# Tank raised pygmy puffer needs a home!



## markk (17 Apr 2017)

I finally made some progress collecting a few eggs from my group of pygmy puffers.

Of the 3 that hatched, one is still going strong. I had problems getting a good infusoria culture started at the time as a first food - so in desperation I put the surviving fry in my red cherry breeding tank! This particular tank is also overrun with small seed shrimp and cyclops - which seem to have done the trick

The individual is about 4 weeks post hatching and still only around 6-7mm long. Unfortunately it is starting to take an interest in the smallest shrimplets and I just don't have a suitable tank to move it to.

Anyone interested?

Too small to move just yet and I'd like to get it feeding on bloodworm before it goes - but i'm guessing another 3-4 weeks?

Free to a good home - collection from New Malden, South West London.

Can post some photos if anyone is interested.

Thanks, Mark

P.s. I'm fairly sure this is Carinotetraodon imitator and not C. travancoricus - based on the colouration of the males and patterning on the females.

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## kadoxu (18 Apr 2017)

I'm interested, and, as you know, I live nearby! Can you send some pics of the adults, please?


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## markk (19 Apr 2017)

kadoxu said:


> I'm interested, and, as you know, I live nearby! Can you send some pics of the adults, please?


Sure - I'll take some tonight.

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## zozo (19 Apr 2017)

Here is a breeding journal from a Dutch Puffer forum with pics if you are intrested.. If you read Bullet, thats puffer, we call it Bulletfish. (Kogel - Boule) 
https://translate.google.nl/transla...y=Carinotetraodon+imitator&edit-text=&act=url

Those Malabars i've never seen in the trade, unfortunately, or maybe fortunately dunno, in the lfs 99% is wild origine. These seem to be very peacefull compaired to the travancoricus. The travancoricus i had where little violent hooligans not suitable for a community tank.


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## Alex J (19 Apr 2017)

Just wanted to say Congratulations on breeding the puffer's 

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## kadoxu (19 Apr 2017)

Just give me a heads up and I'll pick it up whenever you think it's big enough. I just want the pics of the adults to see if I can help you identify the puffer's sp.


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## markk (20 Apr 2017)

Alex J said:


> Just wanted to say Congratulations on breeding the puffer's
> 
> Sent from my SM-G925F using Tapatalk


Thanks - though I think the only tricky bit is collecting the eggs. The puffers are happy enough producing them!

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## markk (20 Apr 2017)

kadoxu said:


> Just give me a heads up and I'll pick it up whenever you think it's big enough. I just want the pics of the adults to see if I can help you identify the puffer's sp.


Sorry - got distracted. Will sort later.

Mark

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## kadoxu (21 Apr 2017)

The suspense is killing me!


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## markk (22 Apr 2017)

kadoxu said:


> The suspense is killing me!


Heh - apologies again. Realised I needed to clean the glass amongst other things. Taking some now - if only the little buggers would slow down. This time in the afternoon is courtship time - so all a little animated!







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## markk (22 Apr 2017)

kadoxu said:


> The suspense is killing me!










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## markk (22 Apr 2017)

kadoxu said:


> The suspense is killing me!


Hopefully these are coming through.

Juvenile as of a couple of days ago.





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## zozo (22 Apr 2017)

How adorable they are!.. One day i definitively have them again in a tank only for them..   But they realy need a special user manual, the are much to shortly described where ever you look. They are highly sensitive creatures with a very big personality.. My last one i wanted to keep, i had to move him to another tank because he was attacking and chasing all other fish, driving all mad. In the new tank he became depressed, not showing anymore just hiding and laying silently in the plants was even hard to find him in there. Before in the other tank he grew up in, he always came looking instead when i approched the tank.. He killed himself by jumping out. Found him dead and dry on the floor one morning. And the tank was absolutely mature and excact same water and all. It realy gutted me and felt mean and stuppid for weeks. He never even came close to the surface in the other tank. N idea what triggered him to jump.. . Nothing strange in the tank but him and cherries and lots of plants he always knew. Except the others, nothing to hunt around.

