Puffer eating clownfish

[fishoholic]

I gave 2 three striped damsels to my friend who has puffers, triggers and lion fish. I warned her they were elusive evil little buggers, she warned me they would probably be lunch. I believe (and her puffers had eaten other small fish before) after 4-5 months all that happened with the damsels is that they would pester her trigger! She ended up rehomeing them, I don't know what'll happen with your damsel but it might live for awhile yet!

[stingray paradise]

with time you will be able to train them on squid shrimp mussels (seafood medley) is a great combination and ive even got mine eating pellets. but he's a monsterous lazy old fart now. i always enjoyed feeding mussels and crab legs helps keep the teeth short and the crunching sound is great

[superduperwesman]

Originally Posted by sphelps

Yeap puffers definitely eat fish, I use to feed mine goldfish

Yeah I guess the point was that they eat goldfish... not that Goldfish are healthy.

I also see how this could be misinterpreted to make it seem like Goldfish are a good diet but I don't think that was the point.

At the end of the day I think you both make good points that aren't conflicting.

sphelps: It's cool to see a puffer eat a fish from time to time and gold fish are cheap.

greenspottedpuffer: Goldfish are not a quality food source for a puffer.

[sphelps]

haha, peacekeeper. Well done.

[my2rotties]

I did my research on puffers, but until you have a problem you don't really know what to look for. It is my fault for buying the fish BUT I asked many questions. Danny is a businessman he has bills to pay and told me what he could. He has hundreds of fish but he said he had this guy for at least two months. Having a fish that long I would think you would know a bit about him. I know a lot about this puffer and I have only had him three days...

My big deal with shopping there is just the ethics of bringing in mature reef fish from the wild. He has gorgous corals and beautiful fish... I just think when you are in the best interest of the animals you sell for a living, you would care for their well being. The 16" tang can hardly turn around in his tank. I was told the other one like him went to a 180g tank and that was enough for him... I look at my seven foot wide 260 and think that fish would suffer in what I have. If people, special order these fish that is one thing. For a fish to be stuffed in a little display until some person buys them is another...

If I had the $300 for that fish that night I would have bought him because I feel sorry for him. I would have brought him home and felt sorry for that fish for all the days he managed to eek out a life in my little tank. When we build our tanks, we want joy out of them not sadness. I am glad I posted about it and I am glad others feel as I do. I do not blame Danny but he does have bills to pay... You open a store to make money, support your hobby and make a living out of doing what you love to do. There are other store I have been to where the people honestly care about the fish. They have nothing to lose because if that fish dies they are not out any money at all.

My puffer will always be here, I know I could exchange him for other fish, but he is so happy here. To have a wild fish hunting and doing what he was doing on the reef, means I have succeeded in making him comfortable. He is not a big fish in my tank although he looked gigantic at Danny's. He fits right in, and now I know I need to buy mature tank raised fish that outgrew their owners smaller tanks. I would feel much better about that since the owners care for the fish, and they will be so happy to see them in my tank. I am a newbie BUT I do whatever needs to be done for my fish.

The two clownfish made it through the night, so perhaps others are right... he won't eat another one. He is a very patient hunter though and he might still get his way. He is very fun to watch and I have been neglecting other things in my house gawking at him. I know I made the right choice even though I paid way too much for him. I know if I bought any other I would always think of him.

[mark]

Never really thought about Puffers eating fish until I read this post today and was a little surprised. Now out of nowhere the wife just calls and asks if I want a Puffer for my tank (which has damsels, clowns and chromis) as her co-work is thinking about getting rid of one. Talk about timing.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by mark

Never really thought about Puffers eating fish until I read this post today and was a little surprised. Now out of nowhere the wife just calls and asks if I want a Puffer for my tank (which has damsels, clowns and chromis) as her co-work is thinking about getting rid of one. Talk about timing.

It really depends on the size and where it came from. Most puffers will not seek out fish to eat from your tank. I think its just more common with larger specimens that have just come from the ocean.

