Pea Puffer set up help

[pattersonbear]

Hi everyone,
I have a 5 gallon tank, and I think I would like to turn it into a pea puffer tank but I'm not sure yet. The tank is the Aqueon Minibow 5 gallon kit, and I am going to use the filter that it comes with. Before I make my decision, what is involved in keeping a pea puffer? I have read the sticky thread on keeping puffers but I wanted to ask more specifically about pea puffers. I am planning on doing a fish in cycle, keeping the tank at 78 degrees and establishing a colony of bladder or ramshorn snails in the tank before getting the puffer. I am going to do probably ~60-75% water changes weekly, because I know they're messy eaters. I am planning on feeding the puffer twice a day. I am going to ask in the store what they feed, and try to get mine on a diet of mainly freeze dried food (bloodworms, daphnia and mysis).
Can I use gravel in the tank? Can I use silk plants/fake plants? What am I missing? Are they hard to care for? Please share any information that you can! Thanks!

 

[Aquashrimp42]

I can't give much help on the actual pea puffers but I have looked into live food options. You could consider setting up a live vinegar eel colony to feed you pea puffers along with your frozen foods. They are fairly easy to keep, unlike brine shrimp.

 

[pattersonbear]

I can't give much help on the actual pea puffers but I have looked into live food options. You could consider setting up a live vinegar eel colony to feed you pea puffers along with your frozen foods. They are fairly easy to keep, unlike brine shrimp.

I will look into how to do that, thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Bluebellie]

Hi I noticed you mention you were going to try the freeze dried food. Pea puffers are very food picky and will most likely not go for these. I suggest feeding them live snails or frozen foods instead of freeze dried.

 

[DoraCory]

My only advice to add to the rest of the good advice so far, is plants, more plants and then just a few more plants.