Toby puffer, fin nippers? Pro.'s vs Con.'s
 

I was thinking about buying a Toby puffer, QT time is almost up for my displays and I'm looking at options. I keep reading that they are notorious fin nippers. My 230g FOWLR will house a King angel, lunare wrasse, bursa trigger, 2 clownfish soon, and eventually a hawkfish and probably some others down the road, but not too many like before. Does anyone on here own one or have experience with one, and can tell me if they are or are not bad for nipping fins. Thanks Laurie

Any pro.'s or con.'s would be great to know as well.

They are notorious fin nippers

Did/do you have one? Either way everything I read about them say's they are bad fin nippers. However everything I read about porcupine puffers states that they are bad fin nippers, and no one I know who owns a porcupine puffer has ever had it nip another tank mate. So it makes me wonder.

Another thing I read about toby puffers is that they might nip/try to eat anemones. As I want to put a RBTA in there, that wouldn't work out so well.

Really gotta be careful what you put in with most puffers....no? I think perhaps if porkies were better swimmers they too would be more of an issue

Good point, I just know the porcupine we had and the one my friend has is the least aggressive fish I ever saw when it came to larger tank mates. Small fish might be picked on but other then that he completely ignored all other tank makes, and in fact my large angelfish picked on him, which is why I gave him away.

You would actually be surprised with how fast a 10" porcupine puffer can move. I hand feed my big cowfish and Griff wants his food. That puffer can move at light speed and almost come out of the water if I take the food out.:surprise:

He is the biggest fish in my tank, and I have to say he has no interest in nipping fins. The only thing he ever nips at, is stuff he can fit into his big mouth, like smaller clownfish, which I don't have anymore. He has no interest in eating any of my shrimp or anything other then what I feed him now.

Porkies can move with full afterburner... you have to see it to believe it. I don't know much about the particular fish you are asking about Laurie, I hope you get some answers.

I wasnt trying to say that they cant swim.... its just that out of all the puffers they are the least agile. Their bodies are quite rigid when compared to a mappa or dogface.:wink:

No disrespect Doug... I was actually dumbfounded with how fast my fatso puffer can move. I notice he enjoys the hunt and I swim his food around, so he can hunt it down and "kill" it:wink: I now understand how he managed to hunt down and eat two clownfish... now I have a very large saddleback clown and moroon clown. There is no way he can eat them, and the scooter blennies are close to the bottom and he can't seem to get them... yet.:lol:

My puffer is quite the spectacle to behold and although I have only had him seven months, he amazes me daily.