Live Foods:
- Bloodworms
- brine shrimp
- tubifex worms
- mosquito larvae
- Krill
- Small snails (ramshorn snails, Malaysian trumpet snails, bladder snails, and other pest snails and live snails).
- Scuds. Due to their size, any other small live or frozen larvae will also do well. It’s always better to fed your pea puffer live foods over frozen foods.
How often do you feed your puffers?
How Do You Keep the Tank Clean Even Though They're Messy Eaters?
- Water Changes. Because porcupine puffers create so much waste, be prepared to do a lot of water changes to remove this waste even if you have a plenum or other ...
- Vacuuming (and Reducing) Waste. You can also keep the water cleaner by removing any uneaten food and any visible waste using a tank vacuum to suck it out.
- Refugiums With Macroalgae. ...
What should I Feed my puffer?
What household food can pufferfish eat?
- Crustaceans. You can feed your puffers with hard and crunchy food such as unshelled shrimp for their teeth. ...
- Bivalves. Your puffers will love cockles, clams, and mussels. ...
- Frozen Fish. Pufferfish will appreciate frozen and fresh fish. ...
- Squid. Squid is also a perfect pufferfish food that you can quickly get. ...
Does my pea puffer have parasites?
When you are purchasing your pea puffer fish make sure you get one that has a full belly without any abnormal-looking bulges. Fish who have sunken stomachs need to be treated for internal parasites. Keep in mind that all wild caught fish, not just pea pufferfish, are prone to internal parasites.
How to breed pea puffers?
The speed advantage will keep these tank mates from falling prey to your pea puffers:
- Barbs ( rosy, cherry)
- Corydoras
- Danios ( zebra, celestial pearl)
- Dwarf cichlids
- Dwarf rainbowfish
- Killifish
- Mollies
- Otocinclus
- Platies
- Rasboras
How often should I feed pea puffers?
Aim for a two a day feeding schedule. Another reason why it's bad to overfeed your pea puffer is the effect the extra food can have on water quality. Uneaten food will settle in the tank and begin to break down.
What should I feed my dwarf puffer?
Feeding. Dwarf puffers should have a varied diet. I feed mine daily with an assortment of live foods like newly hatched brine shrimp, grindal worms, and occasionally larger worms like blackworms and whiteworms. They enjoy Daphnia and Moina, and they are able to eat adult brine shrimp if it is offered.
What do I feed my puffer?
Puffers should be fed a carnivorous diet of pellets and freeze-dried and frozen foods, along with chopped squid, clams, shrimp and krill. Larger puffers should be offered shelled foods, like mussels, to help wear down their continuously growing teeth.
Can you feed pea puffers flakes?
Dwarf puffers will not eat flake or pellets and generally have little interest in freeze dried foods, but a variety of live and frozen foods are readily taken, so feeding these fish usually poses no problem. Among enjoyed live foods are small pond snails, Daphnia, earthworms, mosquito larvae and midge larvae.
Can pea puffers eat mealworms?
Mealworms are OK in moderation. Pea puffers can be trained to eat thawed frozen bloodworms from the end of a toothpick. They will also eat thawed seafood (in small chunks).
How long can pea puffers go without food?
Pea puffer fish can go without food for up to 10 days before they die. They are very resilient and will find ways to survive, even if it means eating what you don't want them too!
Do puffer fish eat carrots?
Yes, pufferfish like to eat carrots. Pufferfish will usually eat anything, but if you want to move them off of their go-to food (bits of algae and crustaceans) and onto something new (carrots), be sure to use a red one!
Will pea puffers eat fish?
Pea Puffers are carnivorous fish, and in captivity they should be fed a diet of frozen foods such as bloodworms and brine shrimp. They can also be fed live fish foods such as snails and blackworms. In the wild, Pea Puffer fish survive off of insects, larvae, and other small invertebrates.
Do pea puffers need brackish water?
What is this? While most Puffer Fish are brackish or saltwater fish Pea Puffers are true freshwater fish. They don't require salt and can't tolerate even brackish conditions.
Do pea puffers need sand?
Fahaka Puffers do best when kept on a sand substrate. Fahaka Puffers like to bury themselves, especially when they are smaller, and a sand substrate facilitates this much easier than gravel.
How do you feed pea puffers frozen food?
