# Are Dwarf Puffer Fish Jumpers?



## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

DrewWoodside said:


> I was thinking about picking up a pair for my 10 Gallon. I've read a couple instances of them jumping(ultimately to their demise.) However I thought I saw a couple tank journals on here showing open top tanks..
> 
> I was hoping to have an open top tank, however it is not a deal breaker. Does anyone know if these fish require a top for certain? Are they avid jumpers or is this more a freak accident sort of situation. Thanks for any info!


Sorry for the shameless bump, anyone have insight on keeping Dwarf Puffers with open top tanks? Thanks!!


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## ThinkTank (May 24, 2011)

I have a pair of dwarf puffers - my top is covered but i've never heard of them being jumpers. They dont startle easily IME. 

Actually despite what i've read, I find them to be good community fish. I had to keep them with a bunch of tetras temporarily due to moving some tanks around and they didn't bother them ever. I decided to keep the arrangement and they've been co-existing peacefully so far.

Mine will only take live food, but they have odd hunting habits. They spend so much time circling and sizing up prey that only fry are at risk.

Personality-wise, they are not at all like the larger more aggresive puffers.

This is what i've found however your milage may vary.


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

I've never found a jumper at the pet shop I work at. We've have the same kind for several months now and we havent lost a single one. They do like to sit at the top of the waterline, though.


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

@sampster and Thinktank, so at least to start you think it might worth a shot to go open top if that's the preference? Also, we're all referring to Pea puffers or Indian puffers right.. 

Interesting to hear about the Puffer having success with tetras. I'm sure it's all relative to the actual puffer's demeanor, but I was considering giving him a run with a couple neons.. With the expectation of losing the neons..

It's either going to be puffers or Appistogramma Cacatuoides.. Still not totally sure, but these answers were a big help. Thanks so much!


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## larams67 (Jan 24, 2006)

These fish have developed a reputation that is not fitting to how they really are. I think people comment on them based on what they read and not 1st hand experience.

I have had them for some time now. I have never seen any jump and have never lost any from jumping. My tank has not always been an open top tank though.

I have never seen them get aggressive towards other fish at all, not once. I have seen the males chase females sometimes.

I have tons of cherry shrimp in these tanks ranging from tiny babies to adults. Not one shrimp has ever been bothered by my puffers.

The reputation that they are not good for community tanks or they will eat your shrimp is unfounded. Maybe people who describe them that way don't properly care for them.
They are not solo fish and they need to be fed the proper food. Yes, if you starve them they might eventually eat a small shrimp but so would I.


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## gtu2004 (Feb 17, 2010)

go ahead and try them with the neons. obviously there's a risk, and people warn you all over the place. but i think you'll be fine, as there have been as many people actually having them together. 

I am keeping my DP with 6 cardinals and 6 neons (and 6 otos). DP doesn't even look half interested at the tetras. The DP is one cute fish though.


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## ThinkTank (May 24, 2011)

DrewWoodside said:


> @sampster and Thinktank, so at least to start you think it might worth a shot to go open top if that's the preference? Also, we're all referring to Pea puffers or Indian puffers right..
> 
> Interesting to hear about the Puffer having success with tetras. I'm sure it's all relative to the actual puffer's demeanor, but I was considering giving him a run with a couple neons.. With the expectation of losing the neons..
> 
> It's either going to be puffers or Appistogramma Cacatuoides.. Still not totally sure, but these answers were a big help. Thanks so much!


I've only had my puffers (dwarf-Pea-Indian) for 3 months so they're fairly new to me also.

I would have never considered putting them with the tetras, but i've had to shuffle tanks around due to home remodeling and the fish got shuffled as well. I've done some searching and others have had good luck also. Just have a backup plan (i.e. tank divider) in case things go awry. The big chain petstores usually have some type of tetra on sale for $1 each.

As far as jumping....I really dont see an issue. If you watch the way they glide around you'll see what I mean. It probably more likely the neons will jump.


