lionfish28
Member
should i be feeding my striped puffer every day?Or every other day?
A puffer fish qusetion
- Thread starter lionfish28
- Start date
lionfish28
Member
WELL......
gasguzzler
Active Member
I would go with every other day- they tend to gorge themselves.
gasguzzler
Active Member
When they get condtioned to accept food when you come to the tank, if you dont feed them and the cover is off- they spit watewr at you. Both of my bros porkys did this. Really funny.
conogre
Member
First off, is it a small juvenile or a larger adult?
Always remember that baby fish, like baby everything else need more food as they not only have to stay alive, but to grow as well.
The biggest single cause of death among many active species such as wrasses is underfeeding when they are very small....3-4 times daily is best.
With a 1"-2" puffer I'd be feeding it AT LEAST daily, if not 2-3 times daily (I actually HAVE a 1 1/2" Stars&Stripes Puffer at the moment and am feeding him shrimp, clams and squid several times daily).
Mike
Always remember that baby fish, like baby everything else need more food as they not only have to stay alive, but to grow as well.
The biggest single cause of death among many active species such as wrasses is underfeeding when they are very small....3-4 times daily is best.
With a 1"-2" puffer I'd be feeding it AT LEAST daily, if not 2-3 times daily (I actually HAVE a 1 1/2" Stars&Stripes Puffer at the moment and am feeding him shrimp, clams and squid several times daily).
Mike
cgpuffers
Member
Any Puffer In My Opinion Should Be Fed Daily, But That Is Just Out Of My Experience! My Puffers Were Extremely Active Moving Around At All Parts Of The Day At A Fast And, Not Slow Like Most Puffers, Pace. This Made Them Tired Very Easily So Feedings Of Two To Three Times Daily Of Krill, Frozen Brine Shrimp, And Squid Were Given Out To My Puffers.
conogre
Member
I personally agree with you CG.
With the dentition that the puffers have as well as the flexibility of their diet. the thought that "there are days when wild puffers acn't find anything to eat" is, IMO, ludicrous.
While some larger mouthed predators may take large prey that takes a day or two to be broken down and digested, the puffers can and do find something to eat whenever they want it in the wild, and feeding every other day or less is probably the biggest reason for puffer attacks on other fish.
Many put them on an alternate day schedule to maintain water quality, which is just plain wrong....either do more frequent water changes, improve the filtration or, best of all, cut back populations as fish size changes through growth.
With the dentition that the puffers have as well as the flexibility of their diet. the thought that "there are days when wild puffers acn't find anything to eat" is, IMO, ludicrous.
While some larger mouthed predators may take large prey that takes a day or two to be broken down and digested, the puffers can and do find something to eat whenever they want it in the wild, and feeding every other day or less is probably the biggest reason for puffer attacks on other fish.
Many put them on an alternate day schedule to maintain water quality, which is just plain wrong....either do more frequent water changes, improve the filtration or, best of all, cut back populations as fish size changes through growth.
cgpuffers
Member
I Agree With You Conogre, If You Can't Feed A Puffer Don't Get One, And Another Thing puffers Will Eat As Much As They Wan't In The wild Because They Can Don't Subject Them To not Being Fed In The Aquarium Because Eating Is One Thing puffers Love And Without Enough Food Puffers Aren't As lively And Don't Have As Much Personality. Puffers Relish A Crawfish Once A Week. This not Only Wears Down Their Teeth But Also Exsersices Their Natural Hunting Techniques In The Aquarium.You Will Also Need A Tank Larger Than 46 Gallons For Your puffer In A Matter Of Months, They Will Grow Fast.
conogre
Member
Shame on you CG......the trap was right there in front of you, you're on a roll, giving ALL the rigt advice and then, bloooey! Went right ahead and stepped in it.
I know, what am I talking about?
You stepped in a pile of "A puffer's a puffer" and got it all over your shoe!
Most of the marine puffers offered for sale need a tank a LOT bigger than 46 gallons, unless you know that you're going to kill it in 6 months (and if you already know that, why buy it?)because in 2-3 years you're going to have a fish that will be at least 6" long (a dollar bill is 6" long...hold it up to the glass. OK, now how many dolar bills that are as wide as they are high, can swim around in that tank?)
