Stellatus Puffer

[jabari]

I was fortunate to pick up a small Stellatus puffer today from my lfs. I was shocked to see one, if was my first time i had ever saw one in a actual fish store. I got him for a steal...he's about 3inches, i only paid $54.95 for him. I've been told they're pretty hardy and mild mannered, can u fill me in on experences you may have had owning one or what you've heard about them...thanks

 

[rcreations]

You need a huge tank for it, 300gal.

 

[aquaknight]

With a maximum size of 4 feet, 120cm, the Stellatus, aka Starry, aka Giant Puffer, is the world's largest pufferfish.
$54.95 is a good price, what coloration is it? Black, tan, yellow, red? The latter two can fetch a sizable premium.
There are two main problems with the two big puffers (Stellatus and Mappa), first is once they get over a foot, they tend to get rather aggressive, and if they want to eat/kill a tankmate, there is literally no other fish that can withstand that onslaught. The secondary issue is food intake and the forced bioload on your aquarium. Once they get near a foot, you're talking a smorgasbord of food a day to keep them fat and health. 3 whole jumbo shrimp, some scallops, and some silversides, a day.

 

[jabari]

He is a really cool fish, its my first one. I originally had hopes of getting a small porcupine. I always loved the porcupines activity level and personality. I read that the Stellatus is more related to the dog face puffers, which i didn't like too much. Reason being was because the one that i had didn't do ANYTHING...lol,maybe he was one in a million,idk...My little 3inch Stellatus is a little character though, he seems inquisitive and bite at everything..lol, is this the early signs of a mini terror? My snowflake seems very timid around him. I put a piece of Krill in a clip for my puffer, and the eel waited patiently almost nervously for my puffer to move away before he got his piece...i've never seen an eel do that...is this normal behavior for eels to be nervous around puffers??

 

[jabari]

O yeah almost forgot he is a very pretty yellow one...are they the most aggressive puffers? And how fast do they grow?

 

[aquaknight]

I may have misapplied the term "aggressive." They aren't the same aggressive as same a Sohal tang or Passer angel that will relentlessly hound its tankmates. It's just if Stellatus decides to sample a tankmate, there's little that can be done with the chompers they have. It's a flight or fight thing as well, I think that's what the snowflake is displaying. An intimidating tankmate (not that the puffer is trying to be, he's just not scared of much) will cause the flight response and then it's just the puffers instincts about chasing prey.
To be honest, my belief on the most aggressive puffer is either a Southern Puffer (not seen in the hobby much) or a Large Porcupine.