The Puffer Forum

..In my ongoing research on owning a puffer, I am now wondering if a blue crayfish could survive as a tankmate with a bronze/golden puffer.If size matters, the crayfish are about 3 inches each & hopefully I'll get a partially young puffer 1 to 2 inches. Home would be a 20 gallon tank, lots of rock caves and will be heavily planted if I do decide to get a puffer, and they would be the only residents.

Thanks in advance

it's always hit and miss with puffers. they could get along happily ever after, could get along for a while and then one day the puffer will decide it's time to eat him or, they could get along five minutes and then the puffer will start picking at him. all puffers are different, but if you don't mind the possibility of losing the crayfish, then try it.

If the puffer doesn't eat the crayfish, the crayfish could possibly try to kill the puffer when it's sleeping (unintentionally)

This is a good point, but I'm convinced that my crayfish have either "adjusted" or are just lazy. I have had feeder fish, ghost shrimp and snails all for the crayfish to dine on at various times. I started feeding them snails, they stopped eating the the minnows, they choose shrimp pellets over live shrimp, the easiest thing to eat is their choice. I don't think they'll go after the puffer unless challenged for territory or otherwise provoked.
It is a concern though.
Thanks to all.

....I could start with dwarf puffers in the 10g....

The puffers sleep on the bottoms though, most fish (like the feeders) swim and stuff while they sleep.

Puffers sleeping on the bottom would be an issue of survival. thanks for that knowledge.

You might want to PM PufferPunk. She's one of the few people on the forum that has actually had an A. Modestus.

For the question, Modestus' usually don't sleep on the bottom like DPs and other puffers. They are really active swimmers. Also, their teeth grow fast, so be prepared. They are probably not the best puffer to start out with, but if you have your heart set on it, then they eat krill. AND I hope you don't plan on keeping it in a 10G. They get to be about 4 inches, so they would not work in a 10 Gallon, ESPECIALLY a 10G with feeder fish. What type of snails do you have? How big is the tank?