The Puffer Forum

Hello there people

I am new to the forums and also new to saltwater fish keeping

Am planing on getting a saltwater tank to keep 1 puffer fish and 1 clown fish atm
now i have bin read that puffer fish mite eat the clown fish and that could be a problem as my little girl loves nemo so much and would cry her heart out is it possable to keep clown fish with puffer fish ???

cheers Alan.

The main problem is that puffers will eat anything that can fit in their mouth. You may be able to do it, you may not, depending on the personality of both the puffer and the clown fish. Clown fish are also very aggressive, just like the puffer.
What size tank were you planning on getting?

I've got 3 percs in with my porc and have never seen any aggression between them. Most clowns grow to be quite a nice size and can hold their own against most fish, and porcs are pretty wimpy.

Not to sure about the size of tank, will be something round about 4 foot long I still have not found a decent uk reseller for tanks yet ... would much rather get a tank with all the stuff or is it cheaper to buy tank then add to it ?

Definitely look for used tanks and equipment. E-bay is a great place for tanks but most are local pick up only. Look on Craigs list, sometimes you can get lucky there. Also check out local reef clubs for used equipment. I got almost all my stuff that way and it cost me about half the retail price.

Have you tried gumtree yet?

Gumtree's just for the UK.

Alan.cun wrote:Not to sure about the size of tank, will be something round about 4 foot long I still have not found a decent uk reseller for tanks yet ... would much rather get a tank with all the stuff or is it cheaper to buy tank then add to it ?

Me thinks he's in the UK?

That's what I get for multitasking and posting.

Thanks guys for the nice welcome to the forums and the help

Am most likely going to buy a tank out of pet at home as they have got very good prices at the moment most likely going to go out of buissness lol

and thats going to happen end of next week, so in the mean time I need to read up about getting the tank setup right for the fish I want to keep. Are they any web site etc which I can learn what needs to be done.

I have never had fish b4 so am looking for like something for dummies to start me off

cheers Alan.

I'd recomend starting with the puffer library, there's plenty of goof info there (especially for a new fishkeeper.)

If you're looking at 4 foot tanks because of a length issue, look at a 120 - 4 feet x 2 feet, gives bigger fish more turning room.

I have successfully kept clownfish with porcupine puffers before. As long as the clowns aren't too tiny they will be able to hold their own. Just make small crevices in the rocks that they can retreat to if need be that the puffer will not be able to fit it.

A 4ft tank might not be big enough for a porc and tankmates.. keep that in mind.

I keep a burrfish (smaller relative of a porc) with a maroon clownfish and it can get hairy at times. 99% of the time the puffer is scared of the clown, even though the clown is only about a 1/10th of her size and she could chomp it in half with one bite. But every rare once in a while she does take a swipe at the clown, and she's fast. One of these days I wouldn't be surprised to see the clown get over confidant at the wrong time and lose her head. Puffers just are unpredictable when it comes to tankmates.

I have some tips for keeping a transition smooth. Numero uno is feed both fish very well.That way they won't be hungry for each other. Next, if one of them is in the tank first, completely rearrange the decorations, to prevent any fish being territorial. Lastly, for the first few days, you might want to get a tank separator. Those are just the few tips I have. Otherwise I know nothing about the compatibility of porcupine puffers and clown fish.