# Any dwarf puffer expert around?



## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Hi All,

Yesterday I picked up 3 FW puffer fishes from Lucky Aquarium. I thought I was getting Dwarf Puffers all along, but now I'm not sure if I really have true Dwarf Puffers or not. 

They look more like Number 8 puffers, as they are already slightly over 1 inch long. All sources I've read tells me Dwarfs are under an inch at most..

Regardless, they are so cute and interesting. I'm looking forward to getting acquinted with them more. 

What I'm concerned is that if they are not true dwarfs, they may require brackish water. I have no idea how to make the tank with brackish water...

These 3 puffers are in a 10gal tank, heavily planted, all by themselves.


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## js97 (Jun 11, 2008)

Picture would be great help.

From the side and from the top! (you literally can see an '8' if they are figure 8's


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

Dwarf puffers dont get much more then 1 inch heres a couple of pics first one dwarf or pea puffer the second figure 8


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Pat, do you know a place in GTA area where you can always find dwarf puffers?


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## pat3612 (Jan 29, 2008)

No sorry I dont but big Als carries them in Barrie so I would imagine they do at big Als In your area. If you do find more make sure when you buy them to get the guy to catch them in a small plastic container they should not be netted as they sometimes will breath air into their lungs and cant release it. When I bought mine I took 2 containers with me one to catch them with and one to take them home with. Check out the General Marketplace Discussion and phone around also you can check some of the puffer forums. Come back here though we love new people


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

I have not seen any BAs in GTA carry them. I've seen figure 8 puffers, that's about it.

These are my 3 puffers. I guess they are figure 8 or green spot puffers.

How many Dwarf Puffers do you have and how much did you pay?


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## shooterKD (Mar 27, 2008)

Those are definitely NOT dwarf puffers. They look like Figure 8's to me, although the first and third ones kinda look more like a Ceylon. Could just be slightly different patterning. Not an obvious "8" pattern. I strongly suggest you check out thepufferforum.com, as for starters, you're gonna need a MUCH bigger tank for those guys! Also, they are brackish and you can read through the many articles on that site to find out how to slowly raise the salinity in your tank. I hope you have snails and other "crunchy" foods for them... If you need anymore info, I can gladly help you out, as I've kept various types of puffers over the last 10 years or so...


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## Calmer (Mar 9, 2008)

Yeah they are Figure 8 puffers and here are the links: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum.../Brackish/T_Biocellatus/PB2305201_1_.jpg.html
and brackish http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Biocellatus/
Nice looking puffers
They had Dwarf Puffers on sale 2 or 3 weeks back at Big Als in Whitby for $2.99 each


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Thanks guys. I should check out big als in my area time to time.

I was planning on getting dwarfs, and that's what those guys at Lucky told me that they are dwarfs. 

I wasn't planning on making another puffer tank, so if 10gal is too small for these guys, I'll have to let them go and find true dwarfs


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## Zebrapl3co (Mar 29, 2006)

Try asking for pea puffer instead of dwarf puffers as some people do consider figure 8 and green spotted to be part of the dwarf puffer category. However, there can only be one pea puffer.

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## ameekplec. (May 1, 2008)

Ask member redclove about getting pea puffers. I think he had a few week quest to get them earlier this summer.

Defo fig 8s. Good luck with the pea puffers. I see them time to time at BA scarborough. I'll let you know if I see them anytime soon.


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

Well, thanks! Let me know when you see them in any store.


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

My inexpert opinion, because I saw the fishies in question at Lucky Aquarium, is they're baby ceylons, not figure 8s. I could of course be wrong. Send a picture to the folks at thepufferforum.com forums and they'll have more experts there.

Warren


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

If they are ceylons, you should be going slowly brackish, beginning asap. 

It's not hard to do brackish water. Go buy a pail of marine salt, and a hydrometer. I measure out eight cups of salt into a big pail full of water, that has a lid, and I "react" all the salt/water into saline solution, which I let sit for a few days, then I mix a percentage of that, with a percentage of clean water, to get accurate salinity. The hydrometer won't measure slightly brackish salinities (less than 1.01) very accurately but if you mix up a pain of full-marine water, and do a little ratio math in your head (one half, one quarter, or one eighth marine + the rest fresh) it's easy to make any salinity you want, quite accurately.

Warren


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## conix67 (Jul 27, 2008)

KhuliLoachFan said:


> If they are ceylons, you should be going slowly brackish, beginning asap.
> 
> It's not hard to do brackish water. Go buy a pail of marine salt, and a hydrometer. I measure out eight cups of salt into a big pail full of water, that has a lid, and I "react" all the salt/water into saline solution, which I let sit for a few days, then I mix a percentage of that, with a percentage of clean water, to get accurate salinity. The hydrometer won't measure slightly brackish salinities (less than 1.01) very accurately but if you mix up a pain of full-marine water, and do a little ratio math in your head (one half, one quarter, or one eighth marine + the rest fresh) it's easy to make any salinity you want, quite accurately.
> 
> Warren


Eek! 8 inches! Full marine water at adulthood! Min 30 Gal!

Oops....


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

They are so cyoot though. Give them a chance. Maybe you'll need to buy a bigger tank though. If you need a home for one of them, I'll adopt one. I have two right now.

W


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## papik (Oct 6, 2008)

*i found gsp's !!! (green spotted puffer)*

just picked them up a couple days ago from Aquatic Kingdom , they are in Etobicoke on Dundas street, South side, just west of Hwy 427....... Amazing store, has not had its Grand Opening, but its open to the public anyway.... very good prices as well... I paid $12 each, and they are very healthy with all their fins attached... I definitely recommend checking this store out for all your fresh and salt water fish needs....


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

How big? $12 is pretty expensive for a GSP. I paid $5/each.

W


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## papik (Oct 6, 2008)

well don't i feel like a dummy! lol...... i said they were cheap because compared to Big Al's they were.... plus the ones at Big Al's were missing fins left, right, and center... i got two small ones and they are about 2" long, or just shy of that....


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## KhuliLoachFan (Mar 8, 2008)

The big als ones (Scarborough anyways) are Ceylons, not GSPs, and they NEED brackish and go full marine as adults, and besides the ones at Big Als look rough. Beat up.

If you got a Ceylon for $12 and it's 2" and it's healthy then you did VERY WELL indeed. Be awaare that ceylons get HUGE when compared to GSPs.

Ceylon pic:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Fluviatilis/c24_1_.jpg.html
(I find it easy to confuse CEYLONS and Figure 8's, but GSPs are very distinctive and a very small puffer. Ceylon juveniles can be quite small, but the BAs ones are bigger than mine, but not very healthy looking)

GSP pic:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum.../Brackish/T_Nigroviridis/ff63e86d_1_.jpg.html

W


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## papik (Oct 6, 2008)

this is what the lil' guys look like.... without the lil' white dots


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## wngt368 (Oct 4, 2008)

papik said:


> this is what the lil' guys look like.... without the lil' white dots


ya that is a gsp and ya big als puffers do not seem healthy. like the ones at steele are very discolored and pale looking


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