Malabar Dwarf Puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus)
Description
The Malabar Dwarf Puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus) is a small and fascinating species of freshwater pufferfish that originates from the rivers and streams of the Malabar Coast in southwestern India. Known for its vibrant green coloration and unique behavior, this puffer is one of the smallest species of pufferfish, making it a popular choice for aquarium enthusiasts. With its curious nature, round body, and the ability to puff up when threatened, the Malabar Dwarf Puffer is a captivating addition to any aquascape.
Key Features
- Scientific Name: Carinotetraodon travancoricus
- Common Name: Malabar Dwarf Puffer
- Size: Up to 1.5 inches (3.8 cm)
- Temperament: Semi-aggressive, territorial towards other puffers or similar-sized fish
- Lifespan: 4-5 years with proper care
- Diet: Carnivorous – primarily eats live or frozen foods such as daphnia, bloodworms, brine shrimp, snails, and small crustaceans.
- Appearance: Greenish-yellow body with darker spots and markings. Its small, compact size and round shape make it highly distinctive.
- Tank Level: Bottom and midwater dweller
Tank Requirements
- Tank Size: Minimum 10 gallons for a single individual or a small group
- Water Temperature: 75°F to 80°F (24°C to 27°C)
- pH Range: 7.0 to 7.5
- Water Hardness: 5-12 dGH
- Substrate: Soft sand or fine gravel is ideal, as it allows for easy movement and hunting of small invertebrates.
- Tank Setup: A heavily planted aquarium with lots of hiding spots, caves, and driftwood. Malabar Dwarf Puffers enjoy environments where they can explore and find hiding spots.
Care Tips
- Malabar Dwarf Puffers are relatively hardy but require pristine water conditions and good filtration. Regular water changes are essential to maintain optimal water quality.
- These puffers can be territorial, especially with other fish of similar size. It’s best to house them alone or with non-aggressive tank mates of a size they cannot consider prey.
- They are highly carnivorous and may hunt snails in the tank. If no natural prey is available, be sure to provide them with live or frozen foods.
- Their small size means they can be prone to bullying from larger or more active species, so they should only be kept with peaceful, non-aggressive tank mates.
Compatibility
While the Malabar Dwarf Puffer can be kept in community tanks, it’s important to select tank mates carefully. They do best with:
- Peaceful, small fish (e.g., Rasboras, Tetras)
- Invertebrates (e.g., Shrimp, Snails)
- Avoid keeping them with larger fish, aggressive species, or other puffers.
- Avoid keeping with fin-nipping or overly active species that might stress them out.
Why Choose Malabar Dwarf Puffers?
The Malabar Dwarf Puffer is a stunning and interactive species that offers both beauty and behavior to your aquarium. Its compact size, unique appearance, and curious nature make it a favorite among experienced aquarists. Though they require a bit more attention in terms of diet and tankmates, their playful antics and distinctive puffing behavior are well worth the effort.
Despite their small size, they can be quite aggressive to even fish larger than them. They can get territorial so it is best to keep them with larger peaceful and hardy fish.
**SOLD INDIVIDUALLY; 1 PEA PUFFER PER ORDER**
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Pea puffer army
Loving my new pea puffers. They arrived fast and healthy. Hough it isnt necessarily an issue, they were much smaller sized than i had anticipated( i have one already and wanted him to have friends). He appears to already be full grown (at an inch or so). The new group of nine are definitely very young, as they are around 1/2” max. So my only thing for other buyers is be aware that they are tiny lil “peas” for sure.
Beyond all that, excellent service and timely over night delivery( from the ship date). Highly recommended!!! -
Dwarf puffer
Amazing fish. Arrived healthy and well and are thriving. Love them
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Malabar Dwarf Puffer
I ordered a single bundle of 3 puffers and I am happy to say that all three arrived alive, active and are happily munching on brine shrimp and black worms!
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Pea puffers
Arrived earlier then expected which was great and they were all super healthy. Love them and perzonesd for taking good care of the fish before shipping them out.
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Arrived Alive
Fish arrived alive but I recommend adding some sort of ice pack to the packaging. Water temp in the bag was near 95 degrees as it was shipped in the summer from CA to FL. On a positive note, all fish recovered after acclimation (water drip method) began eating snails in the tank within hours, and fully adapted to their new home and began eating red worms the next day. They are happy and healthy, but please add a freeze brick or something to the foam box to keep the water temp a little lower during summer shipping.
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Puffers arrived safe
i ordered 6 pea puffers on Sunday, Tuesday morning they arrived safe and happy!! All in good condition. They are adorable little baby beans :) i was nervous ordering animals online but they were clearly well prepared and cared for.
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I love my pea puffer
My pea puffer, Io, has been doing great for the past couple of months. She eats live blackworms, which I was also able to get from Petzone, and thank goodness because puffers are so picky about food. She is plump and healthy.
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Dwarf Puffer
Beautiful fish, arrived healthy.
Only complaint was customer service as I had sent a few e-mails to cancel the order. -
Malabar Dwarf Puffer Fish
All arrived in excellent condition and even ate the second day in their new home. Would definitely recommend Pet Zone. Very personable and helpful.