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## SuperWen (Mar 24, 2011)

No they are not..
as mentioned before dwarf puffer is carnivore fish and they love live food. They will eat anything live that fit in their mouth like ramshorn snail or baby shrimp if you dont feed them with live food


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

Open or closed top you will be fine. I would NOT recommend keeping them with anything else. These are aggressive carnivores and WILL rip your fish to shreds. The only success I can think of is putting a very large school of similar sized fish with them. Even then, these are brackish fish. They will survive in freshwater but will be the first to go once there is a disease or parasite outbreak.


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## gtu2004 (Feb 17, 2010)

sampster5000 said:


> Open or closed top you will be fine. I would NOT recommend keeping them with anything else. These are aggressive carnivores and WILL rip your fish to shreds. The only success I can think of is putting a very large school of similar sized fish with them. Even then, these are brackish fish. They will survive in freshwater but will be the first to go once there is a disease or parasite outbreak.


hmmm, i'm wondering whether you had first hand experience with the dwarf puffers or again, just selectively reading off some information online (which is not a bad thing, just insufficient in some cases). Most of opinions against keeping dwarf puffers with other fish seem to come from people who actually do not own a dwarf puffer. I realized that when I researched about dwarf puffers online. I always wanted to put them in a small community tank and was not convinced at all of those "I think" and "I guess"s. For those that do own a dwarf puffer, it seems to me that majority say that the dwarf puffers can live with other fish like tetras. Obviously you need to be wise to select what fish that can be tank mates, as fast tetras would be quite compatible, and a slow and long fin gold fish would not be.

And for your information, dwarf puffers are fully and 100% freshwater. They do not do as well if there's a bit of salinity in the water.


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## larams67 (Jan 24, 2006)

sampster5000 said:


> Open or closed top you will be fine. I would NOT recommend keeping them with anything else. These are aggressive carnivores and WILL rip your fish to shreds. The only success I can think of is putting a very large school of similar sized fish with them. Even then, these are brackish fish. They will survive in freshwater but will be the first to go once there is a disease or parasite outbreak.



I think you have identified a different species than the dwarf puffer.


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## ThinkTank (May 24, 2011)

I agree with both of the above posts. Pea Puffers are *NOT* brackish fish. I sure they can get nippy if underfed or if you have an aggresive individual. 

Theres another forum devoted entirely to Pea Puffers with lots of good info. Not sure if linking is allowed but its easy enough to find with a quick search.


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

Pea Puffers sound fairly different from fish to fish(personality/aggression wise), and I think it's true a lot of people do seem to regurgitate what they've read as supposed to speaking from first hand experience. 

As I understand it Pea Puffers are a true fresh water fish, and the only puffer of that kind. They may even have been brought into the hobby somewhat recently? Like inside the last decade? 

I do want to try them with tetras as from fish to fish it sounds like some DPs may or may not attack them.. It sounds like in slightly larger community tanks the DPs don't notice the tetras. In a 10 Gallon which I plan on running, it may be a little harder for them to ignore.. Either way looking forward to this!


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## ThinkTank (May 24, 2011)

Actually mine were in a 10g tank with a couple tetras and a pair of platies for 2+ weeks. I moved them all to my 55 and added more tetras about a week ago - One of the platies had fry so now I have 50+ of the little guys in my 10g. Last time she only had 20 or so....


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## RandomMan (May 31, 2011)

Can a Dwarf Puffers even get up enough speed to jump? I've never seen mine move with any sort of speed.


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## dwc13 (Dec 15, 2010)

Perhaps if they have a little help...

I was at a LFS yesterday and there were 3 Dwarf Puffers in a community tank that had the powerhead going pretty good. Quite amusing to watch the currents quickly move these little guys across the tank as if they were wearing a jet pack. Most of the other fish would (wisely) move away as the DPs approached. The ones that weren't paying attention sometimes got their fins nipped.


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## sampster5000 (Oct 30, 2010)

If you've read my previous post, we've had them at the fish shop for several months now. They are in brackish water and have been doing great. Havent had a single one die. They do, however, rip everything to shreds  Not into an argument, just giving my hands on experience.