I have kept many puffers over the years (12 years of puffers including freshwater and brackish) and only had that one mappa ever eat live fish form the tank.

For example I would be extremely shocked to hear of a dogface eating tankmates. They are one of the most gentle puffers you will come across. They do eat most inverts and some coral though.

[my2rotties]

My puffer is a very large fish whom spent his life in the wild until recently. He hunted on the reefs and now that he is in my 260g, he feels he is on a reef again. I was a little upset, but I have no regrets in buying him. He came form a reef, was stuffed in a small empty store display tank, and then came to my husband's work of art. I am happy he feels so comfortable that he wants to hunt like in the old days. If I can catch the clowns before he does, I will be rehoming them. He is the mostawesome fish and it is great to watch him behave like a wild fish. He constantly changes hunting methods and is always thinking. I read they are very inactive fish, but he used every single inch of this tank and checks out every nook and cranny for food. He made this tank build worth while.

Originally Posted by mark

Never really thought about Puffers eating fish until I read this post today and was a little surprised. Now out of nowhere the wife just calls and asks if I want a Puffer for my tank (which has damsels, clowns and chromis) as her co-work is thinking about getting rid of one. Talk about timing.

[GreenSpottedPuffer]

Originally Posted by my2rotties

My puffer is a very large fish whom spent his life in the wild until recently. He hunted on the reefs and now that he is in my 260g, he feels he is on a reef again. I was a little upset, but I have no regrets in buying him. He came form a reef, was stuffed in a small empty store display tank, and then came to my husband's work of art. I am happy he feels so comfortable that he wants to hunt like in the old days. If I can catch the clowns before he does, I will be rehoming them. He is the mostawesome fish and it is great to watch him behave like a wild fish. He constantly changes hunting methods and is always thinking. I read they are very inactive fish, but he used every single inch of this tank and checks out every nook and cranny for food. He made this tank build worth while.

From the sounds of it, he is acting quite natural in your tank and that is a great thing. Porcs do tend to be inactive in general but it depends on the individual. They are usually nocturnal but not always. When diving in Trinidad last year we encountered many porcs and they were all awake in the daytime exploring. They would actually come right up to you and check out what you were doing. They would not quite get within arms length but pretty close. I wasn't too thrilled when our guide grabbed one but it never inflated and didn't seem to mind everyone petting it. It must have been about 13" and much wider/thicker than any I have ever seen in a tank.

LOL...they are so easy to catch. They are slow but its not even that. They seem to be very curious about people and not too fearful. I think the ones we saw see people quite often though. There was a grouper who knew people will feed him...he was a pain following us around begging for food

[my2rotties]

Well this guy was up probably most of last night, the entire day, and now his hunting strategy is to sleep right besdie the clownfish's coral that she is hosting. I put argonite in the water before lights out so he looks like a ghost with a mask in the murky water. His tail is hardly an inch away from the clown and he appears to be napping. NO fish has ever entertained me like this guy. Ed my older foxface was a smart guy due to his age, and this guy is no different. People whom think fish are stupid don't know what they are talking about. I wish I knew how old he was, the store said 18 months (how do they know honestly?), I already worry about his lifespan.

I would like to get a few small crabs to keep him busy perhaps. I will be really surprised if this clown makes it through the night. I wish I could catch her darned it.

Originally Posted by GreenSpottedPuffer

From the sounds of it, he is acting quite natural in your tank and that is a great thing. Porcs do tend to be inactive in general but it depends on the individual. They are usually nocturnal but not always. When diving in Trinidad last year we encountered many porcs and they were all awake in the daytime exploring. They would actually come right up to you and check out what you were doing. They would not quite get within arms length but pretty close. I wasn't too thrilled when our guide grabbed one but it never inflated and didn't seem to mind everyone petting it. It must have been about 13" and much wider/thicker than any I have ever seen in a tank.

LOL...they are so easy to catch. They are slow but its not even that. They seem to be very curious about people and not too fearful. I think the ones we saw see people quite often though. There was a grouper who knew people will feed him...he was a pain following us around begging for food