The Puffer Forum

Any of you have more than one modestus in a tank together? If so, how's it working out?

after my modestus broke through the divider and mauled my baby red congo puffer to death i gave up on them being nice to anything, i think this is one of the species of puffer that were found to eat a lot of fins and scales of other fish in the wild, so if you do plan on multiple modestus i say good luck to you, although i remember one person here having two A. silus together, boxermom i think, maybe she has a success story

Well, I was pretty much expecting that two wouldn't get along together, but the ones we have at work (all juveniles less than an inch long) seem happy together - if chasing each other around means they're happy - so I thought I'd ask anyway. Mine was the larger of the lot: he's about an inch and a quarter. So far he's left alone the two mollies and three glowlight tetras he's living with, but I'm keeping a close eye out for any signs of aggression on his part, and if I see any, the mollies and tetras will go into the snail tank.

This little guy is so cute, and I'm really starting to get taken with him, but I'm afraid he's going to be a terror when he grows up. I hold some food between my fingers and put them down in the tank to feed him, but does he go for the food? Oh no, he's only interested in my fingers. He goes up and down them taking little nibbles. It's fine now, but eventually we are going to have to work on this little habit of his.

I used to have an A. Modestus that was in my old 55G community. He worked fine, even with gouramis (although he did bite me once). Like all puffers, I think it depends on the individual personality. I wouldn't chance it though, I was lucky.

I have been told that if you start them as juvies they can bee raised up together but never add another one to an adult. There are always exceptions to the rules but I wouldn't chance it. I tried 2 new guys with my older one & he killed them both.

Pufferpunk wrote:I have been told that if you start them as juvies they can bee raised up together but never add another one as an adult. There are always exceptions to the rules but I wouldn't chance it. I tried 2 new guys with my older one & he killed them both.

Good advice. Puffers + Puffers is usually a bad combo (except for DPs & SAPs)

Also, chasing each other in the store is not a good start...

Jase wrote:Also, chasing each other in the store is not a good start...

Hehe good point.

I have 4 juvies (about 1.25 in) together in a heavily planted tank. Each has staked out a "territory" in the tank and will defend it. They do have some aggression issues at feeding time but for the most part they don't attack each other (fins and tails look good). I am going to up grade them to a larger tank in the next month and expect hell to break loose then until they divide up the new tank. I bought all at the same time when they were only 0.5 in and have been together since. I would never try introducing an adult- think it would turn into a bloodbath. I am even considering I may have to re-home some of mine eventually (don't know if they will tolerate each other as adults)