porcupine puffer

aquaman2

Member
i am new with puffers and i saw one at the store and i am wondering do you think if i got a three incher he would try to eat my 3 inch hippo tang? he would be going in my 55 gal with my kole tang, flame angel, and hippo tang and be moved into my new 90gal once it gets setup.
 

pufferlover

Active Member
The only one I would be concerned about is the flame as they are fairly small fish. It all gets down to how much you feed and you must realize the Puffer will grab as much as it can get and the others will have to take the scraps. I personaly think you would end up unhappy with your choice in a 55. Now once that 90 is going then you have more depth to work with. I have found that if it can get its mouth on it or around it the Puff will eat it.
 

chopper320

Member
Won't these tangs pose a problem with each other by themselves when they get older? Also I think tangs need great water conditions which are really hard to achieve with heavy eaters like pork puffs.
I'm no expert, these are just thoughts!
 

pufferlover

Active Member
Well in answer to that the Kole Tang is a nibbler and really needs a tank with lots of algae. It and the Hippo would get along but a 55 for the fish listed is just not large enough. My other concern would be that the Hippo is like the Yellow a Ick Magnet and with a Puff the stress factor gets higher for it. Now if all the fish were babies the 55 would work for a while and even the Puff if smaller would work but what happens when the Puff grows and that Flame who will stay fairly small and is a nice bright red swims by looking like a steak to the Puff.
 

aquaman2

Member
thank you all i agree with all you said so i have dicided not to get one. What about a little sadle puffer?
 

pufferlover

Active Member
That would work OK they sometimes do tend to be fin nippers but I have kept saddles and/or fiji puffs with tangs, butterflys and angels with no problems.
 

aquaman2

Member
thankyou, i now have a sadle(figi)puffer in my qt tank, any tips about them pufferlover? I know your not suppost to overfeed them so how often do you feed them? i only got him yesterday and i have been feeding 1 pice of krill twice a day.
 

pufferlover

Active Member
If you have the time twice a day is fine. I due to the many tanks and fish I must feed plus working to afford them have been doing once a day for the last couple of years with no bad effect. In fact I feel they feed better and stay more active with one feeding. Now make sure you give it some different foods and since I had one that did this make sure it has something hard to nibble on or else it will get very long front teeth and starve. Mine after about 3 years had the longest front teeth and was unable to eat most foods (it slipped up on me I did not notice for some reason till they were to long to do much about). For my Puffs I like shrimp pellets and tetra min tablets which they munch on (both are FW foods but the salt fish like them to). Also, if you see it chewing on rock or CC substate (if that is what you use) don't fret that is what the smart Puffs do to file their teeth down.
 

pufferlover

Active Member
I don't think the live rock other then any little living things would be bothered much by the Pork. Most Porks love to lay around on the bottom till moved to action such as food. If they nibble on the rock it is more from boredom and to file their teeth (a good thing).
 

aquaman2

Member
when my new 90 gets redy i am going to have a dsb and i need a sand sifter, what do you think about geting a horseshoe crab to put with the little puffer and others. I know that it wouldn't work with all other puffers but i have been reading that sometimes the saddle puffers are somewhat reef safe???
 

pufferlover

Active Member
Hate to say it but my booKs say they are not reef safe as they will pick at live rock and small inverts. If the crab is larger it may work but it is a gamble no matter how you look at it.
 

aquaman2

Member
what type of sand sifter would you say would work for me fish wize? wrase?,are jaw fish considered sand sifters?
 

pufferlover

Active Member
Many wrasses bury at night under the sand but I doubt that would be considered a sand sifter. Jawfish burrow into it and will sift the sand but the Puffer would in time probably eat them. Normally I would say a sand sifting starfish but alas the Puffer will go after it to. That is why I use CC in my tanks then I do the cleaning of it and its done. I frankly am at a loss as to what you could get the Puffer in time would not find tasty. When small they are fairly sociable but as they grow so does their desire for food and that is the problem. Lets see if anyone else has any ideas regarding sand sifting.
 

aquaman2

Member
The little puffer is only like three inches long and his mouth isn't that big, i couldnt see him trying to eat a jaw fish. Also he doesnt seem to be very agressive at all but I wont get a jaw fish just asked about it. I would like to know what others think i should do about the sand?
 
I have a few fighting conchs (Srombus alatus) in with my dogface. They have worked out great so far. The dogface leaves them alone, and they plow around half buried in the sand while sucking up detritus. So far they have been a great sand sifter/clean up for my FOLR tank.
 
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