# Indian Dwarf Puffer tank upgrade and tank mates...



## Johnny579 (Aug 22, 2014)

A while back I bought 3 dwarf puffers for a 5.5 gallon tank I had setup with intentions of moving them to a bigger tank once they had grown and started showing aggression. The aggression recently started and my lfs was having a dollar per gallon sale so I bought a ten gallon tank. I am doing the switch tomorrow, since I'm just tranfering everything from the 5.5 g tank to the new, it will be an instant cycle and the filter and heater I have are rated for ten gallons. I'll just add some extra substrate and water, shouldn't affect the puffers more than a 50% water change.

I'm gonna have more room so I'm going to add either a piece of driftwood or an India themed ornament. I also want to add some more plants. I have amazon sword, anubias, banana plant, moneywort, moss balls and java fern. I definitely want to add corkscrew val, what are some not so common but not impossible to take care of plants?

With more room, I do want a clean up crew. From what I've read on suitable tankmates for these little devils I've settled on Otto cats and/or a clown pleco. I know the Otto cats will be fine around my plants, but I've read clown plecos will eat anything from java ferns to swords. Anyone ever kept one in a planted aquarium?
My stocking plans at most will be one of the 2:
-3 dwarf puffers
-4 Otto cats
-1 clown pleco
Or
-3 dwarf puffers
-6 Otto cats

Future wise for this tank I want to switch over to sponge filters. I am currently running a tetra internal whisper filter and have recently been convinced about how well sponge filters actually work. I have an air powered double sponge filter rated for 10 gallons in my fry tank and it works great, I'm probably going to get one maybe two more of those for this tank eventually.


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## DaytonBetta (Feb 4, 2014)

I look forward to seeing your set-up. I'm getting a 55 gallon ready for dwarf puffers. I think I'll get about a dozen.

Do you know if yours are boys or girls? 

I understand they like to have territories of java moss for breeding.

I like Cryptocorynes, Water Wisteria and Bacopa as other low light, low tech plants.


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## Johnny579 (Aug 22, 2014)

I should have pics up in a couple days. I'm waiting till my more trusted LFS gets in a new shipment of plants and Otto cats, I picked up my clown pleco today. I'm not sure about boys or girls right now, its hard to tell until they're fully mature, usually around a year, mine are around 5-6 months old. They are very curious, very easily bored creatures so my advice is plant a heavy variety of plants, make sure they have plenty of places to explore. I'm not breeding my puffers, but I know from friends they love java moss in general.


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## n25philly (Dec 5, 2013)

The only fish I know of that typically does well with dwarf puffers is ottos as that are small fast and for whatever reason don't seem to catch their attention. Dwarf puffers are nasty little buggers and community setups with them are crap shoots with very bad odds.

If you want to have a decent chance for success the tank needs to be heavily planted. They tend to only get aggressive with what they see, so breaking up lines of sight is crucial. They tend to lose any aggression when they loose sight of whoever they go after. That includes their own kind. With the pleco don't think it will be safe due to size and make sure you have a plan b in case things go south.


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## Johnny579 (Aug 22, 2014)

They've done fine so far, more interested than the snail infestation than the pleco. Clown plecos Otto's and Cory cats were the only things I've read about that do well together with dwarf puffers. One of my friends has actually kept them with angel fish successfully about 6 months, no problems so far. I have multiple tanks so the clown is taken of. Heavily planted is my goal I'm also just waiting on getting plants I can trust before I put more in my tank.


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## Nyri (Sep 23, 2014)

I know you already got the pleco and are planning on otos, but... I've heard of success with panda garras and dwarf puffers together. Not sure if they're recommended to go together, but saw mention of them on a DP community where someone kept them together and they were fine. I absolutely adore my panda garras, so of course I'm going to recommend trying them  I like my otos, too, but I don't see nearly as much of them as the pandas. Here's a video of that person's pandas and puffers together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=UUIrQTX7VoFBLYt1hZDd9vBA&v=sdsB9l_UHbQ&feature=player_detailpage

OH! I forgot, they should be okay with asian stone cats, too, which are kind of interesting looking


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## Johnny579 (Aug 22, 2014)

I love loaches and have never heard of these little guys. If I don't get any for this tank I may end up getting some for one of my others.


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## Nyri (Sep 23, 2014)

These little guys aren't loaches (despite what some websites say, and they kind of look like it), but they're actually Cyprinids like barbs. There are panda loaches, too, which are really cute as babies. They get a little more bland looking as adults, but still nice fish. You should definitely think about getting some! They are the funnest fish to watch (at least for me haha). They were able to take the beating that my breeding blue rams were putting on them before I moved them, too


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