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Pea Puffer (Dwarf Puffer)

Carinotetraodon travancoricus

The Dwarf Puffer or Pea Puffer (*Carinotetraodon travancoricus*) is the smallest puffer fish in the world, a living miniature that rarely exceeds 2.5 cm (1 inch) in length. This tiny aquatic helicopter has a golden-yellow 'pea-shaped' body covered with large black-greenish spots, and the unmistakable large chameleon-like eyes that move independently of each other to scan every corner. Despite its ridiculous size and irresistibly cute appearance, it is actually a formidable micro-assassin, a relentless and highly territorial hunter who does not hesitate to mutilate and tear apart fish ten times bigger than him. It requires highly specialized maintenance, live food, and dedicated aquariums (Species Tank).

Family
Tetraodontidae
Origin
Asia (Fiumi e laghi ad alta densità vegetale del Kerala e Karnataka in India sud-occidentale)
Tank use
Used in 0 tanks
Temperature

24 °C - 28 °C

pH

6.5 - 7.5

Water type

Freshwater

Tank level

Tutte le zone. Nuoto a elicottero (hovering). Esplorano minuziosamente l'intero fogliame in cerca di minuscole prede invertebrate.

Adult size

2 cm

Description

Magic Eyes and Helicopter Swimming:

You will spend hours watching them. They have eyes similar to those of chameleons: one eye can look forward at you and the other can turn backwards to look for a snail. Furthermore, they do not swim straight like normal fish, but possess very small vibrating fins that allow them to 'hover' in the middle of the water, moving in reverse or descending vertically like a drone helicopter.

Care and observations

It Won't Eat Store Food (Eats Only Blood):

If you want to buy this little fish, prepare yourself psychologically: it will categorically refuse to eat the flakes, granules or pellets that you give to other fish and will let itself starve to death. It is a pure predator. You must have frozen Bloodworms in the freezer to thaw expressly for it, or breed small pest snails and throw them alive into the aquarium so that it can hunt them by tearing them from the shell.

The Little Hitman (Mandatory Isolation):

It is as big as a fingernail, looks defenseless and sweet, but it is a sociopath. NEVER put it in your aquarium together with the Betta, Guppies or Angelfish. At night it will approach sleeping fish 10 times its size and, with its sharp little teeth, it will begin to bite off pieces of their fins, even piercing their eyes, causing death by infection in a few days. And forget about putting it with the pretty Caridinas (cleaner shrimp): it would tear them to pieces in a few hours. It must be kept strictly ALONE.

The Aquarium Must Be a Jungle:

If you buy 3 dwarf puffers and put them in a bare zen aquarium with two stones, the most domineering male will always see the other two and bully them until they don't eat and die. The aquarium for Dwarf Puffers must be an inextricable Amazonian forest of plants and moss, so that as soon as they swim two centimeters (1 inch) they lose visual contact with their companion.

Fish profile

Temperament
Estremamente aggressivo, territoriale e mordace (fin-nipper mortale). Sono altamente rissosi tra conspecifici maschi. Con altre specie, sono l'equivalente acquatico dei piranha nani: mutilano sistematicamente pinne e fianchi degli sfortunati coinquilini.
Diet
Carnivoro Esclusivo / Durofago. Il problema numero uno: RIFIUTANO CATEGORICAMENTE IL CIBO SECCO O IN FIOCCHI. Se non siete disposti a maneggiare insetti, non comprateli. La dieta deve basarsi su chiocciole vive (Planorbis, Physa, essenziali per la loro natura e psiche, sebbene i loro denti non crescano eccessivamente come i palla grandi), chironomus surgelato, artemia viva e Tubifex.
Tank level
Tutte le zone. Nuoto a elicottero (hovering). Esplorano minuziosamente l'intero fogliame in cerca di minuscole prede invertebrate.
Minimum group
1
Adult size
2 cm
Minimum tank
40 L
GH
5 dGH - 15 dGH
KH
n/a
TDS
n/a
Conductivity
n/a
Sex ratio
Singolo (come mascotte), o piccolo Harem (1 maschio e 3-4 femmine) in vasche folte. Due maschi nello stesso 40 litri porteranno alla morte del più debole. Il dimorfismo negli adulti è palese: il maschio ha una linea nera ininterrotta sulla pancia ('wrinkle' scura) e colorazione più gialla, le femmine hanno la pancia bianca e macchie più piccole.
Feeding frequency
1-2 volte al giorno, avendo un metabolismo elevato. Inserire lumache vive in vasca assicura loro uno 'snack' costante da cacciare.
Bioload
Medio (mangiano cibo carnivoro molto inquinante rispetto alla taglia)
Flow
Corrente Debole. Essendo minuscoli e dalla conformazione globosa, si esauriscono lottando contro forti correnti laminari.
Reproduction
Dispersori di uova nei muschi. Possibile in cattività ma complessa per il salvataggio dei piccolissimi avannotti. Corteggiamento brutale del maschio che insegue e morde la femmina spingendola nei cespugli di Java Moss per deporre.
Compatibility
Mantenimento IN 'SPECIES TANK' OBBLIGATORIO. Non mischiateli in acquari di comunità. I maschi di Betta o i Guppy verrebbero spennati e uccisi in pochi giorni. I Corydoras avrebbero gli occhi e i bargigli divorati. Gamberetti ornamentali (Neocaridina) verranno trucidati e mangiati pezzo a pezzo appena fanno la muta, inclusi esemplari più grossi di loro. L'unica rara eccezione spesso tollerata è l'Otocinclus.

Image gallery

Licensed images linked to the species or, when marked, to the closest representative taxon.