# my pygmy puffer tank



## tim (10 Feb 2013)

was asked by a member on here for some pics so here goes




its nothing original, emmersed planters added about a month ago with a very cheap half dead lily from homebase.
little guys are very shy,but awsome little fish IMO






the tank is slowly evolving to the sort of look i want for it,i will add some tillandsia to the wood out of the aquarium eventually.



cheers for looking


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## Ian Holdich (10 Feb 2013)

That's a neat little scape that Tim, very natural, well done! 

Nice colours on the puffers as well.


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## BigTom (10 Feb 2013)

Really nice. I still miss my puffers sometimes. That lilly should do a great job cleaning up after the messy buggers once it gets going.


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## tim (10 Feb 2013)

BigTom said:


> Really nice. I still miss my puffers sometimes. That lilly should do a great job cleaning up after the messy buggers once it gets going.


 they are messy aren't they, big thanks to your bucket and al's puddle for the info on emmersed plants


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (10 Feb 2013)

Love this mate, nice one! You planning on getting some more species to grow emersed?

I've fancied trying it with a bonsai, obviously with modifications. Maybe some 'wicks' hanging from the basket, pulling a little water up rather than being sat in it could work?


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## tim (10 Feb 2013)

@ nath I am planing to try some tillandsia attached to the wood maybe some cypress helfri and ludwigia in the planters, now you see why I want that 40x40 oak cabinet  nice idea with a bonsai mate


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## Nathaniel Whiteside (10 Feb 2013)

Nice! Yeah, I would love to make them for other members.
To make one similar to mine though would be Pretty expensive in wood alone


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## jack-rythm (10 Feb 2013)

thanks for sticking these up for me mate  its great to see  people can see what you have achieved too. you said it was just a basic tank! its cool man! i love it. the lighting is awesome. do you worry about your puffers jumping out the water?


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## tim (10 Feb 2013)

Thanks jack mate  I had a couple of jumpers when I first set it up but I was trying to run it high tech never saw them even for food when the gas was on, not had any jumpers since its been low tech


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## jack-rythm (10 Feb 2013)

cool thats interesting, im thinking about just sticking a sheet of perspex or glass over the top anyway just to be safe. I have read in PFK that they are very sensitive to water parameters? would you agree?


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## tim (10 Feb 2013)

Well mine are kept in London tap water and I don't test so I would have to say not that sensitive or maybe like shrimp they don't like changing param's mind the tank gets two 30% water changes a week to help with the mess they produce.


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## jack-rythm (10 Feb 2013)

yeah I did think PFK were maybe speaking about all dwarf puffers on a whole. I read there were four types of dwarf.. what are yours? sorry for the bombardment of questions!


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## tim (10 Feb 2013)

They could mean as in mature tank mate not sure of the Latin name of mine just labeled Pygmy puffers in the lfs I've had them maybe two years now bought 7 originally and lost 3 in the first 6 months maybe due to water issues or fighting, was fairly clueless back then and just took advice from my lfs, then I discovered this fine forum


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## jack-rythm (10 Feb 2013)

Indeed Mate, I'll dig out the months issue and page number and scan it in. There are some beautiful but more aggressive red and black dwarfs too. But I'm falling for the standard type like yours. I do of course want them to be happy   how are they with lighting? I have read that they become shy and hide if lighting is to bright? Causes stress etc?

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2


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## Occean (14 Feb 2013)

Very cool setup

I am just starting a new tank for my Dwarf Puffers (hence joining the forum) which I have housed in a 45L Arcadia for the last 3 years, now moving to a 190L Trigon.

Do you keep anything else in with them? I know its a classic DP debate....I have had Ottos, Rasbora's and Amano Shrimp in with mine no issues at all. Only fights I ever have are between the puffers and nothing fatal (though the odd puff up!) great little fish to have and I really don't have a snail problem, I introduce snails on a regular basis and the little bugger do not stop hunting until everyone is dead!


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## andyh (14 Feb 2013)

Always wanted to do a puffer setup. How many you got in there?

What do you feed them?

Tanks looks great


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## Occean (14 Feb 2013)

In my case I have 3 and try eat frozen blood worms and snails.

I would highly recommend them though they are a little messy.


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## jack-rythm (14 Feb 2013)

When people refer to puffers as messy, do they mean agressive towards the hardscape? i.e ripping up plants, disturbing gravels and soils, or do they mean with foods and feces?


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## tim (14 Feb 2013)

Thanks guys 
@ occean only thing in the tank with them is an otto I had 3 on setup and lost two but I'm reluctant to move him now, I kept cherry shrimp with them which went well until I had a tank accident and had to move some Taiwan bee shrimp in there which the puffers hunted down over a couple of days then started on the cherries 
@ andy, thanks for the comments, I have 4 in there, 48ltr tank but big footprint 40x40 which has given them space get the odd squabble at feeding time, I feed them plenty of little ramshorn snails bloodworm and blackworm which they seem to like, my lfs has fresh live food every Friday and its only a 5 minute walk 
@ jack, messy as in dirty little poop machines due to their protein only diet, this tank is over filtered and twice weekly water changes and lots of plants to help with the waste.
I will say amazing little fish to keep definately worth the effort IMO  
Cheers for looking


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## Occean (14 Feb 2013)

Food and feces. Generally the will only eat food that is floating, as soon as it hits the floor they are not interested. And with snails, though I haven't had this problem, they will peck at a snail that is as big as themselves until it dies, which is obviously too big too eat and can go rotten.

@tim that sounds the same as the issue I had with my shrimp. They totally ignore Amano's but the second I put some cherrys in, gone in 5 mins flat - the quickest £20 ever. And yes I did feed them first etc.


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## bape (18 Feb 2013)

Always wondered about the puffers. silly question but do they actually puff up?


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## Occean (18 Feb 2013)

Yes they do, but only when they are in danger. I believe it causes them a lot of stress.

I've seen mine puff twice in 3 years when they have a little fight between themselves, approx double in size.


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## Balik1 (21 Mar 2013)

Great setup dude


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## tim (21 Mar 2013)

Thank you


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