[Tappy4me]

I have been on the lookout for dwarf puffers since my previous two died, with no luck.

However, a new store in town was able to order some in for me. However, I didn't know until I got them home exactly how bad off they were. They're even smaller than my last girls, are malnourished and are riddled in Ich. However, I am hopeful as they are eating baby snails ravenously! I tried frozen bloodworms, but they're too big for their mouths. I will be getting some Spirulina frozen Brine stuff later this week for them. They arrived on Thursday and I picked the three of them up on Saturday.

I have one male and 2 females. The male and one female are pretty social, with the other little female being really shy. They are in a 5.5 gal planted tank currently, and will be upgraded to a 10 in the future most likely. I have begun treatment on them for Ich with Malachite Green/Formalin since they're so sensitive to salt. Once my adjustable heater arrives, I'll start increasing their temperature too to help. I'm quite excited as I haven't had a male before! He's BEAUTIFUL! (None of these pics show the Ich spots, since they're so tiny. )

Before I released them

 

[squishylittlefishies]

Yaaaaaaaay!!!! I'm so excited for you, dwarf puffers are my favourite! I kept one in my peaceful community aquarium for a year with absolutely no problems until he died from an internal injury from eating a huge air bubble off the surface X'(
Don't surface feed DPs!!!! I know now. Anyway, have fun they are such a great fish with so much personality. How big is the tank? I love your setup!

 

[Tappy4me]

It's a 5.5 gal currently. Small, I know. But they'll be upgraded in the near future

 

[Chesh]

I'm so happy to see you have wee puffy ones again! Excited to watch them grow! Sooo cute! ^__^

 

[squishylittlefishies]

5.5 is still a pretty good size for now
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[Tappy4me]

Yea. I'm so excited to have them! They are getting less shy daily. I forgot how much I like these guys!!
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[Boredomb]

They look like maybe they are juveniles to me. They might be since you said they are too small for bloodworms. When I had juveniles they would only eat snails and live black worms.
A 5.5 for them now is fine but glad to hear you plan to upgrade them to a bigger tank.
Am so happy you finally found some more since I know you have been looking for awhile now. Will be following your progress and keep my fingers crossed that they will heal up from the ich and keep eating for you!!!

 

[Tappy4me]

They look like maybe they are juveniles to me. They might be since you said they are too small for bloodworms. When I had juveniles they would only eat snails and live black worms.
A 5.5 for them now is fine but glad to hear you plan to upgrade them to a bigger tank.
Am so happy you finally found some more since I know you have been looking for awhile now. Will be following your progress and keep my fingers crossed that they will heal up from the ich and keep eating for you!!!

They are definitely juveniles. They're about half the size my last gals were, and they still doubled in size! :lol:

I have nowhere to get live blackworms..but I'm hoping to try to get frozen brine shrimp this week for them. I'm still trying a bloodworm here and there to see if they can manage it, but so far it's just snails-which they're going NUTS over. In fact, I have a spinach leaf in the snail tank to capture some easier for them...then I'll drop it in for the puffs. :lol:

They will probably end up in a 10 gal by the end of the month...certainly in the next couple months. I need to work out a space to get and put a fish stand that would hold a 10 gal and a 5.5 gal tank... haha. They get along really well together and all swim around together, so I think they'll do fine for awhile in my 5.5. They're acting just like my other girls so far and are very docile. (Helps there is quite a bit of cover in the tank I have them in.)

So hoping they heal up quick. They are doing great so far, and I think they have a good chance as long as they keep eating.

 

[Tappy4me]

Sad news. The little male passed away today

 

[Chesh]

*cries for the wee puffy one*

 

[Boredomb]

That's awful Tappy! I'm sooo sorry!!

 

[Tappy4me]

Sucks it was my favorite little one out of the three...He was so personable.

There is one left at the same store. No idea whether it's male or female... Going to have my husband go pick it up tomorrow. Better for it to have a chance to beat the ich and have a permanent home then stay there and potentially starve to death before someone takes it home.

 

[Tappy4me]

Sucks it was my favorite little one out of the three...He was so personable.

There is one left at the same store. No idea whether it's male or female... Going to have my husband go pick it up tomorrow. Better for it to have a chance to beat the ich and have a permanent home then stay there and potentially starve to death before someone takes it home.

Well, my husband went to get the puffer today, and it's a boy! What are the odds?!
He's a fat (fatter in comparison to the girls) little fella, smaller than the girls.
I don't have pics of him yet, but he's so cute! I hope he does better than the other fella.

 

[LivePlantsOnly]

I like that jeep!!!!

 

[Tappy4me]

Thanks! That was my husbands contribution to the tank.

There was a wrecked plane one too and a tank that I told him he could get...but they were a tad expensive, so I may surprise him later with them in there. He likes to watch the wee puffs just as much as I do. Told him this could be his tank if he would like! hehe

My heater FINALLY came today, so I can start bumping up the temp for the puffs to treat this Ich. *Dances* Here's to hoping I lose no more of them due to it and lack of being able to quickly treat it.

 

[Tappy4me]

Finally have 2 of the 3 puffs eating some frozen bloodworms. Frozen Brine shrimp were a no go, at least for now. They just stare at them, silly things. The little male and little female gobble the bloodworms (which are much smaller than the ones I had before) right up, but the bigger female just stares at them and keeps swimming...She will only eat snails, of which I'm running out of. :/ How I hope she'll switch over soon...she has more reserves than the other two do, but still won't be able to hold out forever. *sigh* Finicky creatures...

 

[DeboraBremner]

Those puffers are beautiful! Are they a delicate fish to care for?

 

[Tappy4me]

They're a bit delicate as they require immaculate water conditions but pretty easy to care for.
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[Boredomb]

Tappy glad to hear that some of them are eating bloodworms for ya! With the female that's niy eating see if you can get a pipette that is big enough for the bloodworms to go into. Then squeeze one out just a lil bit and move it in the water if she will allow it. She may be draw into it by the movement of the blood worm. The juveniles I had before would only est live worms. She may be the same. Is how I finally got them to take the bloodworms is by making them move in the water and getting the attention of the puffer. Once that happened a couple of times it was game on at feeding times!!

 

[DeboraBremner]

When you say immaculate.... nitrates under 5? under 10? Think it's time for me to start reading up on them...they are so cute! lol