Keeping dogface with S&S

[Snausy]

Well I've found a nice little yellow dogface to go in the S&S tank and they got along just fine for the last week.

However something just happened that I am worried about.

The problem is that the stars and stripes is WAY bigger than the dogface. The dogface is a little guy and seems to be looking up to the S&S to hang out with, be his mentor.

The problem is the S&S only cares about me. He ignores the dogface for the most part and there have been no incidents all week until just now when I was looking in the tank.

The little dogface was crowding the S&S so the big guy turned around and bit him in the belly. It was a pretty bad bite. Seems to be some damage, I can't tell how much but the dogface freaked out and swam to the other side of the tank.

The big puffs beak is the width of the whole body of the dogface so one little "GET AWAY" bite can literally bite him in half.

Is this a good idea or should I take out the dogface and just be happy with one puffer? The Harlequin Tusk stays out of his way so he's staying but I'm very worried about an innocent, little, cute, very nice dogface getting bit in half because the S&S gets moody.

It's like a dog getting fed, if his personal space is threatened he'll bite the other dog.

This is long term for me and I want your opinions from your experience. Should I take the dogface out now and just have one puffer or do you think it's no big deal.

The main problem is the size difference. If they were the same size I wouldn't worry so much. The little dogface crowds him all the time thinking he's a buddy but the Stars and Stripes really doesn't want anything to do with him.

Thx for the replies. I'll update the dogface's condition later as I find out how he's doing.

[Snausy]

Well the dogface took a good bite to the belly but he's right back two inches from the big S&S like he forgot who bit him.

The S&S is ignoring him again, like I said this was the first incident in a week. I'm worried though.

One other possibilty is the LFS has a tiny S&S the same size as the dogface and they'll swap them out so the two little fish can grow up together. Any bites(over the next year anyway) won't be nearly as deadly.

I'm not sure I want to do that though, I like my S&S. And the S&S will be much bigger eventually anyway creating the same circumstances.

A "get away from me" bite from a big puffer is no joke, is it.

omg and now as I look over the dogface is crowding the heck out of the S&S as he lays on the sand. He's ASKING for another bite. I don't think I can deal with this. I just ran over there and yelled at him to get away.

[Meander]

Get rid of the dogface puffer. One bite is one bite too many with that great of a size difference. You'll be sad if the S&S guts the little guy.

[Snausy]

yeah the dogface is back at the lfs and we were lucky. He just has a bite mark, perfect rounded mark but no meat missing.

Lucky he got bit in the belly that was so stretchy I think.

Experiment over. I think the next experiment will be with corals. I'm happy with the fish I have. No more fish.

The tusk and the puffer with a couple damsels will be just fine thx and I'm expecting the damsels to dissappear at some point. The Tusk already "tasted" one.

[SkeptikaL]

lol, well nice findings for the rest of us.

[Snausy]

heh, yeah well maybe it will be a good reference thread later for someone wondering if it would be a good idea to add a dogface to their S&S tank.

It doesn't always work out.