everyones puffer community tanks

[sarahw20000]

Hi could anyone who keeps SA puffers in a tank with other non puffers please list their tank spec and inhabitants thanks

I would like to keep some SA's with some other fish and thought other peoples experience is better than theory

 

[pica_nuttalli]

1 SAP
1 Bristlenose Pleco
and for a long while: 1 khuli loach I thought was dead

 

[sarahw20000]

Ooh thats good coz i was hoping i could move my bristlenose into the puffer tank when i set it up, give her some more room.

What size is your tank?

 

[andywg]

Thre is only one time when you can throw any puffer in with other fish, when you have a spare cycled tank to evacuate a fish to as in most cases it will end in tears within 2 years (remember most fish live 10 to 20 years).

People have had some success keeping SA puffers with all sorst of fish, but then others have found that they destory all fish they are put in with.

 

[sarahw20000]

I only asked as i'd seen quite a few people that had SA's with other fish so i thought it was a plausible possibility

 

[nmonks]

I've got a South American puffer in a mixed community tank. He's been there about 4 months now, and so far has been generally well behaved. However, he has nipped fins occasionally, if the mysterious bite marks in the tails of white cheeked gobies (Rhinogobius duospilus) and platies are anything to go by.

On the other hand, the Awaous gobies, halfbeaks, and glassfish have never shown any sign of having been harassed by the puffer. That may be because these fish are smarter and/or faster than the platies. The white cheeked gobies have a habit of perching on bogwood and plants that I think makes them easy targets, and they're also rather poor swimmers, which can't help.

There seems to be a lot of variation in pufferfish behaviour even at the best of times, and what works for me might not work for you. Moreover, just because a puffer is peaceful now isn't a guarantee that it will be two years from now.

I've watched puffers in the wild, and one thing that strikes you is that they are intensely curious animals. They swim up and down plants, rocks, and harbour walls looking for food. I'm sure part of the problem with pufferfish aggression is boredom: we're not surprised when a bored dog chews on the furniture, and I think it is bored puffers that become nippy puffers. My hypothesis is in a tank with plenty of (fast moving) fish, lots of plants and rocks, sand to dig in, and snails to hunt, you maximise your chances of having a peaceful puffer.

Cheers,

Neale

 

[Puffer_freak]

That sounds like a very plausible theory to me. I wrote a (brief) topic about this - see my signature.

 

[Pufferpunk]

Neale, Have you seen BW or FW puffers in the wild? Where? I've watched marine fellows many a dive. I'd love to see the ones I actually keep, in they're own environment!