Frozen Foods Appropriately sized shrimp, worms, larvae and krill provide a range of acceptable frozen options. When providing a frozen diet for your dwarf puffer, the food must be thawed. DwarfPuffers.com suggests doing so in a shot glass with water from the tank that you can then pour into the tank for feeding.
What do you feed freshwater puffers?
Do Freshwater Puffers Eat? Smaller species are omnivorous and will thrive on a varied diet that includes Aqueon Tropical Flakes, Color Flakes, Spirulina Flakes, Tropical Granules, Algae Rounds, Bottom Feeder Tablets and Shrimp Pellets. Frozen foods should also be fed as treats to improve growth and color.
How do you take care of a dwarf pea puffer?
The flow in the aquarium should be slow to medium and never overpowering. Pea Puffers are not strong swimmers, so a powerful current is not suitable. Pea Puffers are very adaptable fish, but they are intolerant of poor water conditions. We recommend a minimum water change schedule of 50% every seven days.
What Is a Pea Puffer?
Carinotetraodon travancoricus – also known as the pea puffer, Indian dwarf puffer, Malabar puffer, and pygmy puffer – is the smallest pufferfish in the world and comes from fully freshwater environments in the southwestern tip of India.
Do Pea Puffers Puff Up?
Yes. It is rare, but you may catch your pufferfish in act of puffing up as a defensive mechanism or just for practice. Pufferfish puff up by sucking in water to increase their size and discourage would-be predators. If let alone, it will shrink back down to its normal shape in due time.
How Many Pea Puffers Can You Have in a 10-Gallon Tank?
Given how territorial pea puffers can be, many people have a lot of success keeping just one pea puffer in a five-gallon aquarium by itself. If you want to keep more than one, the general rule of thumb is to provide five gallons of water for the first puffer and three gallons of water for each additional puffer.
How Do You Tell the Difference Between a Male and Female Pea Puffer?
It can be a little tricky, but males tend to have deeper coloration with a stripe or dot on their belly. Their bodies are on the slenderer side, and they exhibit more aggressive behavior in general. Females, on the other hand, have a yellow belly and tend to be plumper in shape.
Do Pea Puffers Need a Heater?
They do well in stable, tropical temperatures from 74 to 82°F, so if your room temperature is below this range or tends to fluctuate a lot, you need an aquarium heater. For more information on what size heater is right for you, read our full article here.
What Do Pea Puffers Eat?
These hardcore carnivores are best fed on a diet of frozen foods (like frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp) and live foods (like little pest snails or blackworms). They typically will not take dry foods, but we’ve had good luck with Hikari Vibra Bites because they look and even move like bloodworms as they’re sinking.
Can Pea Puffers Live With Other Fish?
This is one of the most common questions we get about pea puffers, and it’s not an easy one to answer. Some puffers can be a little timid, but most are pretty aggressive and territorial. Think of it like owning a dog that’s prone to fighting. In most cases, any other dog or pet you bring home will probably get attacked.
In the Wild
Pea puffers inhabit the river systems of southern India. Specifically, the states of Kerala and Karnataka on the western coast.
Size: Smallest in the World
If you write out the pea puffer’s scientific name – Carinotetraodon travancoricus – it’ll take up more space than the fish itself.
Lifespan
On average, pea puffers live around four years. Even aquarists that provide the best water conditions, stay on top of their food quality and keep their puffers from battling each other don’t see them live much longer.
Behavior
Pea puffers are a species of fish that do equally well on their own or in proper groups.
Tank Setup
In theory, a single pea puffer CAN tolerate a 5-gallon (19 l) tank. Keep in mind, however, that smaller tanks are more difficult to keep clean. And puffers, being carnivores, produce A LOT of waste. Make sure you’re up to the task.
Pea Puffers in Communities
Despite their small size, pea puffers can get aggressive over their territory.
Diet and Feeding
Pea puffers fall into the category of strict carnivores. Luckily, unlike other puffer species, you don’t have to do any crazy tooth care so long as you feed them well.
Pea Puffer Overview
In the wild, pea puffers inhibit 13 different rivers across Kerala and southern Karnataka which is in the Western Ghats of Peninsular India. They naturally form shoals in these gentle rivers for social and security. The bottom of their native rivers is littered with decaying leaves and consists of plenty of vegetation and swarms of their kind.
How Much Do Pea Puffers Cost
A pea puffer can cost between $10 to $30 per fish. Since pea puffers should be kept in groups of six or more, the overall cost can reach between $60 to $150 for a healthy group. They are mostly sold online from breeders, or they can be found in local fish stores.
