Puffers

[simms]

I have fallen in love with these guys! I have my porc and am looking into researching friends for him to play with. I have thought about adding a valentini.
DO any of you have experience with puffers coexisting. I am looking for a final fish to complete my system and would like another puffer. DO you think Valntini? Are there other smallish puffers that carry that personality?
Suggestions?

 

[fishieness]

i hear valentinis are fin pickers. But that didnt deter me. I jsut got back from my lfs about 10 mins ago with one! i hear they are great, and he was only 5 bucks! I always wanted a puffer but because i only have a 29 gallon tank, i couldnt get any of the ones that arent a long nose, so i went with the valentini! Ill tell how you hes doing in a few days

 

[simms]

let me know

 

[fishieness]

he aclimated very well. i dont know why, but i hear peoples fish wont eat for a few days in a new tank. I understand, but all my fish that i have put into my tank, have eaten the first day i have added them in. I fed the rest of the fish right after he went in and he ate very well. Hes still small, so when he would eat the kirll, almost more went in the water than in his stomac, but oh well. I have a few hermit crabs to hopefully clean that up. Maybe a cleaner shrimp eventualy because i hear they are the only ones that wont be bothered, but its still a big 25 dollar risk im not sure if i want to take. He swimms around nicely and peacefuly. The eel was kinda mad that he was eating all the krill, but he calmed down once i fed him. no nipped fins yet! hooray! ill update you in a few days

 

[teresaq]

Hi, i have been thinking of getting a puffer for my son. It would be the only fish in the tank, A 29 long. I am a bit worried though, i keep reading about them being posionus. should i be scared if my son touches it by accident.

 

[fishieness]

the procupine puffers will get puffy and spiny if they get stressed. They may get stressed and feel threatened if your son puts his hand around him. I would recomend putting somethign over the top to make sure he wont. Oh wait... in a 29 gallon tank... they need a 90 gallon anyways so never mind. The only type of puffer that could go in there is a valentini and possible one the other of the shapre nose puffers like a hawian blue spotted. But i think most of those need a 50 gallon. But anyways, only the flesh is poisonous, not their skin. So if he grabs one of the fish, he will be fine, although the fish probably wont.
By the way, make sure you feed him crunchie foods if you get one. They have a beak almost like an octopus that will continuously grow like a rodents. I you dont feed him crunchie things like krill or shrimp from your grocery store with the shell on, the beak will get to big for him to be able to eat and he will starve to death. There are ways to manualy grind them down, but they are a hassel and a lot of stress for the fish, so it would be a heck of a lot easier to avoid it all together.
and by the way,i love my valentini puffer. They have a lot of personality and look cool. So he would be a good choice for being the only fish in the tank.

 

[teresaq]

Thanks, the valintini was what i was looking at. My son is 10, so i dont think he would grab it, i was worried more if he put his hand in to feed it or move something around. I think he will enjoy it. may be for his b-day next yr. (we are moving in about 6 to 8 mo, so i wont set it up till then. I already have one tank to move) just trying to research.Thanks again