Tetras attacking puffers.

[Jht]

i just bought 2 Tetradon nigroviridis because after reading up on them i have found out that they can kept in a community tank i bought 2 one was just under 1cm and 1 was 1cm but my rednose/redeye tetras keep trying to eat them i am sure they are too big to be eaten but to be safe i put them in a breeding trap my tank has a lot of plants and hiding places and the only fish that go after them are the tetras, do you think they will be ok

 

[jobysp]

Is that the spotted green pufferfish? If so I would recommend that you get another tank as they need to be in brackish water.

 

[Jht]

sorry yes i do mean Carinotetraodon travancoricus i think its only 2 tetras bothering them i put some bllodworm in the trap and they ate it do you think i should chance putting them back?

 

[diVer]

I would be more worried about the other tank mates rather than the puffers, they can get pretty nasty with other fish.

 

[Jht]

my puffers are too small to do anydamage at the moment do you think i should release them and see what happens?

 

[Lithril]

How big are the tetras. My dwarfs were very timid when they first went into the tank, however they get more cranky with age. Give it time and the tetras will definately start coming off worse. Dwarfs aren't renowned for their patience and have VERY strong mouths so a small nip tends to do a lot more damage. Buy a 10 gal tank and set it up with a sponge filter and heater, shouldn't cost much but at least they'll have their own tank.

 

[Jht]

about 3cm the biggest

 

[diVer]

Yes it's normal, thats what they do when they're sleeping.

 

[Pufferpack]

Hi Jht

Don't let their size fool you, Dwarf puffers can be tough customers, when my little pack were 1 1/2 cm in size they killed a 5 cm Mbuna cichlid that had been bugging them. The curling behavior is also an aggressive/defensive posture and they can strike very quickly from that position. Keep an eye on them and the tetras, you may have to relocate one or the other if things turn mean.

 

[Jht]

its gone the other way now the puffers have turned nasty and all the fish stay away from them so i am about to start saving for a new tank

 

[diVer]

The curling behavior is also an aggressive/defensive posture and they can strike very quickly

Oops, I thought they were just sleeping.

 

[Jht]

just a update i am gonna have to take back my puffers because they almost killed some of my fish so they are in a breeding trap now until tomorrow

 

[Pufferpack]

Watch that they don't turn on each other when confined to the breeding trap

 

[Jht]

i used separarte breeding traps and when i took them bck i got a new ram and some plants thanks for your help everyone