Dwarf Puffers are Freshwater and not Brackish Fish
By Evelyn with contribution from Ben
Copyright 2007

How to keep Dwarf Puffers

The Dwarf Puffer is from Malabar, India. It is found in the wild in water that is slightly acidic or slightly alkaline. It is a scale-less fish, so care must be taken when using medicines. It is advisable to keep some aquarium salt just in case, to use as a medicine to treat the puffer. It is also best to keep the puffers in a ratio of 1 male to 2 females, as male aggression between the puffers can lead to fighting and death.

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. They are among the funniest of fish and can be trained to do tricks for food, and have marvelous personalities. However, the dwarf puffer is, as with any puffer fish, not an easily kept fish.

Tank and water requirements

• 5 gallon tank is a minimum for 1 of them (Tank size is still up to you, but to really enjoy the size and scale of this fish it is better to keep it in a 10-gallon, where you can observe it easily and not lose sight of it in a bigger tank!).

• The dwarf puffer is a freshwater puffer and does not require a high pH like their brackish cousins

• Water with at least a pH of 7.0

• Change 30% of the water weekly

• Temperature should be between 24ºC-27ºC as it is a tropical fish, the perfect temp is 27C/80F to prevent ich to occur in your tank

• Dwarf puffers have no scales, and as such their skin is sensitive, and easily wounded.

• A dwarf puffer setup will require a sand substrate, preferably a dark sand substrate; otherwise your puffers will cut themselves to shreds.

• Many puffers bury themselves in sand, but because dwarf puffers are so small, even the grains of sand are likely to cause injury.

• Plants like Hygrophila polysperma, Java fern, and Java moss are essential for your DP live

• Plenty of caves or pots so that each puffer can define their territories around the hiding places

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Dwarf puffers do well in a wide range of water and temperature conditions, but it is best to keep the water slightly alkaline and slightly warm, to prevent ich.

Something you really need to know

• 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.

• Dwarf puffers puff. It seems obvious, but 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, these silly things love to jump out of tight spaces.

• There is a lot more to know about these feisty little fishes. 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.

However, the difficulties in frequent water changes and over-filtration put aside, these fish are well worth the effort. They are probably the best species to start with if you are considering becoming a puffer keeper,   


The Aggression of Dwarf Puffers

• Dwarf puffers are perhaps among the most aggressive of puffer species.

• Their tiny bodies are more than made up for in courage, or perhaps plain stupidity.

• They will attack fish many times their own size, and due to their tenacity, will 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. Don't expect them to play happy families though.

• The dwarf puffer grows up to 1-inch long, but do not underestimate it! It can easily shred the fins of a larger fish, so a species tank is generally best.

• Although you can try keeping them with otocinclus and other fish that keep a low profile.

• Dwarf puffers are violently territorial. They will claim areas of the tank as their own, and if there is one particularly dominant male, then he may very well claim an entire tank as his, and attack tank mates tirelessly.

• 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.

Habitat

• A heavily planted tank is essential for your dwarf puffer. As it is a very intelligent fish, it needs to be able to explore its surroundings and hide behind plants from the aggression of other dwarfs.

• Planting the tank with Hygrophila polysperma, Java fern, and Java moss will help the puffer feel safe and secure in its new home. When puffers go to sleep they like to rest upon the moss and the broad leaves of Hygrophila polysperma, so the plants help to provide security and a resting place.

Tank-mates

• Dwarf puffers can be kept with otocinclus. Dwarf puffers are not as pugnacious as others in their family, and ignore the otocinclus. They seem to be interested in looking around the tank, and waiting for you to feed them.

• Do not keep neon tetras or long-finned active fish with puffers, as the puffers will find this distracting and attack them.

• They can shred the fins of a zebra danio overnight, and cause much damage to their tank-mates with their teeth.

Feeding

• Dwarf puffers love to eat bloodworms.

• Snails are very good for them, and normally come in a steady supply when your tank is infested. The snails' shells help to wear down the puffers' teeth.

If care is not given to provide them with a steady diet of snails, they might become unable to eat due to their teeth becoming too large.

They become very excited when you feed them, and give the impression that they are 'begging' for food. It is wise to measure the amount of food you give them everyday, to avoid overfeeding or starvation. They eat rather messily, so use a dropper to squirt small amounts of bloodworm into their mouths. They sometimes attack the dropper and 'suck' out the bloodworms like a straw!

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.


Sexing

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• 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. (Whenever it displays aggression to other males, or when displaying for courting females.)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 colors will fade when under threat from other puffers or when stressed, and their colors will darken drastically when they are very ill, highly stressed or in the middle of a fight.

• Males usually don't have as many spots and overlapping color variation.

These sexing methods can be used to determine the sex of adult puffers. It is difficult to spot these signs on juvenile specimens, except maybe in the case of using the spot technique.


Summary

1. The dwarf puffer will do well in a heavily planted tank
2. It is best to keep one dwarf puffer to every 2-3 gallons of water.
3. Try to keep more females than males in an aquarium.
4. Good tank-mates include otocinclus and other inactive algae eaters.
5. Feed them live foods only; they rarely accept flake or other dry food.
6. Do not over feed these fish, as it may lead to constipation.

7. Dwarf Puffers are Freshwater fish and not Brackish


Dwarf puffers can and will puff up when they are threatened or about to be eaten , contrary to rumors stating the opposite. Breeding of dwarf puffers is possible in the aquarium, and if the fish keeper is attempting to breed them, it is best to keep one pair in a heavily planted tank with Java moss.