Mini Dwarf Puffer Tank Journey

One word. Great

 

@Fh3Fishman... i am so sorry for your loss.... it is always devasating....

I think GaryG's suggestion of lowering water level for few days is a good one.
I have never tried to use mesh to cover my tanks, they usuallu covered with glass sliders however the last week the heat has been SO bad in our area that our tanks were sitting at over 31 the last 2 days so hve had to open the sliders slightly, leave the lights off and a fan on...


I was thinking of getting some egg crate to cover the tank while its so hot

 

Yeah, my cat is a menace and I sometimes wonder if he's not one of the reason's some of my fish jump. He likes to jump up to where the tank is (causes a shock to the fish) and he drinks from the tank water.

 

Haha, shame. No I have no such pets. Only fish for now

 

I'm so so sorry to hear about this, I've only ever had two puffers jump, a marine guy who got a fright and an abei when the room was on fire. But I put a lid on the tank when I added the new puffs from Lindy since they seemed a bit skittish but have calmed down. Again so sorry to hear, makes one feel like giving up.

 

Hi everyone. Just an update. I know I've been quiet, and that this thread seems to have hit an anticlimax because of the unfortunate event that happened two weekends ago as you may recall, but please bear with me, I am trying.

Bad news first, the female who remained didn't make it, I think that Petworlds Dwarf Puffers were indeed sick and I just suffered the loss :notrust:. Anyway, here's the Good news!:bigsmile: I did manage to get three new Dwarf Puffers (I believe one, male two females) this past weekend from Panorama Petshop, and they have no visible signs of disease, very lively and not one has jumped out the home since Saturday, so that's progress in my eyes. Thanks again Pieter @Panorama Petshop for all the assistance.

I will be honest and say that I am not confident enough with them to post any photos as of yet. I am still getting used to them, they are shy and so difficult to take decent photos of. At this stage all I can say is they are strange fish, definitely not for beginners. They are double minded, shy and unpredictable. Mine are eating some bloodworm, but they "pretend" its not there sometimes and ignore it. I have to manually wiggle some of the worms around with a chopstick for them to gain interest, but even so they'll only eat one or two little bloodworms each and then lose interest, they don't go for the snails I put in, or rather, they don't look around for the snail, instead they'll pace up and down an area together. The one female has showed some interest in the snail, but seems "scared" to actually attack. I suspect they are young, and are still learning and getting used to the new tank. They were in an unlit tank for more than a month at Panorama, so maybe they are still adjusting to the new lighting conditions too.

They each took a bite of bloodworm this morning, which brings some peace of mind, but they aren't aware of the floating feeder and aren't "greedy" enough yet for me to be completely at peace with them. I have to scoop a worm or two out of it a "tease" them with it before they eat. I wonder if these were young born in the wild and then captured, hence difficulty accepting "still" food. I hope they get used to frozen worms soon and find out that snails are actually food and not stones.:huh:. Hoping to post pics as soon as they settle in better and become "predictable" enough. Thanks to all for the support and advice.

 

It sounds positive!! Hope to see that first pics soon!

 

Be patient with them, they will take a while to get used to you, but once they are comfortable with you, they'll eat out of your hands.
Yes, they are wild caught, unless there's a breeder in SA we aren't aware of, so that's another reason they are so shy.

I find that when I move my puffers or change their tank, they're shy for a day, or just angry with me for disturbing them... they always forgive me and greet me afterwards.

Ensure that their water is kept clean and that the food is there for them... they'll come out of their shells and provide you with many hours of entertainment

 

That @Linxie and @Kobusb is just what I needed to hear. Thanks for the kind supporting gestures and words . Linxie I think its time for an update pics of your little guys? Would love to see how your tank has settled in. How long has it been running now?

 

I took that tank down a few weeks ago and set up a new tank for my remaining puffer. Two of the puffers now live with Sterling Ace

My guy is in a holding tank with smurfs at the moment and he's not impressed with me. He sulked for a whole day. I'm moving him over to his new planted home this weekend if all parameters are right

 

Hi guys. So I would like to introduce you to the first one of the three, not so shy, which I believe to be a juvenile male, but who seems to have difficulty seeing bloodworms further than 1cm away from his face and is not interested in snails, who needs to be fed like a baby...ladies and gentlemen I give you, Pumfydore, short for Mr EL Pumfydore . (I don't have the best camera, so apologies in advanced if anyone is disappointed)

Here he is sitting in his Stone Throne.



Checking if the coast is clear




... showing off his tail bicep...



And lastly, urging me to leave him now, as apparently he needed the potty.



I hope to introduce you to the other two fairies once they get used to showbiz.

 

Nice Man, see if you can find mozzi larva, they love hunting the moving thingies, specially for the fussy one, just give them a good rinse....(the mozzies that is)

 

Awww congrats!!! It's def a male and he is looking great! Not that super skinny and some nice colour showing already don't worry too much about the other 2 they will come around soon enough. But well done again!

 

Ahhhh, he looks super!! I've been tempted with these in the past but I'm always a bit worried that they won't get along with my other fish.

 

Thanks guys! @GaryG , that is true, I need to go hunting for stagnant pools. Im just afraid of introducing harmful parasites to the water via the insides of the larvae? @SterlingAce, thanks for the support. @sweetjobbo, they are unpredictable. Its a risk one takes adding them with other species. The only tank mates I can vouch for at this stage, are ottocinculus. I recommend a species only tank. To add to that, in my opinion, their lifestyle just doesn't seem suited for most of the community tanks out there, they are slow moving(generally), and not the greatest swimmers for the higher currents of most community tank setups. They would compete with faster species in the community tanks for food and the list goes on. All articles Ive read, recommend a species only, and Im sure the other guys here who have experience can vouch for that? I have heard and seen them kept in communities, but as I say, it is a risk. Maybe a large tank, with a very carefully selected handful of species from the Pamba river in India, and well planted could suffice? Basically, in my opinion, mimicing their natural biotope would be the most reasonable thing one can do if in doubt.

 

Cuteness :love: Looks like he loves his tank
He'll get used to the idea of your feeding him or him having to go to the worm feeder for food

 

I have a few guppies with mine as a kind of dither fish. I think it depends on where the pond is. It's a bit of a gamble with feeding live collected bugs.

 

He is gorgeous @Th3Fishman!!
Very tempting to start up another tank....

 

Hey guys. Just thought Id share an update. The DPs are settled in, eating and nobody is jumping the tank anymore. The tank is growing in nicely. I did a Nitrate test yesterday morning and still find it bizarre that there are no, or not enough nitrates to register a reading with the test kit. Uses the same kit on my community tank and it pickes up some, so it is working. Is this something to be concerned about? Maybe plants are using it all?

 

Lol. As far as I know, lack of nitrates is not a bad thing. Your tank is pretty lightly stocked, so not surprising. Are you adding any ferts? You may want to to think of adding some if plant nutrition is lacking.