To the puffer experts out there...

bulletsworld · #1 01-06-2009, 07:32 AM

Hey Diane,

Yes, I agree Porcupine puffers DO NOT get along with the same kind. It would never be worth the risk. Porcupine puffers get really territorial with their kind. If you see a few little guys together at a LFS you will always see the smaller one gets picked on. This happens the same for Boxfish (which I love them to)

Simon my Porcupine puffer has attacked a smaller porcupine puffer before. I'll never try it again. He was good with any other puffer though. He was with both a dogface and a star stripe puffer and he's was always docile. He eats lots too! I feed him stomotellia snails, live hitcher crabs, hermit crabs (on occasion), live snails and Krill.

I am not in a big hurry to find my Simon a home. the tank is all his. I just want to make sure he's got a perfect home, thats why I'm being selective. I honestly wouldn't put Simon through the travel there either, way too stressful for him. I appreciate you trying to help out though. I know if you didn't have your puffy you make a great home for my Simon.

See you soon with the Foxface.

chevyjaxon · #2 01-06-2009, 11:44 AM

how big of a tank does a puffer need? i have a 50 gallon plumbed into my 90 gallon through my sump my 90 is a mixed reef with tangs my 50 only has cheato in it maybe i could give simon a home? that is of course if 50 gallons is a big enough tank and he could have it all to himself

GreenSpottedPuffer · #3 01-06-2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chevyjaxon

how big of a tank does a puffer need? i have a 50 gallon plumbed into my 90 gallon through my sump my 90 is a mixed reef with tangs my 50 only has cheato in it maybe i could give simon a home? that is of course if 50 gallons is a big enough tank and he could have it all to himself

Add at least another 100G to that 50G and it might work. Eventually they should be in a 180 minimum.

my2rotties · #4 01-06-2009, 03:43 PM

I'm really sorry I could not take Simon... I figured I would ask to see if it would work. I would have paid for him too.

Who knew porkies could be so mean. I was surprised when GSP said they go after each other's eyes. My guy pays no attention to anybody. He seems like such an easy going happy go lucky guy. Mind you many fish cannot be kept with their own kind and yet when they're alone they are sweeties.

I know you will find Simon a good home. I know he means a lot to you, and you have had him for so long... I've had my Mandarine for over a year and he is one of my favorites since he is still thriving with all the mistakes I made at the start.

Take your time with the Foxface, you know the tank is waiting.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bulletsworld

Hey Diane,

Yes, I agree Porcupine puffers DO NOT get along with the same kind. It would never be worth the risk. Porcupine puffers get really territorial with their kind. If you see a few little guys together at a LFS you will always see the smaller one gets picked on. This happens the same for Boxfish (which I love them to)

Simon my Porcupine puffer has attacked a smaller porcupine puffer before. I'll never try it again. He was good with any other puffer though. He was with both a dogface and a star stripe puffer and he's was always docile. He eats lots too! I feed him stomotellia snails, live hitcher crabs, hermit crabs (on occasion), live snails and Krill.

I am not in a big hurry to find my Simon a home. the tank is all his. I just want to make sure he's got a perfect home, thats why I'm being selective. I honestly wouldn't put Simon through the travel there either, way too stressful for him. I appreciate you trying to help out though. I know if you didn't have your puffy you make a great home for my Simon.

See you soon with the Foxface.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #5 01-06-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my2rotties

I'm really sorry I could not take Simon... I figured I would ask to see if it would work. I would have paid for him too.

Who knew porkies could be so mean. I was surprised when GSP said they go after each other's eyes. My guy pays no attention to anybody. He seems like such an easy going happy go lucky guy. Mind you many fish cannot be kept with their own kind and yet when they're alone they are sweeties.

I know you will find Simon a good home. I know he means a lot to you, and you have had him for so long... I've had my Mandarine for over a year and he is one of my favorites since he is still thriving with all the mistakes I made at the start.

Take your time with the Foxface, you know the tank is waiting.

