will this small fishtank be bad for my puffer fish in the long run? i can't afford to get a bigger one for about a month. what happens if fish feel confined?
2007-04-28 12:10:17 · 7 answers · asked by splatterpunk 2 in Pets ➔ Fish
You don't say which species of puffer you're keeping, but it would be better to go with a larger tank - even if yours is a dwarf puffer.
Puffers like planted tanks, and there wouldn't be much room for him and plants in a tank of that size. You can look up your puffer in the links below to find out what the recommended size tank is for your puffer: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.php/v/PufferPedia/
http://www.pufferlist.com/
2007-04-28 15:26:09 · answer #1 · answered by copperhead 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You're fine for about a month. But don't put it off much longer. First off, you're correct about confinement. It IS a problem. You don't mention what type of puffer it is or how big it is currently but if the tank is too small, several things occur.
1. It doesn't get to swim as much as needed for its size and requirements. This causes stress to the fish. Stress lowers the immune system and can contribute to ich, velvet, etc.
2. The bioload in a small tank destroys water quality much quicker, also leading to illness.
3. It dwarfs the fish.
I saw that one poster mentioned it was cool how fish only grow to the size of the aquarium. She is right. But it isn't cool. If you put a human child in a cage, the same thing occurs. Unfortunately, there is a lot of damage done to the internal organs when stunting occurs as well as atrophy. This significantly reduces the life of the fish.
Because people routinely house new or sick fish in small quarantine tanks, a few weeks won't damage the fish. Just don't put it off too long.
2007-04-28 19:31:27 · answer #2 · answered by Barb R 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
oh dear, puffers need much more than a 2 gal tank. if you already bought the puffer then a 2 gal. tank was a waste of money. the only fish that should be in a 2 gal tank is one simese fighting fish (or betta) it is very bad for a puffer. if you already bought the puffer then there's not much hope. you might think that you'll put him in the biggest bowl you can find, but the water needs to be cycled which takes a good 1 or 2 months. sorry!
2007-04-28 19:30:43 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's hard to keep a fish like that (or any fish quite frankly) for any length of time in a tank that small. Get a larger one as soon as is feasible. It would very hard for an expert to keep it alive in a 2 gallon for long, much less a novice.
But, stranger things have happened...
About feeling confined, that would be the least of your problems. Water quality in that size tank will kill him much faster than any fishy emotional issues.
2007-04-28 19:25:26 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
a puffer fish is too big for the tank but if it is fresh water make sure you clean the water often, or it will die from the ammonia it produces. That is the only danger, feeling confined will not make a difference to his health
2007-04-28 19:13:34 · answer #5 · answered by gtamayo1 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I dont think it's a good idea to have such small space for puffer fish. You could probably try getting a betta fish and/or goldfish. Only one male betta fisg or two goldfish. Good Luck
2007-04-28 19:15:21 · answer #6 · answered by Chris 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
That wont happen..this is really cool..
If a fish lives in a tank, it will only grow to a size thats good for that tank, if you move it to a bigger one, then it will grow bigger.
2007-04-28 19:15:13 · answer #7 · answered by Kailawaila 1 · 0⤊ 5⤋