BUT....some puffers are small and stay small!!!
First, you have sharp-nosed puffers, then others like the brackish species that actually do BETTER in a marine tank...now we're talking 3"-4", and there IS room for one of those in your 29!
Of course, there's even a glitch in this reasoning, still making a larger tank a better idea though.
Many of the little tobies and sharp-noses are also among the most aggressive in the whole family.
A Toby may well do just fine in a 20 or 29 gal. tank BUT is there any room for whomever he gets mad at to get away from him?
Think about how small your whole house is when your spouse, room-mate or parent is mad at you, OK?
That's a 100 gal. tank.
Now think of being locked in a CLOSET with that same PO'd person.....that's a 10-20 gal. tank!
Mike
I know, what am I talking about?
You stepped in a pile of "A puffer's a puffer" and got it all over your shoe!
Most of the marine puffers offered for sale need a tank a LOT bigger than 46 gallons, unless you know that you're going to kill it in 6 months (and if you already know that, why buy it?)because in 2-3 years you're going to have a fish that will be at least 6" long (a dollar bill is 6" long...hold it up to the glass. OK, now how many dolar bills that are as wide as they are high, can swim around in that tank?)
BUT....some puffers are small and stay small!!!
First, you have sharp-nosed puffers, then others like the brackish species that actually do BETTER in a marine tank...now we're talking 3"-4", and there IS room for one of those in your 29!
Of course, there's even a glitch in this reasoning, still making a larger tank a better idea though.
Many of the little tobies and sharp-noses are also among the most aggressive in the whole family.
A Toby may well do just fine in a 20 or 29 gal. tank BUT is there any room for whomever he gets mad at to get away from him?
Think about how small your whole house is when your spouse, room-mate or parent is mad at you, OK?
That's a 100 gal. tank.
Now think of being locked in a CLOSET with that same PO'd person.....that's a 10-20 gal. tank!
Mike
conogre
Member
I knew what you meant, and was only pickin on you in fun, CG.....that's where the danger in common names comes in though, and people do get into real trouble that way.
I keep Arothron species in with my P. volitans lionfish with no problems, while a toby can be real trouble.
To make it worse, they call SOME of them tobies and others specifically sharp-nosed puffers.
Likewise, some of the"brackish" puffers are truly marine and just barely tolerate brackish, with more and more being kept in marine tanks.
People also tend to call Balloonfish and burrfish puffers (which they are) as well, adding to the confusion even more.
I keep Arothron species in with my P. volitans lionfish with no problems, while a toby can be real trouble.
To make it worse, they call SOME of them tobies and others specifically sharp-nosed puffers.
Likewise, some of the"brackish" puffers are truly marine and just barely tolerate brackish, with more and more being kept in marine tanks.
People also tend to call Balloonfish and burrfish puffers (which they are) as well, adding to the confusion even more.
conogre
Member
Thanx...he's one of my "new kids", and at 1 1/2" long is already spitting water like an archerfish.
He's also making me proud and spitting out pieces of fish whenever he gets one intended for something else like he was getting the bad word soap treatment...they may get big, but they're a much better community fish than most people ever realize, being intimidated by their size (unless you're a crab or shrimp, at least **grin**)
He's also making me proud and spitting out pieces of fish whenever he gets one intended for something else like he was getting the bad word soap treatment...they may get big, but they're a much better community fish than most people ever realize, being intimidated by their size (unless you're a crab or shrimp, at least **grin**)
conogre
Member
Sure.
For angels, I'd honestly hold off until the aquarium had been establised for at least a year, which cuts losses by at least 75%.
If you're not planning on upgrading any further I'd suggest the blackspotted puffer (A. nigropunctatus, the panda (A. diadematus), the immaculate (A. immaculatus) or the striped/manila (A manilensis) at the larger end, T. fluviatis (the spotted puffer) and ,although rarely available, the Bandtailed puffer (S. spengleri)....although the tobies are more suited for size, they can be very nippy oe even aggressive.
