Dwarf Puffer + Nerite = ??? - Page 2 - Fish for the Planted Aquarium

rich_one · 07-04-2008, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by freshyleif

Ok so I just added some rainbows(4 boesemani and 4 irian) to my tank and I will be watching to see if the 4 dwarf puffers give them any trouble. I have always fed small live crickets to my glass cats, the puffers seem to be very happy with sharing and have never tried to nip them.

good luck with that... in my humble opinion, you are tempting fate! lol... I'd be interested in hearing what develops.

vancat · 07-07-2008, 08:39 AM

my puffers really did serious damage to my rainbows.
good luck.

dapellegrini · 07-07-2008, 08:57 AM

DPs seem to pick on some fish and not others - they also seem to be hit-and-miss, like bettas, with some being more aggressive than others.

I currently have 5 or 6 in my community tank (120-P). They are with a ton of other fish and shrimp and create no problems, aside from sometimes fighting amongst themselves. They did kill a whole population of Lampeye Killies on me a couple of years ago, but they seem to get along fine with Tetras, CPD, Pencilfish, Glass Catfish, Plecos, Loaches, Otos, Cories, Darios, etc. They will nip at angels, bettas, guppies, rainbows, and killies for sure.

They require a lot of personal space and lots of visual barriers/plants to create territories. I would not even attempt them in anything less than 10gallons though - in fact, 10g per fish seems to be about the minimum.

This is one of my favorite fish and CAN be model citizens in a community tank when done right.

zer0zax · 07-08-2008, 02:58 PM

I have had 5 dwarf puffers in a 75Gal with ottos and phantom tetras. No fish were bothered, the puffers harassed my 4" fan shrimp once, but the big shrimp flicked them with his tail and batted them with his antenna. After 30 seconds of that the puffers give the shrimp plenty of space.

I agree with everyone else though, it depends on the individual and it really is tempting fate. My puffers did tear an applesnail to shreds, and it was bigger than the shrimp! Little bite by little bite.

I will be sad if the puffers turn on the other tankmates after all of this "peaceful" time, but it still is possible that they will. I am keeping a pack of wolves in my tank and hoping they still behave!

freshyleif · 07-12-2008, 09:45 AM

Ok so today I watched for the third time my Boesemani rainbows chasing after a dwarf puffer. It was great, the puffer would swim away and then stop and turn and the rainbow would swim right up and turn sideways keeping an eye on the puffer. They have been doing this off and on all morning.

Indignation · 07-12-2008, 12:00 PM

My puffer and otos seem to be coexisting peacefully. I'm curious to know why these species do so well together, while the ancistrus became chum. The otos are far more active, but the behavior was pretty much the same with both fish, i.e. sit on the glass and wiggle around every so often. I was reading somewhere that otos are poisonous, could that have something to do with the truce in my tank? My puffer literally attacks anything introduced into his tank, with these 2 exceptions.

vancat · 07-15-2008, 08:20 AM

it was not that they are poisonous, but they have barbs that can kill a fish when swallowed. Perhaps your puffer knows this.

Ravenous · 09-05-2008, 09:17 PM

I know this is an older post but I wanted to put in my 2 cents. I have 4 dwarf puffers in a 25 gallon with amano shrimp and otos and everybody is living peacefully together. I think some of the problem is people get mature puffers that have been fed live food and so are used to eating shrimp or snails. All of my puffers were purchased as juvies and have been fed live black worms since the beginning and the amanos and otos were purchased a couple weeks later so they have all been raised together. I have never seen one nip anything other than each other, but they do love snails. Any fish can be temperamental, but mine have been awesome. It is cool to have a fish that is literally excited to see you when you walk in the room.

Indignation · 09-05-2008, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenous

I know this is an older post but I wanted to put in my 2 cents. I have 4 dwarf puffers in a 25 gallon with amano shrimp and otos and everybody is living peacefully together. I think some of the problem is people get mature puffers that have been fed live food and so are used to eating shrimp or snails. All of my puffers were purchased as juvies and have been fed live black worms since the beginning and the amanos and otos were purchased a couple weeks later so they have all been raised together. I have never seen one nip anything other than each other, but they do love snails. Any fish can be temperamental, but mine have been awesome. It is cool to have a fish that is literally excited to see you when you walk in the room.

Very interesting point Ravenous. Mine was indeed an adult when I got him.
Someday I might to try another one, mine went back to the fish store, and I replaced him with Amano shrimp and nerites. I will try to get a juvenile when/if I do. And I agree about them being cool fish, my wife still has hers, and he is a riot to watch! He gets so excited when she comes over to his tank, he forgets to look up, to where she is holding his food.