Stars and stripes puffer with tank mates

[tamanderson]

Hey guys I am new to the forum so let me tell you how my weekend has gone. I have a small stars and stripes puffer that I have had for a little over two months. He is in a 125 gallon with pH 8.0, ammonia 0, nitrates 10, specific gravity 0.123. I have tried to be very careful with this guy and have had him all alone in the tank. I decided to try a tank mate thus my weekend story.... the pet store in town told me a sweet lips would be a great addition, I believed them but I also knew that I had no read of them being compatible. Well long story short he went back this morning as my puffer was extremely threatened by him. So when I went back this morning they convinced me that a niger trigger was a good "peaceful tank make". Well I knew triggers were on the list as compatible so I thought I would try it. Well needless to say he did not stay for an hour even. I looked on you alls site and it said that they may be timid and he definitely is. So here is my question, what can I put in there with him. With the live rock and his brown color it looks as though there is nothing in the tank unless he is feeding and it is a whole lot of work for an empty tank. Please give me any advice you can. I did set this tank up for him as he is what I wanted all along so if he is all that can go in that is fine. I have heard a tomato clown would do okay with him. Is this true? As it stands I just have a 65.00 credit at the store and he said he can order me something if he does not have anything I think I can use. He does have two tangs, one like Dorey, (I know that is lame but I forget what they are called) and one light blue with white and yellow. Archie my puffer ate this evening and is now in his litte rock cave sleeping so I hope he is no worse for the whole experience. I watched him pretty closely to make sure it would be all right. Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks

[Christemo]

.. your SG is at .123?


Puffers have different personalities. He may just like to be by himself. Plus, the tank will be cramped for him. They really need a 180 gallon tank or larger just to themselves.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Dory was a blue tang.

[tamanderson]

Sorry forgot the 0 specific gravity is 0.0123. I think that is better. He is right now very tiny maybe three inches long. I am not sure how old he is but in the tank it looks like there is nothing in there. I have live rock but that is all. I have a few crabs in there that he has not found the need to eat yet and a couple of snails. How long until he will need a 180 tank, I cant even see him in there now.

It is so weird because the puffer I wanted was a porcupine but I found a 125 gallon tank for a good price and got it but felt it would not be big enough for the porcupine which is why I got the smaller one. In the petstore the porcupine is in a 10 gallon tank. CRAZY!!!

So no ideas on if anything can go in there with him. I

[edmlfc1]

I'm sure the poster meant 1.023 sg.


Don't take this the wrong way:

tamaderson, first let me say within a year your puffer will need a larger tank. Second I truely hope you are using a qt for these fish you keep adding. It dosen't sound like it. The reason I say that is because: I did not qt rock, I just added it to my tank and my fish caught Ich. Not a good thing in a sw tank. For the safety of your fish please qt anything and everything you want to put in there. I have a stars & stripes puffer, I purchased him at 4" one year ago. He is now 10"-11", he started in a 125 , it was a good start but I soon realized he needed something bigger. He's now in a 156g with a 55g sump. If you truely want to add fish, you can put a blenney in there. They are extremely peaceful. I also have a snowflake eel. So far the eel and the puffer are doing fine together. I have a GSP and a Wrasse, I don't recommend either of these, they have started to chew on my s&s tail, there is now a divider in the tank. The GSP will be adopted out and the wrasse is going back to the lfs as soon as hypo is over. This has been my experience, I can't answer if other fish will be ok or not. Hope it helps.

[tamanderson]

Okay that makes a little bit more sense. I did not realize they grow that fast and of course they told me at the fish store he would be more than happy in the 125. That being said I will just hold off, see how he does, and then if I have to go up I can use the one I Have for a QT and then get a larger one for my friend the puffer fish. I think I picked the hardest fish to raise but that sounds about right. I tell you right now those triggers are fierce. He had my puffer on his back down in the sand. The store owner said he had never seen a puffer that would not fight for his territory I told him I would be glad to introduce them

[edmlfc1]

Elvis is very timid also. He's not shy but he is timid. They are no harder than any other sw puffer, I think it just takes them a little longer to get settled.
Do you have a picture of your little guy?

[edmlfc1]

When I first got Elvis, No that's not a powerhead, it's the pump from my hob protein skimmer.


Here he is when he could fit under a rock. Now only his tail can fit.



Current Photo:

[LilGreenPuffer]

So cute!!!

[tamanderson]

I am so glad you posted that. Archie does the same thing, he stays up under my intake for my skimmer and I worried something was wrong with him. If he is not there, he is under a rock, and he is not there he is eating. So this makes me feel somewhat better as I have worried something was wrong with him. I dont have a picture of him as he is always hiding but I will try to get one soon. I absolutely thought he got out the other day because he was under a rock, rolled up sleeping, and I could not see him and I know people say they jump, I could not find a hole, but long story short I touched him because I was trying to see if I could find him with my hand, and he looked at me like "excuse me" I am sleeping. Jumped into the water and went back to sleep. He is a good eater, and I guess he is fine and just needs his space which is okay with me. I just wish there was more information at pet stores, if they are going to have these fish they need to know something about them. They had me convinced there was nothing tougher than a stars and stripes puffer, but I found two fish this weekend that dont need to be together with them. Scary.

[trekenk]

It is so weird because the puffer I wanted was a porcupine but I found a 125 gallon tank for a good price and got it but felt it would not be big enough for the porcupine which is why I got the smaller one

For future reference tamaderson a porcupine puffer grows smaller in adulthood then the star and stripes and would of been ok and a better choice in a 125 gallon tank.

[tamanderson]

Are you serious. How big does a porcupine puffer get? He is the one I was just in love with but felt not to do him a disservice and get the "smaller one" that the owner told me would stay small. UGH!!!!

[edmlfc1]

According to the puffer pedia. Stars & Stripes grows to 19", porcs grow to 19". I've seen full grown porcs and I've seen full grown Stars puffers. I think the stars may get larger than 19" but I'm not 100% sure.

[tamanderson]

Well I see a bigger tank in my future. He looks almost comical in the tank now as it is so big and all that is in there is him, some live rock, two snails he has not eaten yet and a couple of tiny crabs I bought when I first got him in case he would not eat, which has not been a problem. I wonder how long I have to plan for that? I hope a few months at least. I will try to find a used tank if possible. My 125 I paid a lot for and I dont want to pay more. I paid retail for it. OUCH!!! Today he is doing well again, he just did not want any roommates apparently. I am an only child I completely understand that logic

[trekenk]

According to the pufferpedia for the

Porc puffer Minimum Tank Size 120 gl.
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Marine/D_Holocanthus/

Stars and Stripes Minimum Tank Size 180 gl
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Marine/A_Hispidus/