got a new 10g tank...and some questions. lol.

[squirt_12]

well i just bought a 10g tank with everything to go with it.
Ok..i am thinking of adding some dwarf puffers.
i am also going to plant it with live plants.
Now the questions:
1) how many dwarf puffers can i put into a 10g???
2) how heavily will i have to plant it??
3) what all do they eat??

Thanks so much.

EDIT- also i was wondering if i could put the filter for the 10g on my tank and let it get the bacteria there and then it will make the cycle go faster...would that work????

thanks.

[Kaga's Kritters]

no more than 3 dwarf puffers
just use the old filter cartridge from an established tank to start up the new one. you don't need to move the whole filter.
you don't need it completely full of plants, but will need a good bit so there are lots of places to hide and stuff.
they eat lots of things, but from what i read they do best on live (black worms, ghost shrimp, daphnia, ect.)

[cocoa_pleco]

i would say get about 3-4 puffers and add some broader plants like java fern

[gm72]

You'll have to give them snails to keep their teeth "filed" down. I have read successful attempts at peacefully keeping 5 DPs in a 10 gallon planted tank, but as always YMMV.

[squirt_12]

You'll have to give them snails to keep their teeth "filed" down. I have read successful attempts at peacefully keeping 5 DPs in a 10 gallon planted tank, but as always YMMV.
yeah i new they need snails but i have a snail problem in my 33g so that is not a problem.


thanks everyone.

ok another question:
if i keep the 10g filter in the 33g for a while....will it make the process go ALOT faster????
like how much faster???

thanks.

EDIT- the reason i am asking this is because i do not have a test kit so i cant test the water.

thanks.

i know that i need some but i will get them eventually.

thanks again.

don't get mad.

[gm72]

Running the 10 gallon filter in an established tank will allow it to become colonized by the beneficial bacteria you need. It will help a lot and will cut the time at least in half I would imagine.

You need a test kit. Now. Otherwise when you run into trouble you won't have any idea what the trouble is and we won't be able to help you. But you know that already. :c8:

[squirt_12]

Running the 10 gallon filter in an established tank will allow it to become colonized by the beneficial bacteria you need. It will help a lot and will cut the time at least in half I would imagine.

You need a test kit. Now. Otherwise when you run into trouble you won't have any idea what the trouble is and we won't be able to help you. But you know that already. :c8:
yeah i am going to get test kits for the 10g for sure because i have read that dwarf puffers need good clean water because of their skin.

thanks Gm.

[gm72]

You're welcome, and glad to hear you're pursuing the test kit! The Master Freshwater is all-inclusive and is strongly recommended, BTW.

[Drumachine09]

I see your sweettalking paid off!





I thought about doing puffers too. Through talks with kimmers (resident puffer queen), she determined that 3 is the optimum number. More or less could be done, but its possible to encounter problems on way or the other.

[gm72]

Through talks with kimmers (resident puffer queen), she determined that 3 is the optimum number. More or less could be done, but its possible to encounter problems on way or the other.

Kimmers is indeed our resident puffer expert. I thought she had 5 in there but obviously I am mistaken. I would take her advice given her level of experience with DPs.

[squirt_12]

Kimmers is indeed our resident puffer expert. I thought she had 5 in there but obviously I am mistaken. I would take her advice given her level of experience with DPs.
alright....thanks everybody...i will be getting either 3 or 4.

thanks so much.
I have the tank all set up except i have to hook the filter up soon.

[Rue]

For what it's worth...my 10g puffer tank has established itself with 2 puffers...

...now I added one bumblebee catfish...we'll see how that goes...

[squirt_12]

For what it's worth...my 10g puffer tank has established itself with 2 puffers...

...now I added one bumblebee catfish...we'll see how that goes...
so you didn't even cycle your tank and you added the puffers?????

[Rue]

No...the tank was fully cycled before I added the puffers, back in May or so...but I started with 4...2 died...replaced them...2 died...

Got 3 more...2 died...then 1 died...now I've 2 for about 3 months and they look nice and healthy *knockonwood*

So I was referring to the population establishing itself at 2...not the tank cycling...

[SkarloeysMom]

I cycled my 20g in 6 days using the filter from my 10g. You still need an ammonia source. My source was just the tap water since it has ammonia in it. My 10g cycled in 3 days using the same method.

[squirt_12]

ok well what could i use for ammonia????

like a dead fish or something???

[cocoa_pleco]

i wouldnt use the dead fish or shrimp way, too uneven, your best bet is pure ammonia, or sometimes i take waste from when i vacuum my other tanks and stick it in a new tank to cycle it

[squirt_12]

sometimes i take waste from when i vacuum my other tanks and stick it in a new tank to cycle it
ok well that is actually exactly what i did.....so then that would work???

i also took the one piece ut of my whisper filter from my 33g and set it into the 10g and let all of the gunk come off....would that also have helped??

[cocoa_pleco]

it would have helped. a established filter is loaded with bacteria

i cycled my old 33g when i had the severum in it using fish waste. it produces ammonia, therefore causing a cycle, so it works.

[squirt_12]

it would have helped. a established filter is loaded with bacteria

i cycled my old 33g when i had the severum in it using fish waste. it produces ammonia, therefore causing a cycle, so it works.
yeah the established filter that i used was FULL of bacteria...so i thought that that would help.

Also i went and looked at the 10g filter and it was so full of gunk that i had to clean it out....does that mean anything???

[gm72]

I think you answered your own question a few posts back. You said: "i also took the one piece ut of my whisper filter from my 33g and set it into the 10g and let all of the gunk come off." So, in this case, the 10 gallon filter picked up all of the gunk from the other. :c9:

[squirt_12]

ok so well that would speed the cycle up correct???

sory but i am not a patient person. lol.

[gm72]

Yes, it will speed up the cycle. Seeding a tank is always the best way to jump start a cycle. The more heavily seeded it is the faster it goes!

[squirt_12]

Yes, it will speed up the cycle. Seeding a tank is always the best way to jump start a cycle. The more heavily seeded it is the faster it goes!
ok well it is seeded very well then. lol.

EDIT- an di have just added a few live plants to it aswell. so i will see how it goes.

[gm72]

Sounds like it should go very well for you!

[squirt_12]

Sounds like it should go very well for you!
thanks for all of the help gm.

[gm72]

You are very welcome!