fish in the world! Really, really small, no kidding! Actually, full grown they are just about the size of a penny...maybe! Not to be confused with aggressive Figure 8 Puffers or Green Spotted Puffers you might see at the pet store or all of the know-it-all's on the internet forums claiming these are aggressive. These are peaceful, and very beneficial in the aquarium as they eat small (we mean small) snails, mosquito and dragonfly larvae, and other aquatic bugs like mantis shrimp and plant leeches and other micro organisms. Remember, these are a schooling fish. KEEP THEM IN GROUPS, BIG GROUPS! Perhaps the people that have had aggressive dwarf puffers kept them secluded without any buddies, or maybe they had only a pair, where they were only defending themselves or their eggs. Other instances of fin-nipping might occur due to improper water parameters, lack of territorial borders, or a lack of quantity!!"


i'm obviously inclined to believe multiple sources over just one source, but can someone give me some feedback? i'm thinking about setting up a dwarf puffer tank later this year and i need to make sure that i do it right.


and isn't it red-tailed sharks that grow to ridiculous sizes or am i thinking of something else?

 

[Rex Grigg]

Perhaps this should be asked at http://www.dwarfpuffers.com/forum/

 

[prettyrustyrobot]

i'm not a member of that forum. i'm a member of this forum.

i noticed that there seem to be a lot of people here who have dwarf puffers, so i don't see why i can't ask the question here.


thanks anyway.

 

[aquanut415]

IME they get nippy if hungry, some people can keep them without issue. i can not.

 

[Rex Grigg]

i'm not a member of that forum. i'm a member of this forum.

i noticed that there seem to be a lot of people here who have dwarf puffers, so i don't see why i can't ask the question here.


thanks anyway.

Perhaps a larger knowledge base over there?

 

[ZLewis]

I have seven dwarf puffers and a small bristlenose in a 10 gal. The dwarf puffers are almost full grown. The are not aggressive and like to hang out in a group. I had four in there to start out and they were fairly aggressive toward each other. I wanted to know first hand if they do better in large groups, so I added three more. Ever since I added the additional three they have calmed down. I have read however that they can change their behavior at any time so I will keep an eye on them. I'm sure some will disagree with me and say I'm way overstocked with the puffers but I want to learn first hand. I've only had them two months but like I said they are almost full grown.

 

[AMidnightSoul]

I've kept dwarf puffers for many years & each puffer is different. Some can be kept with other fish &/or other puffers & some won't tolerate any other fish. It just depends.

 

[prettyrustyrobot]

thanks, guys.

i guess i'll just try to play it by ear and see how they do together.

i appreciate the advice!

 

[Robert H]

The tiny pea size freshwater dwarf puffers are pretty much harmeless. I have kept large groups of them together and with other fish. They were never aggresive, and even somewhat school together which no other Puffer specie will do. Any other puffer will tear each other to pieces. They do not have the sharp beak that the larger species have. They can't even crack the shell of a snail, but instead, basically pull the snail out from inside the shell. They will eat tiny baby snails and snail eggs whole. They are very slow and deliberate about attacking their prey, sometimes circling around a snail for several minutes before striking it.

 

[aquanut415]

The tiny pea size freshwater dwarf puffers are pretty much harmeless.

after reading all the posts people have made about keeping this fish, how could you make a statement like this? they are clearly not harmless in many situations.

 

[monkeygills]

fresh vs. brackish

My LFS says there are different kinds and that the tiny freshwater puffers are peaceful but the brackish kind are not. I don't have latin names on this. He also feeds tons of live california blackworms to his fish and they are poking out of the substrate in the heavily planted puffer/community tanks so I doubt anyone is hungry.