To get a pea puffer… or not?

[Karen B.]

I have always been in love with pea puffer. I tought their minimum tank size was 10 gallons so I never did buy one but learned today that 1 in a 5 gallons is ok. So here are my questions to see if I would be a good fish mum for one.

1 - 5 gallons is small… I do feel guilty for keeping one in such a tiny tank. But for now, it’s the only one I have space for. Maybe in the long run (1 year), I would be able to upgrade him in a 10.

2 - On my 5 other tanks, I always run a duo of HOB and sponge filter. Would a sponge filter alone be ok? Do they create a lot of waste? (Tank will be planted)

3 - Maybe 2 or 3 times a year, I travel for a week or two to see my family. For all my other fish, I have auto-feeder but the option wouldn’t be feasible for a pea puffer as I heard they won’t eat pellets nor flakes. However, I have a friend that come check on the fish every 3 days. Would the puffer survive if he was fed once every 3 days for maximum 2 weeks?

Thank you!

ps : if you do have a puffer, please post a picture of your tank to give me ideas! Right now my 5 gallons looks like this but I don’t think it would be suitable for a pea puffer?

[Fish Folk]

On 1/25/2022 at 11:20 PM, Karen B. said:

I have always been in love with pea puffer. I tought their minimum tank size was 10 gallons so I never did buy one but learned today that 1 in a 5 gallons is ok. So here are my questions to see if I would be a good fish mum for one.

1 - 5 gallons is small… I do feel guilty for keeping one in such a tiny tank. But for now, it’s the only one I have space for. Maybe in the long run (1 year), I would be able to upgrade him in a 10.

2 - On my 5 other tanks, I always run a duo of HOB and sponge filter. Would a sponge filter alone be ok? Do they create a lot of waste? (Tank will be planted)

3 - Maybe 2 or 3 times a year, I travel for a week or two to see my family. For all my other fish, I have auto-feeder but the option wouldn’t be feasible for a pea puffer as I heard they won’t eat pellets nor flakes. However, I have a friend that come check on the fish every 3 days. Would the puffer survive if he was fed once every 3 days for maximum 2 weeks?

Thank you!

ps : if you do have a puffer, please post a picture of your tank to give me ideas! Right now my 5 gallons looks like this but I don’t think it would be suitable for a pea puffer?

I'll bet you can find a place for a 10 gal. They're so cheap, and double the room . . . I'd recommend a 10 gal rather than a 5 for a number of reasons. 5 gal aquariums struggle with chemical and biological stability. Pea Puffers are social, and a 10 gal might allow you to get a pair. Just be sure you get a male and female.

Pea Puffers tend to be a bit messy. You can get away with a more advanced double-sponge filter like this:

But since they eat snails, watch the ammonia buildups. Yes, a heavily planted tank will be a good plan for them.

If your instructions are clear, you can probably get by fine with a friend feeding the fish while you're away. Alternatively, you can invest in an order of black worms in advance of travels, and "seed" the substrate so that they can be snacking the whole time you're away.

Here's a pair we kept a while back in a 10 gal. My son would catch mosquito larvae during the summer, along with feeding snails...

 

 

 

[Karen B.]

On 1/26/2022 at 12:30 AM, Fish Folk said:

I'll bet you can find a place for a 10 gal. They're so cheap, and double the room . . . I'd recommend a 10 gal rather than a 5 for a number of reasons. 5 gal aquariums struggle with chemical and biological stability. Pea Puffers are social, and a 10 gal might allow you to get a pair. Just be sure you get a male and female.

Pea Puffers tend to be a bit messy. You can get away with a more advanced double-sponge filter like this:

But since they eat snails, watch the ammonia buildups. Yes, a heavily planted tank will be a good plan for them.

If your instructions are clear, you can probably get by fine with a friend feeding the fish while you're away. Alternatively, you can invest in an order of black worms in advance of travels, and "seed" the substrate so that they can be snacking the whole time you're away.

Here's a pair we kept a while back in a 10 gal. My son would catch mosquito larvae during the summer, along with feeding snails...

 

 

 

Trust me, I picked at my brain in every possible way and for now, I only have that 5 gallons available. But reading your comments and some others on the forum, as much as I want one, maybe they are not for me right now and will use the 5 gallons for another betta. 
I live in Québec and in an apartment, first storie. So I am limited for space and weight too. My floor is real wood (and I am the clumsiest person!) so water isn’t its best friend. I have been looking for a small rack system but none I was 100% comfortable with.

and there is also a question of budget. I am partially invalid and can no longer work full time. 

[Flumpweesel]

Sadly sometimes the fish we want just aren't a good fit for us.  For now I agree the pea puffer is not a good fit. One day though I'm sure the chance will reappear.