trying to locate dwarf puffers

[OrandaMan]

I've been looking for a dwarf puffer or three. The tank is all set up with a couple of otocinclus and some amano shrimp. Plenty of pond snails in there, ripe for eating. I'm also keeping a honey dwarf gourami in there temporarily to keep the tank cycled well.

Here's the problem, I've looked all over and am beginning to despair of finding anyone who sells them. I did find a couple of online retailers that had them, but I'm wary of that and, of course, I'd rather avoid the high freight charge. I was excited when the other day I called Aquarium World and was told they just got a shipment of them, but when I went there, I found that they were instead baby bronze puffers (not in very good shape, I might add - not a one didn't have its tail fin ripped to shreds).

Does anyone know of a dealer within the Houston area (or maybe even a bit outside) that has them? Even a Petsmart will do at this point.

[fishboyt]

Have you checked with Houston Aquarium Warehouse?

[OrandaMan]

Yeah. No luck there.

[imagirlgeek]

I'm wondering if they are 'seasonal'? Seems like last Spring, I couldn't swing a net in a LFS without hitting a tank full of dwarf puffers.

Any of our LFS owners have any insight on this theory?

My advise...keep the tank ready, because as soon as you change your plan, they'll turn up all over town.

[fishboyt]

I was looking for them one time and couldn't find them. Then a few months later, everyone had them.

[OrandaMan]

Awesome news! A wonderful person just solved my problem. I'm gonna have two of the little guys soon. :)

[fishboyt]

Cool!

[OrandaMan]

I wanted to let everyone know that I have two cute cute cute dwarf puffers now. Since like... um... last Tuesday? Something like that. They're both females. They have no problems with the three otocinclus or amano shrimp in the tank. I was told they tend to ignore snails, but I suspect they're supplementing their diet of bloodworms with them because I am not seeing the loads of pest snails I was nurturing before they came. They just got enough plants to nearly cover the substrate on Friday, which I'm hoping they like. It seems to have cut down greatly on the algae, too, so I've been dropping in algae wafers for the otos.

The puffers are very shy at the moment, but I keep catching them checking me out when I'm not looking. When I catch them, of course, they disappear into the plants, lol.

The person who sold them to me is uncomfortable with being thanked publicly, so I won't mention their name. But I'm very glad they helped me out with this.

So that's my update.

[fishlady]

let's see them.....

and your very welcome for them......eenie and meenie were my little babies....and i'm sure you will love them as much as i did......no need to thank me.....i will thank you for giving them a loving home.....

[OrandaMan]

I'll post pictures of them as soon as I can. Two problems with that at the moment: they're currently too shy to come out for the camera and my camera's broken.

[fishlady]

okay, i'll patiently wait to see them in their new home.....
but please tell them i said hello now and then....
i used to sing the eenie meenie song to them now and then....)

and if you ever.....get tired of them.....i'll take them back okay......

[OrandaMan]

You'll need to teach me the eenie meenie song.

And I'm sorry to say I ain't gonna get tired of them. I'm already in love with their cute little faces.

[fishlady]

you know....

eenie meenie mineie moe catch a monkey by the toe, if he hollars make him pay 50 dollars every day....my momma told me to choose this one...and i would point to one of them ....
i know very corney.....but hey. my kids are grown and i have no kids to play with so i play with my fishies.....

[OrandaMan]

lol... That's a different version from the one I'm used to. It has a tiger instead of a monkey. The monkey's probably safer, though.

And I have a song for my goldfish. They go nuts when I sing it.

[fishlady]

awesome....then they will be fine.....
i look forward to pics when you can....