The Puffer Forum

LOL Yeah, this probably is considered a hijacking...

Ok, back on topic, slightly...

As far as the cowfish and the toxin goes, anything I've ever read said that they can release the toxin if stressed or upon death. I've been trying to some anecdotal information to support that claim of "if stressed" part, because I did find people saying that it wiped out their tank when it died, but had trouble finding anything supporting the "if stressed" part of that. I did find this from aquarium advice.com forum from 2004,

I had a Cow one time and he and all the fish were doing fine for a long time. Then one day, there all dead, come to find out if the cow gets sick or for whatever reason poisons the tank and killed everything. Real bummer. Be careful I had to hand feed him, because he so slow at swimming.

So I guess just keep a close eye on him if he ever starts looking off or like he might not be feeling well, so you can protect all your little or not so little guys.

And back on topic for real...

I'm looking back and PP said she had a wartskin frogfish, and that it may need to be fed damselfish for its entire life, but that it lived with a toby.
And OMG are they cute, or what??!!!

On a off topic seven your avatar is prolly the cutesy fat puffer ive seen

Lol, thanks I think he looks bigger than he is because he curls up like that and sleeps after meal times. He's actually a bit on the smaller side still. I'm surprised how he still manages to swim through certain smaller holes and spaces, because I'm pretty sure he's grown at least a little.

Off Topic reply #1: The problem with the iPhone is that it's not a computer. The problem with the MacBook is that it's not a phone. The problem with the iPad; Both.

Off Topic reply #2: My GSP I had several years ago would curl up just like Balki and doze off; first time he did it I thought he was dead. My Hawaiian white spotted toby did the same thing. Oddly enough, Camille prefers to wedge herself between or under something and sleep. Reminds me of a triggerfish.

On Topic Reply: I recommend against keeping a dogfaced and masked in a 140 gallon. They will likely develop aggression towards each other as they grow, as well as the increased bioload may or may not become a problem. It isn't worth it to risk it, IMO.

all of these fish have been together for around 7 months

A very short period of time for that that may live into their late teens, which I'm afraid none of these will do.
Cowfish absolutely WILL release toxins into the tank that can wipe out the entire system, when stressed.

now here is the better test. Go to three of your favorite fish store and talk to the so called experts when it comes to what you can and cannot do. then go to three different forums and ask the same ? the odds are that you will get numerous answers yay or nay. no body really knows what is good and what is bad.. the whole art of trying to keep a ecosystem in your house so you can sit on your buttocks and watch fish swim around that really shouldn't be there to begin with is the whole experiment. now as far as my fish, true it has been a very limited number of months.. but hell i have yet to see anything truly bad happen. everyone claims that oh well i have one puffer in this enormous space... what the hell fun is that.. why have such a large mass of water if your only going to have one fish, who half of the time is sleeping in a cave. because we all know that puffers are pretty lazy fish.. eat walrus and sleep.. hell i hope that i could have that life someday.

btsherrill77 wrote:now here is the better test. Go to three of your favorite fish store and talk to the so called experts when it comes to what you can and cannot do. then go to three different forums and ask the same ? the odds are that you will get numerous answers yay or nay. no body really knows what is good and what is bad.. the whole art of trying to keep a ecosystem in your house so you can sit on your buttocks and watch fish swim around that really shouldn't be there to begin with is the whole experiment. now as far as my fish, true it has been a very limited number of months.. but hell i have yet to see anything truly bad happen. everyone claims that oh well i have one puffer in this enormous space... what the hell fun is that.. why have such a large mass of water if your only going to have one fish, who half of the time is sleeping in a cave. because we all know that puffers are pretty lazy fish.. eat surlaW and sleep.. hell i hope that i could have that life someday.

and why must it say surlaW.....walrus... is the word

Because this is a family-friendly site & you mustn't use foul language here or the word censors will change it to something acceptable.

The large majority of us here are interested in keeping our beloved wet pets in our lives for as long as possible, even if that means keeping them safely as singletons.

Pufferpunk wrote:Because this is a family-friendly site & you mustn't use foul language here or the word censors will change it to something acceptable.

The large majority of us here are interested in keeping our beloved wet pets in our lives for as long as possible, even if that means keeping them safely as singletons.

fair enough... lessen learned. i would rather be in the ocean if i had to stay by myself in a tank for my life.

If I were abducted by aliens, I'd rather live in a spacious home with things to occupy myself with, alone or with another person or two, than live in a tiny studio apartment with 8 potentially annoying or possibly violent roommates, all having to share the same bathroom and kitchen. I like to have company, but not company 24/7 all up in my business crowding me, being annoying and eating my food, hogging the couch, chasing me around mouth agape fixing to bite my buttocks and fingers off, trying to have a conversation with me while I'm taking a surlaW on our only toilet.

sevenyearnight wrote:If I were abducted by aliens, I'd rather live in a spacious home with things to occupy myself with, alone or with another person or two, than live in a tiny studio apartment with 8 potentially annoying or possibly violent roommates, all having to share the same bathroom and kitchen. I like to have company, but not company 24/7 all up in my business crowding me, being annoying and eating my food, hogging the couch, chasing me around mouth agape fixing to bite my buttocks and fingers off, trying to have a conversation with me while I'm taking a surlaW on our only toilet.

That was awesome.....good.stuff! You should write a book.

XD
My husband is cracking up at "taking a surlaW"

btsherrill77 wrote:. The sad reality is that none.of.us should really have these fish because they truley belong in the ocean.

btsherrill77 wrote: everyone claims that oh well i have one puffer in this enormous space... what the hell fun is that.. why have such a large mass of water if your only going to have one fish, who half of the time is sleeping in a cave. because we all know that puffers are pretty lazy fish.. eat surlaW and sleep.. hell i hope that i could have that life someday.

I really wasn't goin to get in on this one as btsherrill77 certainly does know how many of the experince puffer keepers feel about crowding and mixing in the home tank, in the end they are going to do what they are going to do. But.... bahweeill77 you really are contradicting yourself by saying first off they don't belong in aquariums but in the ocean and then in the next breath saying oh well if your going to have any in an aquarium might as well have lots to entertain yourself with.

if were putting them in an unideal environment lets at the very least make them as comfortable as humanly possible. the sad reality of having a puffer is that they are a fish that needs A LOT of room. and if your not willing to have just one fish in a tank maybe they aren't for you. i go through it all the time myself and always decide against getting other fish, although i do have two gsp's in one tank. i didnt really help anyone just wanted to say everyone runs into the ultimatum. if you could live without that cute little puffer face everyday theres lots of species that would create a great community to look at.