Puffers and EELS?

[Gooburz]

I am interested in putting an EEL in the tank but if it is not suggested then i'll look into another tank (tank will be a 55Gal). I am only going to keep the water brackish so its not going to go full marine or freshwater because i will be housing F8's. Could someone recommend a species of brackish eel? i've been looking them up but figure you guys have seen any and every combo to go with puffers. I would love a sting ray (teacup) but i know that i'd need at least a 125 Gal so they are def not an option for now at least.

[El Scorpio]

Friend of mine recently added an eel to his 125 gallon that also had a Papuan toby in the tank. The end result was one eaten pufferfish and one eel dead from tetrodox poisoning.

[Pufferpunk]

There are no BW eels that remain in low BW.

[puffykid]

No puffer eel combo has been successful long term, also no puffer lion fish either please.

[Gooburz]

yea i don't want to mess with Lion Fish what so ever. And as far as puffers and eel's i'll keep them seperate, was just a thought to see if they could co-exist. I'll keep the eel tank in mind for down the road. Thanks though!

[bertie 83]

Yea unfortunately puffers and eels don't work. Puffers and rays don't play nice either, puffers see rays eyes as snails, doesn't end well. My puff thought my lillie bulb looked yummy, didnt taste nice tho lol

[Anothernewb]

Is it the Lion fish venom that makes it a bad combination?

[bertie 83]

Yes. Puffers find all that finnage irresistable and keep nipping until they get stung. All lionfish and puffer mixes eventually end up like this I am afraid

[Anothernewb]

That sucks, was hoping to put an Antenata or however you spell that with my dogface. Snoopy isn't at all interested in other fish so thought it might be ok. That's ok, I've got another 55 I'm setting up it can go in.

[Nuclear_Glitter]

That sucks, was hoping to put an Antenata or however you spell that with my dogface. Snoopy isn't at all interested in other fish so thought it might be ok. That's ok, I've got another 55 I'm setting up it can go in.

I think it's really cool you named your Dogface Snoopy.

[Corvus]

Friend of mine recently added an eel to his 125 gallon that also had a Papuan toby in the tank. The end result was one eaten pufferfish and one eel dead from tetrodox poisoning.

That's interesting. Puffers are generally eaten by moray eels without any problems (in nature and aquariums), because they are not harmed by ttx, but this incident seems to show that there can be problems.

[Anothernewb]

That sucks, was hoping to put an Antenata or however you spell that with my dogface. Snoopy isn't at all interested in other fish so thought it might be ok. That's ok, I've got another 55 I'm setting up it can go in.

I think it's really cool you named your Dogface Snoopy.

Thats what he reminded of first time I saw him and it stuck. Love that little guy, he is about 4.5-5 inches so not to little.

[FADE2BLACK_1973]

Friend of mine recently added an eel to his 125 gallon that also had a Papuan toby in the tank. The end result was one eaten pufferfish and one eel dead from tetrodox poisoning.

That's interesting. Puffers are generally eaten by moray eels without any problems (in nature and aquariums), because they are not harmed by ttx, but this incident seems to show that there can be problems.

I had a small moray eel attacking a GSP that I had in a marine tank many years back. Well the puffer puffed so the eel could not swallow it and it worked. The eel let him go but it was too late for my lil GSP, he was ripped to streds from the morays razer sharpe teeth. So yeah bad coice for tank mates. Found out the hard way.

[Corvus]

@FADE2BLACK_1973 : That's one reason why I do not recommend eel/puffer combos in general, maybe with the Gymnomuraena zebra as an exception with small puffers, since this eel species does not eat fishes (in contrast to e.g. Snowflake eels).

My post above was mostly with regard to puffer toxicity. I've seen a G. favagineus (tesselata eel) eat two quite freshly imported Canthigaster val., the puffing did not work in these cases, I guess the teeth have pierced the puffing sac. The eel never showed discomfort and is still alive many years later. Digested puffers are also sometimes within the stomachs of live caught morays. Therefore, I think the case of El Scorpio described above is interesting, maybe an expection for some morays.

[El Scorpio]

I can't say for certain that it was tetrodox poisoning, of course, but I saw that eel and it was healthy. It ate the Papuan toby and in two hours it was dead. Can't think of anything else it could've been.

@FADE2BLACK_1973 : That's one reason why I do not recommend eel/puffer combos in general, maybe with the Gymnomuraena zebra as an exception with small puffers, since this eel species does not eat fishes (in contrast to e.g. Snowflake eels).

My post above was mostly with regard to puffer toxicity. I've seen a G. favagineus (tesselata eel) eat two quite freshly imported Canthigaster val., the puffing did not work in these cases, I guess the teeth have pierced the puffing sac. The eel never showed discomfort and is still alive many years later. Digested puffers are also sometimes within the stomachs of live caught morays. Therefore, I think the case of El Scorpio described above is interesting, maybe an expection for some morays.