@kadoxu pleace take care of this little beauty, it's not a species to drag around.. It's seems they also attach to a established territory once matured or something.


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## markk (22 Apr 2017)

kadoxu said:


> The suspense is killing me!


Puffer porn...





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## kadoxu (22 Apr 2017)

markk said:


> Puffer porn...




They look amazing! I agree with you on the sp. - they have too many tiny dots on them to be the common Dwarf Puffer.




zozo said:


> @kadoxu pleace take care of this little beauty, it's not a species to drag around.. It's seems they also attach to a established territory once matured or something.


I'll do my best! I still have a couple of weeks to get everything ready!


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## kadoxu (28 Apr 2017)

I found this paper on this specific species, it's quite easy to find on google, so you've probably seen it before:
Carinotetraodon imitator a new freshwater pufferfish from India


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## markk (29 Apr 2017)

kadoxu said:


> I found this paper on this specific species, it's quite easy to find on google, so you've probably seen it before:
> Carinotetraodon imitator a new freshwater pufferfish from India


Thanks for that - never spotted it before. It made me laugh reading the breeding section and the description of other females hoovering up the eggs!

Cheers, Mark

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## markk (3 May 2017)

Coming along slowly. Starting to take more live foods (small daphnia, grindal worms) but blood worms still too large.





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## kadoxu (18 May 2017)

How's the little guy doing?


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## markk (20 May 2017)

kadoxu said:


> How's the little guy doing?


Photo from Thursday night (took it and then completely forgot to post it!).

He/she coming along slowly. I'd guess around 12mm total length.

Always seems to have a full belly but continues to frustrate me on the bloodworm front. Will happily demolish a live mosquito larvae 2/3 of its size but won't touch a dead bloodworm! Likewise  is really picky about daphnia - anything adult size is ignored, as is anything too fast.

Also has a younger sibling now...

I'm happy for you to pick up anytime that suits now - if you're happy you have some livefoods sorted. 

Just tell me what you need on the snail/shrimp/grindal worm front. Overrun with everything at the moment.

Regards, Mark



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## kadoxu (20 May 2017)

markk said:


> I'm happy for you to pick up anytime that suits now - if you're happy you have some livefoods sorted.


I can pick it up tomorrow or during this week after 6PM, whatever suits you best! Just PM me your address and what day suits you best. 



markk said:


> Just tell me what you need on the snail/shrimp/grindal worm front. Overrun with everything at the moment


I never say no to extra shrimp!  

I started cultures of blackworms and pond snails and have a few ramshorn snails in my bigger tank, but I'll gladly take a few snails and grindal worms from your hands.

All I can offer in exchange at the moment is some Dwarf Water Lettuce, Duckweed, guppies and/or a few juvenile N-Class Endlers.


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## kadoxu (23 May 2017)

The little one is on his new home now!

My big thanks to @markk for allowing me in his house, showing me his tanks, and for offering lots of critters to culture. I have to say he has the best looking mosses and the biggest (and also the smallest baby) pygmy puffers I have ever seen!

I hope to be as good as you are taking care of this little guy/gal.

Thank you!


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## markk (24 May 2017)

Heh - not so sure about the mosses!

It was good to meet you. Missing the little guy already - keep us posted!

regards, Mark


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## kadoxu (30 May 2017)

Well, the little guy had me worried for a few days... but apparently it's getting a bit more comfortable now!

It was always hiding away and apparently not eating for the first couple of days. So I left a few snails and blackworms in the tank, just in case... 

On day 4 I came home after work to a dead snail in the tank, so I was a bit happier... and then I saw it following and trying to nip on a big nerite snail, with no success.

On day 5 I was finally able to see it eat a blackworm as soon as I put it in the tank!

And it was only yesterday that it didn't hide away when I entered the room... it's starting to stare at me, but still runs away if I touch the tank.

Now it's time to start training him to eat dried bloodworm before the holiday season comes... wish me luck!


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