The Puffer Forum

Hello
Until yesterday I had a sharpnose puffer (3 - 4 inches long) and a small 3 stripe damsle in a 55 Gallon tank.
I was looking very empty so I decided to add a couple of other fish.
I added 1 3 inch domino damsel
1 3 inch false clown.

Right now the 2 new fish seem to be pushing the puffer around a bit (swimming close and darting at him).
I have read that puffers are farily agressive and can take care of themselves, that is why I got the two Damsels.
I have rearranged the rock work.
Does anyone have any thoughts, do you think this will settle down?

Assuming they remain a problem anyother sugestions for tank mates?

Thanks
Andrew

Damselfish are the meanest fish for their size. I've been chased away from their territory on many a dive & been bitten by quite a few of them. Sharp-nosed puffers are not necessarily aggressive--I actually find them to be quite shy. How large is the tank? How heavily decorated is it?

The tanks is a 55 gallon FOWLR
I have about 50 punds of LR in the tank that create several caves.
After rearranging the rockwork everyone has settled down a bit

Damselfish and Clownfish are of the same family so fighting also has a chance of breaking amongst all of them. I have seen damselfish/clowns harass their own kind to the point of death. (Some fish even jump out of the tank in fear or are pushed out.) Lots and lots and lots of decor can put off harassment for a time, but as I have also seen these fish go out of their way to attack. It is a personal decision on what you want to do with them as far as decor or what-not, but curbing the aggression is sometimes a task too stressful to deal with.
As far as that puffer is concerned, he will probably be picked on constantly from one of those fish. :S

I had some blue damsels in with my fingerprint Toby and they chased him all over the tank and the damsels were way smaller than the sharpnose puffer. I quickly took them out and placed them in a 20 gal until i had a friend take them. They are wicked aggressive, mean little fish. Sorry, got a little carried away there!

As long as the puffer continues to eat, I wouldn't worry...sure puffers can be aggressive but some of the smaller ones are somewhat passive and actually may even nip at the fins of the damsels and clowns at night so watch out for that...

A bit of an offshoot.. did you quarentine the new fish?

If not, watch out for any diseases or parasites in addition to them harassing your puffer. Given the added stress of being picked on, its going to be very susceptable to any new "germs".

I don't know if your new fish will "settle down" or not.. I have a burrfish and a clownfish in a 75 and the burrfish is scared crapless of the clown. Thankfully she only stays in her small "area" of the tank and only attacks if the burrfish (or me) go near it. In a 55, there's a lot less room for "territories" and they are going to be constantly invading each other's areas.

Thanks for all the replys and information.
This weekend I moved the Domino Damsle into a holding tank until I can find a new home for it.
I left the Clown and the Puffer together and they seems happy, they basically ignore each other.

Thanks again

Specking of clowns & damsels being one in the same--my B&W ocellarus are the meanist fish in my reef tank. I should say, threfemale. The male leaves me alone. Boy, does she have teeth! And how does she always jnow to bite me between my fingers in the webbing, where it'll really hurt?

I think they train on the art of hobbyist abuse because mine does the same thing. Or they get my husband in the crease of the arm. They are vindictive little creatures.