Triggers are awesome fish, but most get just too aggressive or large for a 125 community, so the Sargassum trigger, (X.ringens) Bluechin (X. auromarginatus), Crosshatch (X. mento) or pinktail (M. vidua) would be the oly ones I'd personally keep. Cute little fish lose some of their cuteness when they start killing off tankmates.
For eels the ribbon eel (I've had great luck with them, but have a good cover), the snowflake, the chainlink and the zebra...the last gets big, but is the safest of them all with fish.
Enough for a start? (There are MANY more fish, some that people never think of, that go great in a community that size)
For angels, I'd honestly hold off until the aquarium had been establised for at least a year, which cuts losses by at least 75%.
If you're not planning on upgrading any further I'd suggest the blackspotted puffer (A. nigropunctatus, the panda (A. diadematus), the immaculate (A. immaculatus) or the striped/manila (A manilensis) at the larger end, T. fluviatis (the spotted puffer) and ,although rarely available, the Bandtailed puffer (S. spengleri)....although the tobies are more suited for size, they can be very nippy oe even aggressive.
Triggers are awesome fish, but most get just too aggressive or large for a 125 community, so the Sargassum trigger, (X.ringens) Bluechin (X. auromarginatus), Crosshatch (X. mento) or pinktail (M. vidua) would be the oly ones I'd personally keep. Cute little fish lose some of their cuteness when they start killing off tankmates.
For eels the ribbon eel (I've had great luck with them, but have a good cover), the snowflake, the chainlink and the zebra...the last gets big, but is the safest of them all with fish.
Enough for a start? (There are MANY more fish, some that people never think of, that go great in a community that size)
conogre
Member
You're going to like this answer.
Y-E-S!
As dumb as it seems, the problem is the adult size, which SEEMS dumb when they are swimming around in that huge 125 gal. tank and it is...sort of.
If you're planning on setting up another tank or getting a bigger one in a year or so, it's not so important, but if not, a couple of years down the road your fish are suddenly crowded, catching diseases because of it and the LFS tells you, "I can't sell a fish that big very often" (even more so if they're sick, of course) and oops, it's problem city.
If you get an anel now, you'll regret it ( I had 20 years of major FW experience and helplessly watched my 1st 3 angels die, one after another, then gave up and quit in disgust.
"Anglefish! Bah! Humbug!"
Two years later my resolve weakened (or my memory went..I'm hoping it was the former) and I got a little Queen angel.
Talk about a stainless steel, indestrucible fish!
Oh, what a difference a year makes!
Y-E-S!
As dumb as it seems, the problem is the adult size, which SEEMS dumb when they are swimming around in that huge 125 gal. tank and it is...sort of.
If you're planning on setting up another tank or getting a bigger one in a year or so, it's not so important, but if not, a couple of years down the road your fish are suddenly crowded, catching diseases because of it and the LFS tells you, "I can't sell a fish that big very often" (even more so if they're sick, of course) and oops, it's problem city.
If you get an anel now, you'll regret it ( I had 20 years of major FW experience and helplessly watched my 1st 3 angels die, one after another, then gave up and quit in disgust.
"Anglefish! Bah! Humbug!"
Two years later my resolve weakened (or my memory went..I'm hoping it was the former) and I got a little Queen angel.
Talk about a stainless steel, indestrucible fish!
Oh, what a difference a year makes!
cgpuffers
Member
Thanks for The Awnser My LFS Said I Shouldn't Do It But That Was The One Which Has Every Kind Of Trigger In A Reef Tank and Has The Philosophy That Triggers Aren't Aggressive But Hey He Has Raised An Undulate Trigger To The Age Of Fifteen!
Nice tank By The Way Any More Pics Of It
Nice tank By The Way Any More Pics Of It
conogre
Member
LOL!
Lots, plus have digital camera and just need an excuse...shoot me an e-mail at MDandane@tampabay.rr.com
Lots, plus have digital camera and just need an excuse...shoot me an e-mail at MDandane@tampabay.rr.com