Pea Puffer tank :)

[emmynk]

HI there! So I sat and watched my lfs puffer tank (heavily planted with tons of snails--pea puffer heaven!!) Trying to decide which of the little buggers I wanted after my last one passed away and there was a little cute healthy one, I wanted, but s/he was inseparable from another puffer. They followed each other around through the plants, swimming and dancing around each other. I couldn't resist. I got both.

 

[1971roadrunner]

OMG those Puffers are soooo tiny!!! The ones I keep get to a foot long and eat me out of house and home - good luck with those cuties !

 

[emmynk]

OMG those Puffers are soooo tiny!!! The ones I keep get to a foot long and eat me out of house and home - good luck with those cuties !

Thank you!! what puffer species do you keep? Fahaka?

 

[1971roadrunner]

Nah, I keep Saltwater tanks and I just got a baby Dogface Puffer (Arothron). I just posted a tread in the Saltwater dept. about him and others I keep.

 

[junebug]

Aww so cute :3

 

[emmynk]

Nah, I keep Saltwater tanks and I just got a baby Dogface Puffer (Arothron). I just posted a tread in the Saltwater dept. about him and others I keep.

Oh so cute

 

[emmynk]

Aww so cute :3

Thanks junebug

 

[Tonia]

They look so adorable!! I hope they stay best friends for you!

 

[emmynk]

They look so adorable!! I hope they stay best friends for you!

Me too!

 

[emmynk]

yesterday after water change!

 

[Justin2526]

I'm thinking about getting a 10 gallon or something around there tank, and want to stock it with pea puffers. Any idea how many of these would be good in it? Also, I've read that they aren't the best to keep with other fish but are there some smaller bottom dwelling fish such as maybe otos that these could be kept well with?

 

[FishGirl115]

I think you could do two. I wouldn't do anything but the 2 puffers though

 

[Justin2526]

I think you could do two. I wouldn't do anything but the 2 puffers though

Noted, although aqadvisor along with several articles tells me with nothing else 3-4 would work. Do you have any general advice about these fish you could share?

 

[FishGirl115]

Noted, although aqadvisor along with several articles tells me with nothing else 3-4 would work. Do you have any general advice about these fish you could share?

Honestly I know nothing about them. I just read them about that stock on the fishlore species profile for them. It said that each puffer needs 5 gallons due to their territorial attitude

 

[Justin2526]

Honestly I know nothing about them. I just read them about that stock on the fishlore species profile for them. It said that each puffer needs 5 gallons due to their territorial attitude

Gotcha. Yeah the stuff I read says 2.5 gallons/fish can be okay if there's good cover from plants and driftwood or rocks bc their territoriality is an out of sight out of mind sort of thing.

 

[lucky123]

I don’t have pea puffers either, but I am setting up a tank for then soon, so I’ve done my research. Two would be the perfect amount but won’t the two puffers let all the aggression on each other vs three having the aggression spread out? I’ve read this on one website, but I’m not sure if it’s completely true. Also, if you go with three, always have more females than males. Let us know what you decide!

 

[lucky123]

If you had the space, a 20 gallon would be perfect. You could do a couple puffers along with some otos.

 

[SlickNick]

I currently have 3 pea puffers in a heavily planted 5 gallon aquarium I’ve had them a little over a month now they were absolutely tiny! No aggression from them yet other than the occasional chasing away from a territory. Two of them actually hang out together all the time and after my weekly water change the 3rd one comes out and they all cruise around together! They are such a blast to watch. I have another tank set up ready to split them up if they become aggressive as they get older.

 

[NotSoAggressiveAquatics]

Make sure to have your tank fully cycled puffers are very sensitive to ammonia

 

[aquachris]

I've read a lot of people doing 2-3 in a 10g.. just make sure you have a lot of breaks for sight lines (plants/etc). I was supposed to have 4 in my 29g, but it didnt work out that way as I lost 2 when I got them. I actually plan to try to get to 6.

 

[Justin2526]

I currently have 3 pea puffers in a heavily planted 5 gallon aquarium I’ve had them a little over a month now they were absolutely tiny! No aggression from them yet other than the occasional chasing away from a territory. Two of them actually hang out together all the time and after my weekly water change the 3rd one comes out and they all cruise around together! They are such a blast to watch. I have another tank set up ready to split them up if they become aggressive as they get older.

Wow. Will this be permanent or just played by ear and could be as long as aggression doesn't occur?

 

[ElAvayarde80]

i have a pea puffer. When i first started i had 3 of them in a heavily planted 10g tank.
One of them hid all the time and the other 2 would hang out on each end of the tank...they seemed ok until the most dominant one would see the other one.... they are lil vicious creatures!, thats all im going to say about that. So keep that in mind
One of them past away (tbh not sure why)
The other 2 are now in a 35g planted, oddly stocked community tank that has been thriving for about 10 months now.

 

[BlackOsprey]

For tankmates, I'd stay safe than sorry and avoid other fish altogether. Some claim that otos are fine, but there's always a chance a puffer might chew on a fin. Otos are also really sensitive and delicate, so I don't like the odds of something bad happening. Anything more assertive will outcompete the puffer for food.

However, pea puffers will leave pretty much any adult shrimp alone. They'll probably go after shrimplets, so it's not likely the shrimp will multiply, but I've never seen mine attack adults, and the shrimp themselves have never appeared wounded. Even if they lose a leg, they just regrow them after a molt.

 

[SlickNick]

Wow. Will this be permanent or just played by ear and could be as long as aggression doesn't occur?

Just playing it by ear. I did tons of research before getting them and know that they can get aggressive as they get older so I have another tank that’s been running for about 6 months with just shrimp in it that I can put an aggressive one in if needed! I got 3 in hopes I’d get a male and a female but they are still too young to sex at the moment

 

[toeknee]

I keep my two Pea's in a 10 gallon with 11 Ember Tetra and countless Red Cherry Shrimp and the Peas don't seem to pay any attention to anyone else. I've seen one Pea make a half hearted lung at a tiny baby Cherry Shrimp so they might snack on one every once in awhile but they breed so much it's ok.

 

[Justin2526]

Thanks for all your he awesome new info guys! If I get these I likely will stick with a 10 or get a 5 and have something at the ready just in case bc if 3 in a 10 is worrisome I'd stray away from keeping them in a 5 altogether.

 

[Justin2526]

I keep my two Pea's in a 10 gallon with 8 Ember Tetra and countless Red Cherry Shrimp and the Peas don't seem to pay any attention to anyone else. I've seen one Pea make a half hearted lung at a tiny baby Cherry Shrimp so they might snack on one every once in awhile but they breed so much it's ok. View attachment 734112

Beautiful tank! What are those plants?

 

[toeknee]

Beautiful tank! What are those plants?

Thanks, it's just a carpet of Dwarf Sag and a clump of Bronze Crypt Wendtii in the back left....and a couple straggling stem plants I keep meaning to pluck out.

 

[Justin2526]

Thanks, it's just a carpet of Dwarf Sag and a clump of Bronze Crypt Wendtii in the back left....and a couple straggling stem plants I keep meaning to pluck out.

Ty! I think if I go for peas I will keep them with some cherries but likely stay away from any other fish. Tbh I really just want them to work in a 5 but I'm gonna keep looking into it before I make any risky or poor decisions.

 

[aquachris]

Ok disregard this message LOL - Posts didnt show latest to me the first time I looked and didnt show until after I posted!