I have seen schools of porcs while diving in the Caribbean. In Australia we even saw pairs of them swimming together all over the place. They get along fine in the ocean (like tangs or most fish) but not in aquariums...not long term anyways. You will hear of people saying its fine but usually they have not had them together long (under a few years) or as I said, one is small. It will work until that small one gets big. They are not like tangs where you will usually know right away if they are going to fight or not. They can be together for a while and then just snap one day. Almost always happens.

This is the only pic I could find but these two swam together on this entire dive. They stayed in our area the whole time too, it was very cool!

my2rotties · #6 01-06-2009, 05:24 PM

How big were these guys GSP? They look huge. Perhaps they were a mated pair, who knows? I don't know how fish work for mating and the likes. It must be awesome to see them in the wild like this. I hope that sopmeday I can go diving, but I don't know who will care for my fish.

my2rotties · #7 01-06-2009, 05:56 PM

I also have to ask about your porkies fighting... Did one eventually die. You mentioned going after the eyes, was there severe damage? Did they chase each other? Was one submissive to the other, and wanted nothing to do with the beatings?

I just want to ask for the next person that might be in this situation. I honestly would have never guessed they would end up like this, since they are so self absorbed, they don't seem to care about anybody else, but their bellies. I cannot keep up to his eating demands, let me tell you. I think my dogs eat less then him...

Also I forgot how big Griff will get someday, since he is about 8" long now? I will ALWAYS have him and give him the best that I can. My other fish love it when he eats his frozen home made puffer chow, since they clean up the carnage. They keep their distance, and nobdy messes with him at all. I also noticed the same when Ickie came home. She's a ting dogface but my Emperor was on the warpath with all the other new fish but not her.

She lives in the big monti cap I bought and loves this sleeping spot... She nestles right into the corner in a safe and happy place. I love the nature of the dogfaced puffers and she is becoming my favorite.

GreenSpottedPuffer · #8 01-06-2009, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by my2rotties

I also have to ask about your porkies fighting... Did one eventually die. You mentioned going after the eyes, was there severe damage? Did they chase each other? Was one submissive to the other, and wanted nothing to do with the beatings?

I just want to ask for the next person that might be in this situation. I honestly would have never guessed they would end up like this, since they are so self absorbed, they don't seem to care about anybody else, but their bellies. I cannot keep up to his eating demands, let me tell you. I think my dogs eat less then him...

Also I forgot how big Griff will get someday, since he is about 8" long now? I will ALWAYS have him and give him the best that I can. My other fish love it when he eats his frozen home made puffer chow, since they clean up the carnage. They keep their distance, and nobdy messes with him at all. I also noticed the same when Ickie came home. She's a ting dogface but my Emperor was on the warpath with all the other new fish but not her.

She lives in the big monti cap I bought and loves this sleeping spot... She nestles right into the corner in a safe and happy place. I love the nature of the dogfaced puffers and she is becoming my favorite.

Those guys are a different species of Porcupine Puffer and were about 18" or more long and about 8" or more wide. Massive.

The porcs I tried together years ago were fine for about a year and a half. One was much smaller than the other but as it grew and caught up to the other, I started to see problems. A bit of nipping at feeding time, a bit of territory disputes until one day they both snapped and it was all out war! They went for each others eyes...one lost an eye and eventually was put down. Even the one that won the battle was pretty messed up. It was pretty bad...a year and a half of peace and then within two days, one was dead and the other badly injured. He ended up dying a few months later. That was in a 180.

Here is a video if two "fighting" in the ocean. Not to bad of a fight and almost comical but you get the idea. They don't bite in the video but mine were doing this. You can imagine if they were squaring off like this and then one hits the glass and has nowhere to go, they will start biting. In this vid they don't really attack because they have lots of room to move around. In a huge tank they may not bite as much as mine did either...but I mean huge.

http://www.oceanfootage.com/oceans/s...rs+fight&Go=Go

GreenSpottedPuffer · #9 01-06-2009, 06:22 PM

Here is an idea of size and why a 50G is not suitable

(first vid)

http://www.oceanfootage.com/oceans/s...+Current&Go=Go