Dwarf Puffer Filtration?

[Myrmeleon]

Hi all, thinking about getting some fish again, specifically dwarf puffers (Carinotetraodon travancoricus), but I was wondering if an eheim canister filter designed for 30 gallons would be able to cope with a group of 3 or 4 puffers. If anyone else has experience with this species, your input would be appreciated.

 

[cold blood]

No, but I can tell you puffers can be a royal pain IME. They are actually slightly brackish, but most sellers don't tell you this. I went through several before learning this from an experienced puffer keeper.....keeping things properly brackish seems to be necessary for long term survival. A lot of the things you will read will insist they are freshwater...but they cannot stay in freshwater indefinitely. They are very touchy with regards to general water quality as well....they are very sensitive to ammonia and nitrate levels over basically zero. An over size enclosure is always better and they don't typically fare well in smaller set ups.

 

[Myrmeleon]

Actually dwarf puffers are entirely freshwater and found in the same habitat as glass fish and leaf fish

 

[athlete96]

What size tank? Heavily planted I presume?

 

[Myrmeleon]

Thinking about a 20 gallon, and yes heavily planted it java moss, crypts, java ferns, etc

 

[athlete96]

Thinking about a 20 gallon, and yes heavily planted it java moss, crypts, java ferns, etc

I suggest closer to 30 gallons if you can. They're so territorial I wouldn't go any smaller than that. If you're adamant about 20 go with a 20L to have more floor area to plant and therefore more places to hide.

For the filter I don't see why not. I don't have experience with the eheim canisters, but with weekly water changes it should be ok. Now if you had said 30gal HOB I would be concerned

 

[schmiggle]

Puffers span the gamut from freshwater to saltwater as a group. The most common brackish species in captivity is figure eight puffers, if I remember right. Myrmeleon is right that dwarf puffers are strictly freshwater, as far as I know.

The plants will help a fair amount with chemical filtration, particularly if you get fast growing species (plants take up nitrate and ammonia, though I'm not sure they'll touch nitrite). Just make sure they have enough light, particularly since more light will allow them to take up more nutrients faster.

 

[cold blood]

Actually dwarf puffers are entirely freshwater and found in the same habitat as glass fish and leaf fish

Where they are collected and most readily found is indeed...but its not the whole truth....those areas are breeding areas, thus the easiest place to locate them and collect as they congregate. But ts not where adults live long term.

I learned this common error from a breeder of them who was troubled by this lack of true info resulting in low long term survival rates. I can tell you I only had success with them long term once I added salinity at a slight degree. I'm just telling you what the fish guy told me.

 

[athlete96]

Where they are collected and most readily found is indeed...but its not the whole truth....those areas are breeding areas, thus the easiest place to locate them and collect as they congregate. But ts not where adults live long term.

I learned this common error from a breeder of them who was troubled by this lack of true info resulting in low long term survival rates. I can tell you I only had success with them long term once I added salinity at a slight degree. I'm just telling you what the fish guy told me.

It 100% depends on 1) captive vs WC or 2) locality. Some people have had success long-term 100% fresh water and others have had success with very low salinity brackish water. My LFS has always kept them completely fresh water with success. Makes me so tempted to set up a small 5gal in my room...

 

[Myrmeleon]

I guess I should experiment with this species, separate a group with one set on brackish and another in pyre fresh

 

[Myrmeleon]

I suggest closer to 30 gallons if you can. They're so territorial I wouldn't go any smaller than that. If you're adamant about 20 go with a 20L to have more floor area to plant and therefore more places to hide.

For the filter I don't see why not. I don't have experience with the eheim canisters, but with weekly water changes it should be ok. Now if you had said 30gal HOB I would be concerned

I guess I'll try going with a larger tank, one of my concerns is that such a small puffer will get lost in such a large, heavily planted tank.

 

[athlete96]

I guess I'll try going with a larger tank, one of my concerns is that such a small puffer will get lost in such a large, heavily planted tank.

I wouldn't worry about that at all - especially with multiples. They're smart little fish. Plus they're naturally quite shy, so having lots of plants gets them comfortable with your presence easier when they have something to swim away and hide in.

 

[cold blood]

They really do well with more room and a lot of plant cover.

About the brackish...this is something not needed for small ones, but as they reach closer to adult size IME.
Its just something to consider if problems mysteriously arise down the line.

 

[Dave Jay]

It's pointless arguing freshwater or brackish as we haven't been told the species. Most are best kept brackish though. They will enter estuaries and mangroves to breed , but as adults live in the ocean. I don't know how many times I see them covered in white spot because the lfs is keeping them in freshwater. If you want good advice I would recommend asking on wetwebmedia, if Neale Monks is still there you can take his advice to the bank , he literally wrote the book on brackish fishkeeping.

 

[Myrmeleon]

It's pointless arguing freshwater or brackish as we haven't been told the species. Most are best kept brackish though. They will enter estuaries and mangroves to breed , but as adults live in the ocean. I don't know how many times I see them covered in white spot because the lfs is keeping them in freshwater. If you want good advice I would recommend asking on wetwebmedia, if Neil Monks is still there you can take his advice to the bank , he literally wrote the book on brackish fishkeeping.

Hi all, thinking about getting some fish again, specifically dwarf puffers (Carinotetraodon travancoricus), but I was wondering if an eheim canister filter designed for 30 gallons would be able to cope with a group of 3 or 4 puffers. If anyone else has experience with this species, your input would be appreciated.

 

[Dave Jay]

Well this is why you shouldn't drink and post! lol Using a phone and reading threads over a period of time doesn't help either!

Anyway, Carinotetraodon travancoricus and Carinotetraodon imitator are the main Indian Dwarf Puffers in the hobby and the advice to keep them slightly brackish is deemed to be out of date now, but some of the waterways they are found in are brackish so they can certainly adapt and thrive in brackish water, but it's not necessary. They dislike swings in ph though, and perhaps the fact that brackish water is well buffered against drops in ph meant that people had better success keeping them slightly brackish. Unlike most other puffers in the hobby these will actually live out their full lives in fresh water habitats.
They're not strong swimmers so the use of the filter you have is a good idea, but because they are sensitive to ammonia,nitrite and nitrate adding another small filter would be better than upgrading to one large filter.
Now you must excuse me, I'm off to the hospital to have a foot/mouth procedure

 

[Andee]

I have kept these guys in groups before in a 25 gallon tall. You need to provide live food, preferaly live snails to keep them happy and less likely to pick on each other. Very small babies won''t eat well on snails as they usually haven't learned to hunt yet, and won't eat frozen blood worms, best way to feed them is live blood worms or live/frozen black worms. They are one of my favorite species and I have successfully kept them in ways most people warn against. Heavil planted tanks are 100% the way to go.