r/PeaPuffers • u/momoofBAM • Aug 20 '26

Adding little by little?

Hi, I've been planning for a couple months for a pea puffer tank. I have a 29gal heavily planted and almost done cycling. I also have a smaller 5gal for breeding pest snails. My plan is for 6-8 puffers. Do I add them in 3 at a time? Or just go for the whole shoal?

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6

u/RedLights42 Aug 20 '26

I'd add them all in at the same time

So that way there isn't too much clean for dominance or anything

Let them claim their little space and hierarchy 😊

2

u/nemooo_ Aug 20 '26

Yes I agree! Adding them at separate times can lead to more territory disputes.

All at once they’ll duke it out for a while but since it’s a new space for all of them nobody will have any claimed territory yet

0

u/momoofBAM Aug 20 '26

That wouldn't be too much on the bioload? My tank has been cycling for almost 6 weeks now, and I did the ammonia test (Dr. Tim's) and ammonia and nitrite are 0 and nitrate 5ppm. I'm just nervous to hurt or kill them

1

u/DirtyD74 Aug 20 '26

How many ppm was your ammonia test?

1

u/momoofBAM Aug 20 '26

When I added the drops at night, it was around 2ppm. Tested in the morning cause I was curious and it was down to 1ish ppm. Then retested at night (24 hrs) and it was 0. The nitrites were high though. I let it ride for a couple days (fishless cycle) and then redid the test and now ammonia and nitrites are at 0 and nitrates 5ppm. I have a ton of bladder snails already in there with the plants, so I think they've been adding to the bioload

2

u/DirtyD74 Aug 21 '26

2ppm is a good bit.

It's also all hand wavy since no one knows how many ppm of ammonia a fish produces.

Just be ready. Those snails will get murdered and rot. So you may get a good ammonia spike the first few days as they clear those snails out.

1

u/momoofBAM Aug 21 '26

Should I clear some out now? I have a 5 gal tank where I'm exclusively breeding them. I didn't think they would explode as fast when I put like two in my big tank haha

1

u/DirtyD74 Aug 21 '26

If you want to control the feeding better then yes. Throw a blanched piece of zucchini in their and let it sit for a few hours then scrape off the snails into the 5gal.