Puffer took a bite out of me

[zoejeun]

Okay since we're on the subject of puffers anyway I'm going to ask if anyone thinks that a Dwarf Zebra lionfish, a Saddle Valentini Puffer, and 2 percula clowns are too much to be together ina 38 g tank.

 

[sfe]

yes!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

[boalgf]

Originally Posted by surfinusa
puffers are very very hardy but when i got mine at the pet store he was sorta dying thats why they sold him to me so cheap but hes very happy eating and swimming all over the place but i always pet mine he actually wags his tail fin when i do it lol its so darn funny

I'm sure him waggin his tail is just the way he swims and not because you are petting him.
ZoëJeun: Those sound fine for a 38. keep an eye on your water parameters since the lion and puffer are messy eaters.

 

[zoejeun]

Do puffers nibble away at coral?

 

[boalgf]

I've never owned a dwarf puffer (valentini/saddle) so I couldn't say for sure with them. A large puffer will more than likely nip at corals. I had some shrooms and ricordias in my tank at an attempt to make it more visually appealing and my porc and the emp angel ate them all within a few days.

 

[superh]

ZoëJeun: Don't know if you're set on getting the zebra dwarf, but I've been keeping a zebra dwarf and a fuzzy dwarf together in a 38g for a couple of weeks and the fuzzy has a lot more personality and swims around a lot more. The zebra just kind of hangs out. Also the zebra is about 3" and the fuzzy about 1.5".

 

[zoejeun]

O really? I wasn't "set" on a zebra, I just know I want a dwarf lion eventually and have been doing alot of research on both. I suppose I'll see when the time comes.
Does anyone, who has owned a dwarf puffer, know whether or not they are notorious for eating corals? I was hoping to have alittle more than a FOWLR..

 

[reffer]

im pretty sure they'll munch on stuff like coral and hermits and other hard stuff to file down their teeth, but not 100%
does anyone know if a dwarf lion of any kind and maybe a puffer could go in a 40 or 60g tank by themselves? i was thinking maybe a zebra dwarf and a porcupine. i was pretty sure the porc wouldnt work, but not sure.

 

[boalgf]

The porc wont work in anything less than a 125. Some people say a 90 but i disagree. You can get a small puffer though. Saddle, valentini, something like that.

 

[iluvswfish]

petting fish is so bizarre.... next thing I'll read that somebody took one out of the tank and hugged it.

 

[boalgf]

Well that's just silly... Fish can't breathe out of water. :happyfish

 

[zoejeun]

Well Boalgf did you ever have to clip your puffer's teeth manually by any chance? I'm just wondering because i saw pictures of people doing it and they are just holding the fish in their hand and about to clip it away. It looked really bizarre

 

[boalgf]

I feed my puffer clams in the shell once every 2 weeks or so. He spends more time chewing on the clam shell than he does eating the meat. This should help keep his beak filed enough that I don't have to clip it.

 

[dottiekh]

Originally Posted by boalgf
I feed my puffer clams in the shell once every 2 weeks or so. He spends more time chewing on the clam shell than he does eating the meat. This should help keep his beak filed enough that I don't have to clip it.

boalfg.....do you simply buy the clams from a grocery store? I need to start doing something for my puffer. I have lr, and he does bite at it, but I'm not sure that's enough. Do you just throw them in(the clams). Opened or unopened? I'm sorry to bug you with these questions, but it sounds like you know what you are doing. I appreciate your help.

 

[boalgf]

I get them at Harris teeter. I don't know what grocery stores you have available, but any that have a fresh fish section should have clams. What I do is open it up enough to pull a little of the meat out then throw it in. If you throw it in closed he might just give up after a few bites. Also, when you pry that little SOB open, do it from the back of the clam shell.
Snails will also work, but they are so small that he crunches through them like nothing. I didn't feel that would help enough in the long run.

 

[dottiekh]

Excellent. I will go today. I'm actually in Rock Hill, SC which is around 20 mintues from Charlotte. So, I do have a Harris Teeter and I will go there in the next little bit.
I really do appreciate your help.

 

[boalgf]

No problem. My porc puffer will normally chew on it for a good 5 minutes getting the meat off. If yours gives up, just use a skewering stick or something to move the clam around so he notices it again.

 

[dottiekh]

Do you leave any shell behind, or do I need to remove it? I went to Harris Teeter, and because of my Harris Teeter Card I was able to get like 15 clams for $4.30. Since I do not buy clams on a regular basis, I am going to assume that is a wonderful deal.
When I put it in the tank, my puffer did start to go at it. When he got into it completely, my niger trigger started to actually eat the meat. I'm not sure how much puff actually got. I'll put another one in in the next week or so.
I really do appreciate your help though. After reading some of these threads, I am terrified of letting his teeth grow too much. In one thread, recently, a woman actually lost her puffer because of that exact problem. I've read the procedure to file his teeth down, and let me just say that I don't have any desire to go through all of that. So, you are helping me in a huge way. Thank you.

 

[boalgf]

Glad I can help. Don't leave the shell in there after he's done. If you like the look of it, clean it in some tank water (not in the tank itself) or RO water and put it back in. Otherwise toss it. My emp angel likes stealing the meat too. Did your puffer actually bite at the shell itself any, or just the meat?
What I like about the clams at harris teeter is that they are live. I've kept them in my firdge for weeks at a time and they survive somehow.

 

[zoejeun]

-pout- your porc puffer is beyond cute, I want one so bad but my tank definately won't be enough to even house it alone.
Are any sharp-nose toby puffers good for a 38g tank?