Stocking options for puffer fish

Tommy Gun · 09-30-2006, 11:07 AM

So, today I am deciding that my tank needs some help to liven it up since right now it only has one fish in it, a porcupine puffer. I am trying to decide if I can keep the puffer in the tank and add more fish and what types of fish I can add. This puffer has already taken out four clownfish and so I am looking for something bigger and/or faster that the puffer wont want to snack on. It was raised on live food, but I have successfully gotten it to eat frozen foods now (mostly krill and some brine shrimps)

So, since I am not making a lot of headway as to what types of fish I can get, or would like to get, I thought I would ask if anyone of you have ideas or opinions that could at least help me get pointed in the right direction as far as researching out tankmates. I would be willing to return the puffer to the LFS, but to be honest, I am getting attatched to it and my wife loves it, so if I can, I guess keeping it would be an excellent option, if possible.

I think that my biggest problem right now is not exactly what to put in the tank, but in what order I should have put them in the tank since I am starting to think that since the puffer was fed live food for so long, every time I put a fish in the tank, he is going to think it is lunch time. Is this true? If so, how long do you think I should wait for the puffer to only eat frozen food before trying to add more fish?

SuperScro · 09-30-2006, 11:57 AM

Maybe you can try Damsels. Specifically the Three Spot Domino Damsel. These guys get up to 6 inches, and from the way their body is shaped, they seem to get prettt big looking. Also, they are very agressive, so maybe your puffer won't attempt to eat it. However I do think you need to get older ones, juviniles hide in anemones, and I don't think would stand as much to the puffer being younger, smaller, and less agressive.

SuperScro · 09-30-2006, 02:55 PM

Maybe you were supposed to add the puffer last in your tank. All i can think on now are large fish. I'm still a noobie on saltwater tanks though

Tommy Gun · 09-30-2006, 03:40 PM

So I went to the bigger lfs about 45 minutes away (not the big big one that I like the best, but that one is really far away and that causes some concern with transporting.... but anyways....) to see what would be easily available to me. I have decided on going with a preditor tank of the puffer, a voltain lionfish, and a snowflake eel. No, I did not purchase them YET, but I want to and am going to as soon as I am sure they will fit in my tank. The lionfish will be a 'dwarf' variety, so I think it will top out at 8 inches or so and I have the opportunity to get a normal one or a black version, which is still white like the rest, but with black stripes instead of the reddish brown ones. Not sure how this will look in a tank with a black background though.

So, any opinions, comments, or concerns for me on this decision?

WhoDey · 10-02-2006, 06:42 PM

IF you get a lion fish then be carefull!! You don't want to get stung by them, you hand will look like a balloon!

ahill3780 · 10-02-2006, 09:09 PM

WhoDey,

Happy Birthday!

Tommy Gun · 10-02-2006, 09:16 PM

Yea whodey! Happy Birthday. It is also my wife's birthday today and so I assure you that you are in good company. How old (or young) are ya?