Very Aggressive Puffer

[doh]

I have an 80g aggressive tank that has a porcupine puffer(6inch), a lionfish(5inch), and a niger trigger(4inch). The puffer is bullying the trigger and the trigger always dives for cover when the puffer comes to that sid of the tank, the puffer has also taken a bite out of the triggers tail! I was thinking i should trade in the trigger and get a more aggressive one, like a clown or queen or undaulated. And also get the new trigger around 5inch. Is this a good idea?
I have had these fish together for almost 2 years and they all have grown from 1-2 inchs to the sizes above and problems are just comming now.
thanks for your help
Jon

 

[tonga]

your fish all will outgrow your tank eventually, but puffers can be pretty aggressive sometimes, and a Niger trigger really isn't thought be a aggressive trigger..I would take him out and try a piccaso (see if you can find one the same size or larger then the porc), undulateds are extremely aggressive, better off kept by themselves like the Queen or Bluelined, all very beauitful though.
Hope this helps

 

[goofieones]

I actually think the picasso will be less aggressive. What I would do for maybe a quick fix, is take out the puffer, put him in a QT tank for like a week, and at this time rearrange the rocks and decorations, then re-introduce the puffer into the tank. This way he won't have an established territory and will be less likely to attack when a fish comes on his "side" of the tank. Of course this may not work, and at that point you need to decide which fish you love the most and return the other.

 

[doh]

Well, i only have 3 15# each lr boulders in the tank so rearranging is a little hard.(not many combinations) and the puffer seems not to have a territory, as he roams the whole tank continually. I think i will try a larger trigger and if that doesnt work...well i guess ill have to say goodbye to mr.puffer.
Or can u think of anyother way to fix this?
thanks for your help
Jon

 

[pufferlover]

Doh; Do yourself and the Puff a favor if you want a Trigger or 2, get rid of the Puffer now. Take it back to lfs and maybe get some trade value towards the Trigger. I have said this till I am blue it will not work with a Trigger and Puffer over the long haul. I have said this at least 3 times this week alone and yet the question keeps coming back from different members. I won't repeat my little Puff-Trigger story but you will find it in the search area probably under Triggers.

 

[grouperhead]

yeah i could repeat pufferlovers puffer story ive read it so many times now, lol. what i would do is take the trigger back and get crdit for it and get a hogfish. they are one of, if not my favorite agressive fish. im about to get a coral hog for my 75 gallon tank. they are so cool, always on the move, and really colorful. ask puffer he has several of his own. bo

 

[glenn]

Doh,
No one mentioned to you but the undulated and queen trigger are the 2 meanest fish. If you want more than 1 fish in tank then i would take the puffer in and go from there.
Glenn

 

[pufferlover]

Yes I love Hogfish to. I bought one as a quirk after seeing it at my lfs for months (why no one bought it I cannot figure unless they didn't understand what they are) within a week I bought a second and then had them get me 2 more. I now have a Spanish, Coral adult, coral baby, and a Dianas. Of these the Dianas is the most aggressive (must be last in as it will not tolerate newcomers). The Corals and Spanish are much mellower. They are from the wrasse family and eat anything and everything and are constantly on the move. Very colorful and not that expensive, so what more could you want. By the way the Dianas was put in my 125 with the 2 Big Porks and the Rock Beauty and they have all done well with each other. Also, not one of the Hogs came down with any problems since they were bought and they are in 4 different tanks. Now back to the Trigger story (just kidding bo).