Friday 28 December 2007

Dwarf Puffer



Enough of the woods, stones and plants. Let's talk about some of the fishes i will keep inside my planted tank.

Dwarf puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) is definately something i must have in my planted tank for snail control.

The Dwarf Puffer is, as hinted by its name, the smallest of the puffer family. It is an entirely freshwater fish, breeding, maturing and living out its days in a fresh tropical environment.

1. Dwarf puffers live entirely in fresh water. This is perhaps the most important thing to know, as many aquarists are under the impression that all puffers are either marine or brackish. While it is true that a dwarf puffer will survive in brackish water, its life span will be significantly reduced, and the fish will lead an unhealthy life.

2. Dwarf puffers are one of the most aggressive of puffer species. They will attack fish many times their own size, and often win. Dwarf puffers really should only be kept in a species only tank, and if you insist on keeping more than one, then each puffer will require at least five gallons (20 liters) each.

3. Dwarf puffers are territorial. They will claim areas of the tank as their own, and attack tank mates. A setup for dwarf puffers will need a lot of dense plants and plenty of caves or pots so that each puffer can define their territories around the hiding places, and will not live in constant view of other puffers.

4. Dwarf puffers are difficult to breed. Considering the fact that a male dwarf puffer will see any fish, including female dwarf puffers as a threat.

5. Dwarf puffers live in communities when juvenile, but this changes rapidly as the fish mature. This behavior is often mistaken for compatibility with other fish of their own species. While it is true that you will have more success if you keep several puffers together that have grown to maturity in each others company, attempting to introduce an adult dwarf puffer into a community or species tank will be disastrous.

6. Dwarf puffers have no scales, and as such their skin is sensitive, and easily wounded. Many puffers bury themselves in sand, but because dwarf puffers are so small, even the grains of sand are likely to cause injury. A dwarf puffer setup will require a sand substrate, preferably a dark sand substrate; otherwise your puffers will cut themselves to shreds.

7. Dwarf puffers are difficult to sex at an early age, but when mature, they are much easier to distinguish. Dominant males will typically have a dark stripe running all the way from under their mouths, across the belly, to the tail. It looks a little like a goatee beard when viewed from the front. All males, dominant or not, will have wrinkles behind their eyes, although these can be difficult to see. Female puffers lack both of these marks and all dwarf puffers have a mottled green skin with light brown patches. Their colours will fade when under threat from other puffers or when stressed, and their colours will darken drastically when they are very ill, highly stressed or in the middle of a fight.

8. Dwarf puffers are notoriously difficult to persuade to eat frozen foods. They will only usually eat live foods, such as artemia or bloodworms. However, they can be fooled into thinking good quality frozen bloodworms are still alive if there is a large current in the tank. Use this to your advantage when tricking them into thinking that their bloodworms are still alive.

9. Dwarf puffers puff. There is a rule for all puffers: never let them puff air. If a dwarf puffer inflates itself with air, then its outlook is bleak. Because of the pressure of the water around it, the valves in the puffers' inflation system are usually sealed shut, so once it is full of air, it is usually doomed. When moving dwarf puffers, use a net to catch them and hold them under water, and then use a drinking glass or mug to catch it. Make sure it is under water at all times. Make sure to have a heavy book handy. Even though inhaling air is deadly to them, they love to jump out of tight spaces.

10. Dwarf puffers are, without doubt, among the most feature rich in personality traits of all fish. As such, they are often found zooming around the front of the tank whenever their owner is near. They will come to recognize you as their owner, and will learn when they are about to be fed. Do not be surprised to find your dwarf puffer puffing itself up in protest to not being fed! If this ever happens, the best thing to do is to feed them a little and quickly, so they will deflate themselves and do themselves no harm or stress.

There is a lot more to know about these feisty little fishies. Their tolerance to change in pH and KH is incredibly low, and while they will survive happily in a range of water temperatures, even the slightest trace of nitrates or ammonia in the water may be enough to kill them. Their highly sensitive skin is to blame for this, as the pollutants in the water will move by osmosis far quicker into the dwarf puffers' system because of their lack of scales.

1 comment:

Aliza said...

This is the most helpful and user friendly info I have found on dwarf puffers! Thank you!