LA
Indian dwarf puffers start small and stay small.
Appeal. Here’s
another fish on the “cute crew.” You
find them in retailers’ tanks at about the size of a pregnant pinto bean
plus tail and eyeballs. They
really are little cuties.
Origin.
As you might suspect from their name, these tiny guys come from
India. We see more and more
imports from India these days.
Drawbacks.
Not pricey at all, your main problem with Indian dwarf puffers has
to be their diet. If you feed
only flakes or pellets, about 5% will survive – if you are lucky.
Size.
Get out your micrometer. Indian dwarf puffers usually mature (one year of age) at an inch or
a little over. Some few attain a
massive 1.5 inches. The good news? You need not worry about stunting
these mighty mites by keeping them in a too small aquarium. The bad
news? Small tanks demand more attention than large tanks.
Space.
You keepers of mini-fishes and owners of small tanks will love
Indian dwarf puffers. This
does not mean you can put a dozen in a one-gallon pickle jar (assuming you
could find one of these near antique aquatic accessories).
In spite of their mini-size, they need elbow room.

LA
Groups.
Many keepers of dwarf puffers report that they argue a great deal
among themselves. The young
ones get along just fine. In
fact, they hang together in small clusters.
LA
All little gals here.
LA
Row of spots not very evident on young males. As they mature, you
see the "line" better.
Sexing.
Mature males have a “ line”
(actually more of a row of spots in a line) that runs the length of their bodies.
Females are covered with random spots and get plumper.
They both plump up at feeding time.
Water.
Indian dwarf puffers fare fine in freshwater.
They do not need brackish water like most puffers.
However, we do add salt to their water: one quarter-cup of
NaCl per ten
gallons of water. We add this
much to bout half our fishes – especially livebearers.
Water Changes.
They seem to enjoy water changes.
We give ours a third to a 50% water change weekly.
LA
The camera makes all 18 of the dwarf puffers retreat to the back.
Tank Décor/Security.
Add plenty of plants and other décor to their tank.
As your Indian dwarf puffers approach sexual maturity, they grow
scrappier. Caves, crevices,
and crannies provide security for those less inclined to fight for their
place in the sun.
LA
Mollies, dragon gobies, bumblebee gobies, and flounders mix well with
dwarf puffers.
Tank Mates.
Avoid slow moving fish with long, flowing tasty tails.
We keep ours with fish that eat similar foods -- bumblebee gobies,
flounders, dragon gobies, and half-grown mollies.
Food.
Got a snail problem? Your
Indian dwarf puffer will solve it. No
snails? We haven’t found a
flake or pellet that catches their fancy (yet).
However, they love blackworms as do the tank mates we keep them with.
They grudgingly eat frozen brine shrimp and frozen bloodworms.
Breeding Reports.
We’ve never bred Indian dwarf puffers.
If you give them plenty of cover and bump the temp five to ten
degrees, they will figure it out themselves.
The babies need newly hatched baby brine shrimp and microworms.
Inquisitive.
You’ll notice your Indian dwarf puffers are very aware of what
goes on outside of their tank. They
watch you as you watch them. Some
fish (angels) always rush to the front because they want fed.
Indian dwarf puffers seem more curious than hungry.
Camera Shy.
The little rascals like to watch you, but they do not like cameras.
As the camera approaches them, they move to the back of the tank or
hide behind whatever they can find. They
do not sign autographs either.
LA
Six Indian dwarf puffers, one bumblebee goby and a live blackworm in a
two-inch bowl.
Last Comments.
Indian dwarf puffers make cute, easy to care for, and intriguing small tank
occupants. (You will need more than a two-inch bowl to keep them
in.) LA.
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LA Productions
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