The Puffer Forum

lisafoster wrote:OK how about a mappa puffer he is only 3" so it will take him awhile to outgrow my tank? Its a total bargain at $49 I hear they are rare.

Lisa I really think you already know the answer to that question.
As you stated yourself at the end of June on the reefer's site " I am just a little overstocked 20%+ weekly water changes". Honestly if you really want a puffer which is quiet risky in a reef tank you might want to consider one of the Toby variety. If you are up to re homing your lion fish ( seeing as he was also just purchased at the same time as the porc you might not be that attached to him yet ). Just an idea. What happened to the dogface puffer and the blue spotted puffer you bought in June ?

I never had long-term success with any puffer in my reef, even a toby, unless all you keep are softies.

Just kidding about the mappa. I had set up a 40 breeder with the intention of moving any corals that the puffer liked to that. I also do not mind eating my cuc I can replace that no big deal.I was thinking of mainly trying softies in my 125. Since you know my history of puffers you laready know what happened to the dog face maybe I need a better supplier. The blue spotted toby I gave to someone he nipped at my clams and at the time I had no intentions of setting up a seperate reef and having more un reef safe fish. The only thing that confuses me is on places like reef central alot of people have lions with puffer fish some people for 5 plus years without issue.Also the online vendors show the requiremnet for puffers tanks are not large tanks maybe that is why so many people put them in these small tanks? I found a home for my niger because they can pck at lionfishI don't know this is the first time I have lost two fish like that in the beginning a few years ago I had an outbreak of ich but since then no issues. so now I have scribbled rabbitfish which is a small rabbit fish not one of the large ones, yellow tang, leopard wrasse who requires a big tank for food because they are very more of an expert fish I have had him for 10 months, and my lionfish. maybe a small puffer like a blue spot or valentini.

Lisa most online supplies as well as many LFS are not that educated on puffer so do not know proper tank size, many just don't care a sale is a sale in their books. As far as mixing Lion Fish and puffers there is always a risk and with some it works with others not. Same goes for puffers and corals as Pufferpunk stated she have never had any long-term success and were talking about someone who has been in this hobby for over 30 years, while some will argue that they have kept puffers with corals successfully. Personally I wouldn't keep a puffer with a lion fish but maybe someone who has will jump in here. I mentioned one of the Toby varieties because of your current stock and tank size, again maybe someone can jump in here that has had experience with corals, lion fish and Toby puffers. Beautiful tank btw.

lisafoster wrote:Wow you guys don't play aroound . I have never known another sire so dedicated that you would only put one fish in a 125 gallon . kudos for you and shame on everyone else on all the many sites I am on. It is amazing how all the thousands of people who keep successful reefs with more than one fish in it are successful. Boy and people thought the tang police were tough they haven't seen anything yet.

If a fish needs 125g, then that's what they get. If the tank is not big enough to hold more fish, then that is that. If you want more fish, you need a bigger tank, or smaller fish. That's the bottom line. It's not about the number of fish - it's about their size, their waste output, their temperaments, and so on.

Puffer died.

Very sorry to hear that your puffer died.

lisafoster's puffer died?

J-P wrote:lisafoster's puffer died?

Yes her Puffer died a week ago, one day after she posted her original message.

I am sorry That was July 9th my birthday and I wans't online that much. Not that I could have helped but it is sad to hear. I was really hoping it would have pulled through.

my condolences I truly know what it is like to throw all your effort to re-hab a fish and it doesn't work out.

When I worked at a LFS, there was once a lionfish and puffer in the same show tank. The puffer was accidentally stung, got a nearly identical discoloration, which spread over a day or two culminating in the death of the puffer. I believe the puffer's skin is too tough for the spines to pierce, so the poison stays mostly in the skin, where it slowly spreads, killing the fish only once too much skin dies, but this is all just a theory.