Typical Behavior & Temperament
In general, pea puffers are quite territorial and aggressive. This makes them unsuitable tank mates for many other species of fish. They typically enjoy being with their kind and do not like to share their tank. It is recommended to keep one male amongst many females so that the females are not stressed out during the breeding season.
Appearance & Varieties
Pea puffers are small and cute and do not get noticeably big. The maximum growth size is between 1 and 1.5 inches, although most pea puffers will only grow to 0.95 inches. Their body is round, and their color depends on their gender. Males have a vibrant yellow belly and females have a white or cream-colored belly.
Are Pea Puffers Good Tank Mates?
Due to the aggressive and territorial nature of pea puffers, they do not make good tank mates. They can however be kept with a variety of freshwater snails such as mystery or apple snails. Smaller snails may potentially be eaten, which is good if you do not want a snail overpopulation in the tank from breeding.
What to Feed Your Pea Puffer
Pea puffers should be fed a diet that closely replicates what they eat in the wild. Pea puffers should be fed at least twice a day. Their diet in captivity should consist of live foods and the portion size should be no more than what they can eat in 3 minutes. They are intelligent fish that enjoy foraging for their food.
Keeping Your Pea Puffer Healthy
Provide them with a large tank that can comfortably house a large group. They are content when kept in shoals and you should ensure that they are kept with the appropriate ratio between males and females.
What Do Puffer Fish Eat In the Wild?
Puffer Fish are cute and funny looking with their front teeth converging together like a beak. They are omnivores that feast on:
Can I Feed My Puffer Fish Pellets or Flakes?
Puffer fish don’t want to eat pellets or flakes. They resist and remain intact with their original ways of eating in the wild. They want shellfish, snails, clams, shrimp and anything they can crunch with their durable teeth.
What Type of Foods Should I Buy My Puffer Fish?
Puffer fish can crack open shells in most cases. The larger the puffer, the bigger the live or frozen food you can try feeding them. Let’s make a list of foods to look for. Don’t forget about adding some veggies too!
Should I Feed Vegetables To My Puffer Fish?
Puffer Fish consume algae in the wild as they graze on it in small amounts. Adding too many veggies will affect their digestive systems. Some fishkeepers feel that veggies should be given only 1-2 times a week at the most.
Are Puffer Fish Fussy or Picky Eaters?
Puffer fish have personalities that display themselves when it comes to the food they wish to eat. You may notice them begging for food when they see you approach the tank.
Why Do Puffer Fish Like Shellfish?
Puffer fish need some teeth maintenance. We don’t want to bring them to the dentist so we should help them out in other ways.
Why Should I Thaw Frozen Food For Puffer Fish?
We know that puffer fish like to crunch on hard food so why can’t we just throw frozen food into the tank?
Pea Puffer Origin
The dwarf pea puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) is a freshwater fish native to Southwest India’s Western Ghats. It is also known as the dwarf pufferfish, pea pufferfish, and pygmy pufferfish.
Appearance Of Pea Puffers
While we more often call this fish “adorable” and leave it at that, we’ll delve into more detail for the sake of thoroughness. The pea puffer has a highly distinct appearance, which contributed to the genesis of its name. These small little fish that resembles a big swimming pea!
Behavior & Temperament
One of the most generally misunderstood parts of pea puffer care is this. Because of their small size and lovely look, many potential owners believe these fish are safe.
Common Possible Diseases
There are no species-specific diseases to be concerned about with the dwarf pea puffer. Instead, you should follow the suggested rules for avoiding and detecting frequent freshwater infections.
Tank Setup For Pea Puffers
A minimum tank capacity of 10 gallons is required for Pea Puffers. Of course, they would do better in a larger tank since it would allow them to wander more freely, as they would in their native habitat. If you intend to maintain other Pea Puffers in the tank, you will need at least 5 gallons for each extra Pea Puffer you keep in your aquarium.
FAQs About Pea Puffer
Pea Puffers can be kept in a communal tank, although it can be tough. Because Pea Puffers are so little, they may be harassed or eaten by larger fish. They aren’t quick swimmers, though, so they may be unable to flee if they are attacked.
Final Thoughts About Pea Puffer
Dwarf pea puffer maintenance is a tremendously gratifying and pleasurable experience. These fish are a joy to maintain, and many owners have told us that buying this species was one of the finest decisions they’ve ever made.
