Darwf Puffer (Carinotetraodon travancoricus)

Introduction
he Dwarf Puffer in many ways can be called the ideal puffer for most aquarists. The Dwarf Puffer lives in freshwater, originating from inland India. The most convenient aspect of these fish is that they are very small, only getting an inch long, and thus one can be kept in a 5 gallon tank, unlike most other puffers which require much larger aquariums. They also have an advantage in the eyes of many aquarists in that there is one fish that is pretty much guaranteed to work with them: otos. Dwarves seem to leave otos alone and let them do their job, unlike most other fish which they pester and nip. Sometimes you can keep larger shrimp with the Dwarf Puffer, but sometimes they'll end up as a snack. It's basically a gamble with shrimp. There are very limited amounts of success keeping these puffers with other fish. Most fish are either too large and can swallow the puffers whole, and the rest will likely be nipped quite a bit and harassed.
Dwarf puffers get bored easily. A good tank setup for them is five gallons per puffer, sand substrate, heavily planted, and more hiding places than puffers. When kept in groups this is particularly important as they can be quite territorial. It's also recommended to keep a ratio of 1 male to 2-3 females. Females are generally more round than the males, and, when mature, males have a dark line down the length of their belly and often have iridescent "wrinkles" on their faces. Breeding has occurred in captivity, but it doesn't happen often, and seems to occur without the aquarist doing anything to promote it. This puffer seems to be more prone to shyness than larger puffers like the Green Spotted Puffer and Figure 8 Puffer, probably just due to their small size and likelihood of being preyed upon by larger fish. They will usually eventually come around though, even if it takes several weeks or months, and show that "puffer personality" that is one of the best parts of keeping puffers in my opinion.
These dwarf puffers can be rather picky about their food. Most will accept frozen blood-worms, snails, and live black-worms. Other foods include all kinds of shrimp as well as daphinia As with all puffers, they are very sensitive to water conditions, so 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, and very low nitrate (preferably below 10ppm, but no more than 20ppm). Careful accumulation is also advised. If you are looking for something exciting, unique, and challenging, the dwarf puffer might be for you!
Pictures
 Dwarf Pufer Care:

Scientific Name : Carinotetraodon travancoricus
Common Names : Dwarf puffer, Peewee puffer, Pea puffer, Pygmy puffer, Bumblebee puffer, Indian dwarf puffer, BB puffer, Malabar puffer
Care Level : Easy
Size : 1 inch (3 cm)
pH : 6.5 to 7.5
Temperature :76-82 F (24 - 28°C)
Water Hardness : 5 - 20
Lifespan : probably about 5 years
Origin / Habitat : inland waters of India
Temperament / Behavior : semi-aggressive fin-nippers
Breeding : A relatively small number of spawnings have occurred. Keep a ratio of 2-3 females per male.
Aquarium Size : Provide about 5 gallons per puffer due to their territorial nature.
Dwarf Puffer Tank Mates : Can be kept in groups if adequate space and decor are provided. Do well with otocinclus. Slow moving fish and fish with long, colorful fins will be nipped and/or harassed.
Fish Disease :  Be sure to quarantine, as they are often wild caught and often come in with parasites.
Dwarf Puffer Food : Blood-worms, snails, brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, black-worms, daphnia
Tank Region : Middle - they are active swimmers.
Gender : Female Dwarf Puffers are rounder and larger than males. Male Dwarf Puffers have dark line down the length of their bellies when mature, and sometimes have iridescent "wrinkles" on face.
References:
- Aqualog: The Puffers of Fresh and Brackish Waters by Klaus Ebert
- www.dwarfpuffers.com
- Picture Link: (http://www.nanofish.com.ua/images/product_images/popup_images/fish/karlikovyj-tetradon---carinotetraodon-travancoricus_4.jpg)
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Red Terror (Cichlasoma festae)

(image can be found at http://www.reef2rainforest.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Cichlasoma-festae-Web1.jpg (felt this picture is better than my juvenile one)
Introduction

A South American Cichlid, the Red Terror is a 'top shelf' cichlid. They are one of the best looking cichlids in the hobby in my opinion. Their colors are nothing short of amazing for a fresh water fish; many of your house guests will assume they are salt water fish. Even though the Red Terror is becoming more readily available I still wouldn't call it a mainstream cichlid. No major chain pet stores carry them yet (most that have labels that say Red Terror are actually selling Cichlasoma uropthalmus). But that is part of what makes them desirable, they are some what uncommon. I have 1 female juvenile Red Terror. And she has her own special tank in my fish room. These fish do not fool around, and it seems they are much much more aggressive towards conspecifics. A solo male can be kept in a 75g tank, a female could possibly stay in a 55g. A breeding pair will need a 75g minimum and probably a divider. Males have been known to kill their mates during the courtship process, and vice versa. A 125g would be ideal for a pair in my opinion. You will need a 6ft tank to keep either sex of these fish with tank mates long term. They can be very aggressive, but they seem at their worst when they are breeding. A 'wish list' fish for sure.Red Terror Cichlids are often confused with the Mayan Cichlid. To ensure you have (or are picking the right fish) they are a fish to have for sure.

Cichlasoma Festae fish and tank requirements.
Max Size: 16-14 inches
Ph: 6 to 8
Temperature: 77 to 84 (F)
Minimum Recommend Tank Size:  75 gallons
Aggression: Very aggressive (the name has 'Terror' in it for a reason) they are best kept in a solo tank.
Sexing: Males will typically lose the vertical black barring on their bodies, and females retain them. This usually will not happen until they are sexually mature which can take a long time. They tend to be slow growers. Males tend to get some coloration in their operculum; usually greenish or sometimes brown. Females really tend to retain the orangish color or a nice red. There is speculation that the amount of bluish spangling in the tails can be used to sex Festae - Males will usually retain this blue spangling while females lose it or have little. Over all, sexing festae can be very difficult until they are mature adults.
Diet: Omnivore - Diet should consist mainly of pellet foods. Protein based and color enhancing foods are good, but spirulina infused foods should be included as well to ensure a well rounded diet. I have found that my Red Terror loves to eat the Tetra-Min Flake Food. (Probably not the best food for her but she eats it.)