If you’re looking for a truly unique species to feature in your next aquarium, look no further than the dwarf puffer fish (Carinotetraodon travancoricus). They’re one of the smallest puffer fish in the world but they’ve got big personalities and an exotic appearance that makes them truly unique.
Species Snapshot
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Species Name: Carinotetraodon travancoricus
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Common Names: dwarf puffer fish, pygmy puffer, pea puffer
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Size: Up to 1 inch
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Lifespan: 2-6 years
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Native Distribution: Pampa River in Kerala, Southwest India
Over the past decade or so, the aquarium trade has seen an influx of fascinating new species. Many popular species hail from India, and the dwarf puffer fish is no exception. Dwarf puffers are endemic to the Pampa River which runs through Kerala in Southwest India, flowing down from the Western Ghats into Vembanad Lake.
Here’s what you need to know about dwarf puffer fish and how to care for them in a captive aquarium environment.
What Do They Look Like?
When you think of puffer fish, you may imagine one of the many large saltwater species known for their spike-covered bodies and their ability to inflate when threatened. Dwarf puffer fish look very similar to their marine cousins but they’re freshwater-only and much, much smaller.
Also known as pea puffers and pygmy puffers, dwarf puffer fish reach a maximum size of 1 inch in length. They’re typically yellow in color with a greenish tinge and are covered in patches of dark color that have an iridescent sheen. Dwarf puffer fish have short, fan-shaped fins on either side of the body with a larger, truncated caudal fin. Their bodies are round with a narrow back end and big, round eyes.
Setting Up the Ideal Dwarf Puffer Fish Tank
One characteristic that makes dwarf puffer fish such a popular species is their intelligence. These tiny fish are very curious by nature and love to explore every inch of their tank. It’s very important, then, to provide your puffers with a tank that’s not only suitable in terms of water chemistry, but one that keeps them entertained.
Tank Size and Decor
The absolute minimum tank size for a single dwarf puffer fish is 5 gallons, but 10 gallons is much preferred. If you plan to keep a small group or even a larger shoal of puffers, opt for a tank no smaller than 20 gallons in volume.
Larger groups of puffer fish will also require a specific decoration strategy to minimize territorial aggression between males. Planted tanks are ideal for dwarf puffers, but don’t just focus on submerged plants. Long-rooted floating plants like water lettuce and frogbit help break up open space in the tank and also serve to diffuse bright overhead lighting.
Don’t forget to include driftwood and rockwork to provide hiding places and plenty of surfaces in the tank for your puffers to explore.
Water Parameters
Dwarf puffers are one of the only puffer fish adapted to fresh water. They do not require brackish water and should definitely not be kept in saltwater tanks. Dwarf puffers prefer clean, warm water with a neutral to slightly basic pH.
Here are the ideal water parameter ranges for this species:
- Temperature: 72-82°F
- pH Level: 6.8-7.8
- Water Hardness: Up to 125 ppm
Like all aquarium fish, dwarf puffers do best when their tank parameters are kept stable. It’s best to avoid wild-caught specimens, and not only for conservation reasons. Tank-bred puffers are more adaptable to various conditions. Be sure to acclimate your puffers slowly and keep the tank as stable as possible.
Recommended Maintenance
Clean water is an absolute must for dwarf puffer fish. This is where having a larger tank comes in handy—it’s easier to avoid fluctuations in water chemistry with a big tank than a small one. Proper filtration is important as well but avoid any equipment that creates a high degree of flow. Decorating with live plants will help keep dissolved oxygen levels high but don’t neglect your routine water changes.
Feeding Dwarf Puffer Fish
Dwarf puffer fish are predators, so it’s important to feed them a varied diet of meaty foods. This includes newly hatched brine shrimp, daphnia, and micro worms. Dwarf puffers will also feed on small snails, so it’s wise to keep a breeding population of ramshorn snails in the tank or to add very small snails from time to time. Some dwarf puffer fish will accept commercial foods like pellets and flakes, but it’s not guaranteed.
Feeding your dwarf puffers a varied diet is important for their dental health. Yes, that’s right. Dwarf puffers have sharp beaks comprised of four fused teeth that need to be worn down by foraging for food and crushing the shells of crustaceans and mollusks. This is another important reason to keep some breeding snails in your dwarf puffer fish tank.
What Are the Best Tank Mates?
Dwarf puffers are small, so it may be tempting to make the most of any available aquarium space and add them to a community tank. It’s entirely possible for this to work, but some aquarium hobbyists report that their dwarf puffers exhibit aggressive tendencies. If you do choose to keep dwarf puffers with other fish, stick to small, peaceful fish—ideally none with long, flowing fins your dwarf puffers might be tempted to nip at.
One thing to keep in mind with dwarf puffers is that they are true puffer fish. When threatened, dwarf puffers are able to inflate their bodies to appear larger. This process also causes the spines on their bodies to become erect, making them more difficult for predators to eat. This process can be tiring and stressful for the fish, however, so it’s important to avoid keeping dwarf puffers with large or predatory species that might trigger the puffer’s defensive instincts.
Can You Breed Dwarf Puffer Fish?
Breeding dwarf puffer fish can be tricky but not impossible to accomplish. It’s best to stock your tank with more females than males, being sure to provide plenty of hiding spots and décor to give each male their own territory. Some sources suggest higher pH and warmer tank temperatures may help encourage spawning, but others say no predictable pattern has yet been identified for breeding dwarf puffers in captivity. Stock your tank with dwarf puffer fish, live aquarium plants, and more at Shirmpy Business!