# Pea Puffers



## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

1. I have a 10 gallon, was wondering if 1 male and 2 female pea puffers would work at all, or is that to much?
2. I want a biotope and was wondering if anyone has any know plants, and if there are native floating plants to the Indian rivers
3. I want to know what substrate I could use
4. Can they breed in captivity, and is it worth it to re-send people F1 puffers?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

1) Absolutely

2) Hygros, Crypts, Anubias, Java Ferns, Java Moss, Rotala, Blyxa (high light), Aponogeton, Eleocharis, Salvinia Minima (floating)

3) Anything, sand is great for the snails.

4) Yes but the fry are highly cannibalistic so you have to be careful and separate them out if you want to keep some alive.


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

So,what could I use to separate the fry, my largest tank is a 10 gallon


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Anything, you can make DIY breeder nets or use breeder box/nets. I'm sure you can google to see how others do it.


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

I believe dwarf puffers are about the same difficulty to bred as ottos, its been done but very hard.


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

So.... Here's the crap tank, plants all died


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Are you doing a dry start or did you just empty the tank?


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

Empty tank


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

All plants are gone


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

could a do a natural planted tank and not get a filter? just the heater


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

No, you have to have a filter, it holds all the beneficial bacteria which converts ammonia into nitrites, nitrites into nitrates, and nitrates into nitrogen gas, without it toxic ammonia will build up and kill your fish.


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

Plants handle that, that's what a natural planted tank is


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Plants help but they cant do what a filter does, the filter also provides water flow which without will cause the water to become depleted of oxygen and also have carbon which helps with smell and alot of other things.


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Actually, you can do it without a filter. Many don't realize that BB (beneficial bacteria) will build up within the tank without the presence of a filter. Their preferred media is the filter yes, but look out in nature, I don't see any filters running. What happens is then they colonize in the soil and the substrate and on the tank walls (they will do this with a filtered tank as well but it's usually secondary action). The only time that this is really fine to happen is if you do a Soil based tank, an NPT (natural planted tank) as it mimics the natural environment.

With that said, it would be easier to have a filter, without the filter it will take a longer time for the bacteria to colonize and you won't be able to get fish in there until the plants are growing prolifically and that won't happen for a couple of weeks. This NEEDS to happen in order to keep your fish safe, DP's are very sensitive so you need to ABSOLUTELY make sure your tank is cycled before it goes in, otherwise...you get a dead fishy.

And with that all said, the plants will absolutely benefit from water movement, I recommend you use a couple air stones if you don't want a filter, this will keep water moving without causing a huge turbulence. DP's are very good at navigating some rougher waters so they'd be fine with the filter if you added it.

tl,dr; Yes, you can go without filter, but it's harder and longer to cycle. Worth it? Maybe, depends on your patience level.


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

Ok, so how big of a filter


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

If it's a 10 gallon tank then it's usually best to go with a filter rated for 20 gallons. I prefer the Fluval AquaClear filters, the AC20 is perfect for a 10 gallon. It's adjustable too so you can slow the flow very easily or baffle it if you like.


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

Oh, that's what I was wondeting


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

So native Indian range plants are?


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

I found this
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...t-combinations-sri-lanka-india-biotope-67774/


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

Dwarf penny wart????


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I answered the plant question in my first post.


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

I might throw this curve but is there a dwarf South American leaf fish


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

No, just Asian and South American. No dwarfs. They get up to 4 inches so you need a 20 long as a minimum tank size, no 10 gallons.


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

Any real oddball fish for 10 gal. Besides pea puffer


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Wasp goby?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

You can Bumblebee Goby and Dwarf Puffer.

Or if you don't want either of those, you can look at Peacock Gudgeon. 

Can do a river tank with Stiphoden species (Rainbow Goby or Cobalt blue Goby; note, they are different species from the Bumblebee Goby and require lots of algae so be prepared to make algae on smooth river rocks).

Or you could Killifish, Aphyposeium Australe 'Orange' is nice and small. Or if you want a little bigger go with the Fundulopanchax Gardneri, pretty common. Or Golden Wonder Killi.


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Wouldn't the puffers out compete the gobies for food?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

Not likely. DP's take a long time to settle in, much longer than Bumbles take. You may have to target feed the gobies but they'll both eat bloodworms where the DP will also feast on snails that are provided.


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Oh, ok, sorry calvin88, I was wrong :S


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

It's okay, so how many bee gobies and still 3 peas right?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

I'd go with 3 Bumblebee's as well. Sometimes they can be a little territorial but as long as there is enough food to go around, then they'll be just fine if you also provide lots of plants and some smooth rocks for them to perch on.


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

Okay, what species tolerates freshwater again


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

What do you mean? All Bumblebee gobies are accustomed to freshwater unless you buy from someone who has them in brackish. My PetCo carries them.


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## AquaPlayz (Aug 14, 2015)

Off topic, but how rare/uncommon are rainbow gobies?


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

How many crocodile toothpick fish can I have in a 10 gallon?


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## lilnaugrim (Mar 27, 2013)

AquaPlayz said:


> Off topic, but how rare/uncommon are rainbow gobies?


Depends on your area. For me, they're quite common, for others, maybe not so much. My PetCo actually usually carries them. I had a mated pair from them actually, they died just a while back. Can't really breed them (no real info and/or very difficult) but they were wicked cute! They were my mom's favorite fish! Of course, now that I'm looking for me, I don't find many in my area lately, they come and go in waves.



Calvin88 said:


> How many crocodile toothpick fish can I have in a 10 gallon?


For crocs, they are quite sensitive but a good fish to keep with other nano fish. They MUST be in an established planted tank, otherwise your fish will die. They skittish and reclusive, you may not really see them so if you want an out going fish, don't go for that one. I do not suggest this fish for a beginner or a beginner tank or newly set up tank. They are also very rare, do you have them at your LFS or somewhere? Or just found on google?


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

I can special order them


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## Calvin88 (Jun 16, 2014)

I will start with guppies after the rank cycles, then do pea puffers! I REALLY REALLY REALLLY REALLLLY want a bumblebee cat! If not 2 moth catfish


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