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

ThinkTank said:


> Actually mine were in a 10g tank with a couple tetras and a pair of platies for 2+ weeks. I moved them all to my 55 and added more tetras about a week ago - One of the platies had fry so now I have 50+ of the little guys in my 10g. Last time she only had 20 or so....


Tetras with the pair of puffers would be ideal.. You pulled it off for 2+ weeks, but I wonder how that would work over a few months.. Well I'm gonna find out! Btw, what are you going to do with the fry? Sell it to a LFS or give it to friends? I'm not interested just wondering.


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

sampster5000 said:


> If you've read my previous post, we've had them at the fish shop for several months now. They are in brackish water and have been doing great. Havent had a single one die. They do, however, rip everything to shreds  Not into an argument, just giving my hands on experience.


I'm sure they can handle brackish, but most things I've read suggests there is a particular puffer that prefers non brackish or completely fresh water..


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## gtu2004 (Feb 17, 2010)

sampster5000 said:


> If you've read my previous post, we've had them at the fish shop for several months now. They are in brackish water and have been doing great. Havent had a single one die. They do, however, rip everything to shreds  Not into an argument, just giving my hands on experience.


I think you are not aware that we are talking about dwarf puffers (or pea puffers, or indian puffers) here.


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## ThinkTank (May 24, 2011)

DrewWoodside said:


> Tetras with the pair of puffers would be ideal.. You pulled it off for 2+ weeks, but I wonder how that would work over a few months.. Well I'm gonna find out! Btw, what are you going to do with the fry? Sell it to a LFS or give it to friends? I'm not interested just wondering.


If you're still deliberating in a few weeks, send me a PM and i'll give you my current status with these guys. Only time will tell.

I was only able to save 8 of the first batch of fry, they're still in one of those floating breeder boxes...too small for the community tank and big enough to eat the new fry. I'll give away what I can and I'm going to try and work out a trade at my LFS with the rest (but I have no idea if they'll be interested - not something i've done before). I'd be happy to get 6-10 tetras for the 50 or so platies.... we'll see in a few months.


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

ThinkTank said:


> If you're still deliberating in a few weeks, send me a PM and i'll give you my current status with these guys. Only time will tell.
> 
> I was only able to save 8 of the first batch of fry, they're still in one of those floating breeder boxes...too small for the community tank and big enough to eat the new fry. I'll give away what I can and I'm going to try and work out a trade at my LFS with the rest (but I have no idea if they'll be interested - not something i've done before). I'd be happy to get 6-10 tetras for the 50 or so platies.... we'll see in a few months.


Nice, well I hope it works out. Looks like I'll be attempting the dwarf puffers soon. Tank is all set and ready. It's going to come down to how I feel about them when I see them at the pet shop. I'm thinking I'll be very taken by them after all the reading I've been doing. :thumbsup:


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## amcoffeegirl (May 26, 2009)

i started out with 2 puffers and one killed the other one then i got another one and the same thing happened. i then kept just one puffer for about 4 yrs. he did like to sleep in the floating plants and loved to eat pond snails.
he was eaten by a larger fish in the same tank. i didnt think it would happen since they grew up together but it did. i actually saw it happen but there was nothing i could do about it. lesson learned. 

it was a Ctenopoma acutirostre (spotted climbing perch) dont keep them together.

oh yes i did not see any jumping activity and they dont seem to be built for jumping. 

let us know if it works out.


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## DrewWoodside (Apr 1, 2008)

amcoffeegirl said:


> i started out with 2 puffers and one killed the other one then i got another one and the same thing happened. i then kept just one puffer for about 4 yrs. he did like to sleep in the floating plants and loved to eat pond snails.
> he was eaten by a larger fish in the same tank. i didnt think it would happen since they grew up together but it did. i actually saw it happen but there was nothing i could do about it. lesson learned.
> 
> it was a Ctenopoma acutirostre (spotted climbing perch) dont keep them together.
> ...


Experiences with these fish are such a wide range.. Some keeping multiple with assorted tankmates others having difficulty keeping two.. I wonder if in this instance it was because the second puffers were also males.. Sorry to hear about the DP and the perch. Fingers crossed my puffers are friendly!


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