So, I got a pair of irrubescos about a week ago. They look pretty healthy. The female had a touch of ich that showed up the day after I got them, but with a bit warmer temps and some salt, it seems to have cleared up.
But, I've noticed that she seems to always be hiding and breating a bit heavy. She looks really stressed out.
So, I was originally thinking that she might still have some parasites or some ich in her gills. I'm keeping the temp up and the salt in there. Those wouldn't case this behaviour, would they?
BUT, the other day, I noticed the male chase her. He doesn't do it very often, but when he does, he goes at her full speed. So now I'm thinking that she's just stressed out from that. So, I built a divider out of that 1/2" egg crate light shielding. I thought this would be perfect, since it looked to small for the puffers to fit through, but would allow the bumble-bee gobies free roam of the tank. But sadly the first thing both puffers did when I put it in there was to squeeze through to the other side. Apparently I need to get a different divider.
Does it sound likely that this is what is causing her behaviour?
They are in a 20g now, but will eventually get moved to a heavily decorated/planted 29g. Do you think they will get along in the 29g or will they need to be seperated?
Do you think they need to be seperated, or will they learn to get along. I know when I first put my pair of kribs together the male chased her all over the tank, but after a day they settled down and formed a very successful pair.
Thanks for any input or ideas you might have.
Irrubesco fighting?
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crazyforpuffs
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 107
- Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2005 6:46 pm
- Location: The Big Smoke, Ontario
Number 1: Why do you have bumble bee gobies in FW?
Number 2: In my experience, the irrubescos will be at each other all the time...until one kills the other...tank size does not matter. In my case, it was the much more aggressive female who terrorized the male till I had to remove him. I think PP had a m/f pair also - the male killed the female.
I'd get a divider that doesn't let anything but water through...or relocate one or the other irrubesco.
Number 2: In my experience, the irrubescos will be at each other all the time...until one kills the other...tank size does not matter. In my case, it was the much more aggressive female who terrorized the male till I had to remove him. I think PP had a m/f pair also - the male killed the female.
I'd get a divider that doesn't let anything but water through...or relocate one or the other irrubesco.
Please don't flame me about this, but with irrubesco's, it really depends on the temperament of the individual irrubesco.
Right now, I have 2 males/4males in a 29g heavily planted tank (~5g per puffer). They are doing just great. No fights. A perfect equilibrium for over a month now.
But what I had to do was order much more puffers than what I have now, separate out all the bullies, and what was left were puffers of milder temperament who get along great in my 29g, all being the same size and introduced around the same time.
My theory for irrubescos is this: either have them by themselves (1 solitary puffer), or have more than 3 puffers together. All the pairs I have tried to put together in 1 tank have been disastrous. Somehow when the numbers get larger, the puffers tend to leave each other alone (as long as you take out the occasional bully). I have no formula for deciding how an irrubesco will react. It is by pure chance things have ended up like this. But it's my dream tank. They are all pigs, get along fine, and with weekly water changes, they all seem happy.
abc
Right now, I have 2 males/4males in a 29g heavily planted tank (~5g per puffer). They are doing just great. No fights. A perfect equilibrium for over a month now.
But what I had to do was order much more puffers than what I have now, separate out all the bullies, and what was left were puffers of milder temperament who get along great in my 29g, all being the same size and introduced around the same time.
My theory for irrubescos is this: either have them by themselves (1 solitary puffer), or have more than 3 puffers together. All the pairs I have tried to put together in 1 tank have been disastrous. Somehow when the numbers get larger, the puffers tend to leave each other alone (as long as you take out the occasional bully). I have no formula for deciding how an irrubesco will react. It is by pure chance things have ended up like this. But it's my dream tank. They are all pigs, get along fine, and with weekly water changes, they all seem happy.
abc
Getting out of the hobby....
1) The bumble bee gobies are in there, because this tank was supposed to be a BW tank with gobies and a Fig8, but the LFS got in these irrubesco sooner than I expected. So, the irrubesco are living in the 20g with the gobies until I move and put the 29g community into the 55g, freeing up the 29g for the irrubesco, at which point the gobies will be brought up to brackish and share their tank with a marble sized fig8.
2) Hmm, seems like my dreams of breeding them may have been pre-mature.
I'm on my way out for a better divider. Maybe when I move them to the 29g, I should get more and sort through them? Sounds like a risky plan, though. I should make sure there is someone who would want the aggressive "rejects"
2) Hmm, seems like my dreams of breeding them may have been pre-mature.
I'm on my way out for a better divider. Maybe when I move them to the 29g, I should get more and sort through them? Sounds like a risky plan, though. I should make sure there is someone who would want the aggressive "rejects"
I have a pair with a pair of lortetis and a dwarf puff in a 30 long. At the moment the female and male like to meander on different sides. But on the rare chance that they incounter eachother they circle one another till the male lunges and the female flees. Havn't wittnessed any physical harm to either. IME of keeping irrubescos the longer the tank the better. But in the chance you don't have a long tank add more puffs then you expected to (tried out the overstocking rule for africans.)
<80 gal> 2 GSPs & a Ceylon!
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted
~Tihsho~
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted
~Tihsho~
Sadly today the female died. I had seperated them, so I suspect it was a disease that killed her. But maybe she was stressed and made her more susceptible to disease. She only got chased about once or twice a day, though. Maybe once the 29g is freed up, I'll try to order more. But maybe not. Of the 6 the LFS ordered my male is the only surviver 
Maybe they're coming in sick and being shipped poorly. Before I try to get more, I think I might research preventative treatment for wild caught fish and check if the wholesaler can ship them fewer to a bag.
But I'm still interested in ideas for successful tank arrangements for these puffs. In case I do get more, someday...
Also, Anyone had any luck trying to breed them? They're in the same genus as DPs, so I thought breeding might be similar?
Maybe they're coming in sick and being shipped poorly. Before I try to get more, I think I might research preventative treatment for wild caught fish and check if the wholesaler can ship them fewer to a bag.
But I'm still interested in ideas for successful tank arrangements for these puffs. In case I do get more, someday...
Also, Anyone had any luck trying to breed them? They're in the same genus as DPs, so I thought breeding might be similar?
I'm so sorry to hear that you lost one of your puffers. That is a bummer. I hope you will have the opportunity to get some more. They are wonderful fish and once they get used to you, I have found them very interactive (though occasionally you do get some shy ones who rarely peep their heads out). I have not heard of a case of successful breeding but supposedly it is very possible under the "right conditions" whatever they may be. I'm simply hoping that it will happen when they are ready but will not create any special conditions but will leave it up to chance.
Hope things work out for your 29g tank plans,
abc
Hope things work out for your 29g tank plans,
abc
Getting out of the hobby....
Puffers usually don't shipwell due to over crowding in bags and then they get stressed from going into a new tank. Best bet is to catch the LFS on a day that the puffs arrive on and get them off their hands b4 they go into the stores tank, so they only have to make 1 trip to a tank.
<80 gal> 2 GSPs & a Ceylon!
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted
~Tihsho~
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted
~Tihsho~
How are the puffs doing at the moment?
<80 gal> 2 GSPs & a Ceylon!
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted
~Tihsho~
<75 gal> 3 Figure 8s & 1 Butterlfy Goby
<75 gal> *Empty*
<55 gal> 3 Gymnothorax polyuranodon (FW eel)
<30 long> Pair of Lorteti's & Irrubesco's, 1 DP, Endlers Livebearers, Clown Pleco, Royal Pleco, 2 Bumblebee Cats
<20 long> 4 Flounders
<4 gal> 2 Sparkling Gouramis & 3 ottos heavily planted
~Tihsho~