need help with dwarf puffer fish the freshwater kind?

Question

i am moving my betta girls into a ten gallon cycled tank soon and need something to put in the 1 gallon bowl. i was thinking a dwarf puffer fish everyone says 2.5 gallons each but i think thats just if theyre living together maybe i can keep it in there 100 percent water change every week and what flake or pellet food can they eat because i cant keep live food (my mom stepped on a blood worm once

nuff saidon the blood worm

Answer 1

I don't know who "everyone" is, but I would recommend that they have at least 5 gallons per fish. It's not so much about size (dwarf puffers stay very small) but about their sensitivity to water quality - the water volume is to dilute the wastes so you can do water changes just once a week. And you don't want to do 100% water changes on a tank - too large of a change in the water chemistry can "shock" the fish. It's better to do more frequent small water changes than one large one.

They also should have a well planted tank - something else that's difficult in a smaller tank.

As far as feeding, they don't take to eating pellets or flakes - it's better to give bloodworms or frozen foods, plus healthy additions of shrimp with the shells on, or live snails - they need to have hard foods to keep the beak trimmed - if it grows to long, it keeps them from being able to feed properly, then they die.

Answer 2

I've read about these fish in great detail because I will be getting one in the near future. It is my understanding that they recommend 5 gallons per puffer, AND they do not highly recommend keeping more then one because they are highly territorial, and suggested that if you do keep more then one, don't expect them to be real happy together. They also need dense planting and lots of places to hide. They also really recommend live food, and say it's hard to get them to eat frozen food, unless you can trick them into thinking it's alive by having a strong current. Their little bodies are scaleless, quite fragile and they have sensitive skin. Therefore, I don't think that 100% water change every week would be a great idea. I could keep going, but I think you can get the picture here. So, if I were you, I'd rethink it and possibly set my sights on a different, more hardy fish that can happily survive in the type of setting you've described.
I hope this helps. Good luck!! ;o)

Answer 3

Puffers can be trained to accept frozen food (bloodworms, brine shrimp, that stuff), but it can be hard. They need snails/ghost shrimp weekly to help wear down their teeth.

And a 1 gallon bowl is too small for them. Each DP needs at least 2.5 gallons to themselves, no matter what you think. 100% water changes weekly is waaaay too much. The max. you should be doing is 25% weekly. Changing the whole thing will kill the bacteria, shock your fish, and put too much stress on it. The recommended is 25% weekly, which is what most fishkeepers do. So with a 1 gallon bowl, you should be changing .25 gallons monthly. You should research Dwarf Puffers before you just go out and buy one.

~ZTM

Answer 4

Puffers really need live food. They need to wear down their teeth on shells or it over grows. I used to have some and I would go get the baby snails from pet stores to feed them or use ghost shrimp. Problem is the snails can easily introduce disease to the tank.

And 1 gallon is way too small. They're great fish, but make sure you have the right setup for them.

Also a 100% water change is not necessarily a good thing. Every time you change water the chemical balance is thrown out of whack.

Answer 5

It's impossible to keep a dwarf puffer in a one gallon bowl. They are extremely sensitive to water quality and the waste will accumulate too fast... that would mean changing the water more often, but that would also shock the fish.

Why don't you plant the tank and keep some cherry shrimp in there? It looks really nice.

Answer 6

nope, you're wrong

A dwarf puffer needs a well cycled and established tank, and NOT a tiny little bowl. with a filter and a heater, and several other things
http://www.fishlesscycling.com/articles/dwarf_puffers.html

a bowl is not suited for any kinda fish, NONE what so ever


If you really want to put something in your bowl, then put snails in there or grow Baby Brine shrimp

And you never do a 100% waterchange on any fish tank


Hope that helps
Good luck


EB

Answer 7

not sure, but you dont have 13 years experience when you are only 15!!!! It doesnt count when you are a little baby. ANd you answer most questions wrong so id suggest you get experienced in something else never answer my questions again

Answer 8

1 gallon should be fine for one fish. Why dont you give them freeze dried bloodworms?