At Petsmart, I saw that they had a Dwarf Puffer Fish in the freshwater section. The label said that they prefer brackish water. I want to get that fish, but I don't want to damage my other fish with the salt. Will the Dwarf Puffer be ok in my freshwater aquarium? Also will he be compatible with my other fish (platies, danios, guppy, gourami, and pleco)?
2007-04-29 04:49:17 · 9 answers · asked by ZooTycoonMaster 6 in Pets ➔ Fish
If I want to keep him in the same tank, can I make his own little section for him to swim in?
2007-04-29 05:03:09 · update #1
Dwarf puffers will live when they are young in fresh, but after too long they will die w/o brackish water, and pleco's hate salt, it damages their livers. Also, they are really REALLY territorial and will kill other fish, They also need snails no bigger than their eye to eat. Thgis is hard cuz not too many people have snails that small. They need them to file down their beak, if their beak doesn't get filed down it will grow too long and grow thru the top of their mouth and they will die. They are really cute, but if you aren't willing to get him his own tank and do brackish, don't do it. They really are a lot of work. They shouldn't be sold in normal pet stores, because they're too much work for regualr owners and too much pain for the fish. Sry. There are lots of other cool fish out there with personalities like the puffer tho. Keep looking
2007-04-29 07:47:33 · answer #1 · answered by p51mustang1965 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Dwarf Puffers are extremely time consuming and expensive to care for because they only eat frozen food and live food (some times they only eat live food). They are about as far from a community fish as you can get. Though they stay about an inch long, they have a sharp beak they can (and will) tear through any other fish. They are 100% freshwater fish and will die in brackish water (aquarium salt is different than brackish salt). Puffers should be kept in a tank with only Puffers of the same species. Until you are an experienced fish keeper, I would caution against Puffers. Nosoop4u
2016-04-01 00:51:24 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dwarf Puffers are the most peaceful of any "Sold As Pet" puffer. Even one they've matured, several can be kept in a tank together with proper cover.
They will do better than most puffers in a freshwater tank, but judging by your fish list, it wouldn't hurt for you to increase the salinity a bit. Don't bother with the $1.50 a quart "Aquarium Salt" though, either buy a bag or rock salt or use any you might already have lying around.
As long as you aren't keeping a bare tank, and can give the little guy room to hide, I'd give it an Okay.
2007-04-29 10:10:21 · answer #3 · answered by Electric_Napalm 3 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Dwarf puffers are true fresh water puffers- no salt for them!! PetSmart's really on my s*** list lately lol, they're getting real bad.
You could try keeping them with those fish, I wouldn't recommend it though. Dwarf puffs do tend to be territorial and "nippy" with other fish, so may not be the best choice. I had a few dwarf puffs awhile back, and one of them killed off the other 3 dwarf puffs, and a catfish I put in there with him to help clean up. If you want dwarf puffs, pick up a small tank and do a species only tank there.
2007-04-29 06:09:33 · answer #4 · answered by tikitiki 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Hmm...
They will live much longer and would be alot healthier in brackish water...
Guppies and Platies will actually like the salt.
But not the Pleco or the Gourami.
So if some how you could get a small aquarium, you could put the guppies and the platies in with the puffer....
Ps. Puffers are known to be fin nippers, so be careful with the guppies...
Good Luck
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2007-04-29 05:59:59 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 3⤋
No...puffers should be kept with other puffers or else he can kill your guppy, pleco, etc. Just get a 20 or 10 gallon tank and buy aquarium salt and add the right amount that it says and it should be fine.
2007-04-29 06:43:49 · answer #6 · answered by Smartman455 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
i remember the day my partner talked me into getting 2 puffer fish, i thought they were horrible! i also bought a ruby shark at the same time which the shop owner put in the same bag as the puffers, by the time we got home (5 mins) it was as if the shark had never existed! there was no trace of it in the bag, they also went on to eat alot more of my other fish.
2007-04-29 06:06:31 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Puffers do best by themselves,they are fin nippers and constant pests to the other fish. Set up a separate tank if you must have a puffer.
2007-04-29 04:55:03 · answer #8 · answered by PeeTee 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
plecos wont do well with salt and the guppy and gouramis will be torn to shreds
2007-04-29 05:57:58 · answer #9 · answered by Cosby the Demon Lord 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