The Puffer Forum

I just thought I'd make this post, so that anyone thinking about getting more than one T cutcutia will rethink that decision. I originally had 4 cutcutia that I bought from an LFS that was keeping them in appalling conditions. In the several months since I first bought them, all have died except 1, but that didn't surprise me as they were really ill when I got them. Then a few months ago I seen some cutcutia for sale, and so I bought another one. When I got it home I put it in with the other puffer, and that didn't even last the night, and then the older one was chasing it around and biting it. So I removed the newer cutcutia and put it in the tank I've got my red-claw crabs in. Then back in January, I freed up a 3-foot tank and thought that I would fix that up and put them both in there. My thought was that they would probably be okay together due to the size of the tank they would be in, and so I moved them from the tanks they were in and put them together. Things were good for a while. They seemed to get along really well. Most of the time they would stay apart, but every once in a while, you would see them together ..... and it was all okay.

Until recently.

Just the past couple of days I've noticed that the older one was back to chasing the younger one. And today while I was on the telephone I noticed that it wasn't just chasing the other one, it was biting it, and holding on once it got a bite too! There was no way I could allow that to happen. The younger one was so worked up that I could see all of it's spines coming out. It didn't puff up, but it must have been scared for the spines to come out as they did. That's when I went and found the divider I had used on another tank in the past. Thankfully I had a divider that fit perfect in that spot. Once I put the divider up, the older cutcutia came out and was swimming all up and down the divider, looking for ways around it, I just know that's what he was doing.

So this just goes to show that they cannot be together. And so I would warn anyone who is considering getting more than one of these very lovely puffers, NOT to! Heed my warning .... they just do not want to be with another puffer I think. That's why you will see their tail fins all chewed up at the LFS.

Yep--that's what I've been trying to tell you.

Well the only reason I tried to keep them together in the first place is because when I had the 4 of them together, they were fine, no problems, no nipping at all, unless they were calm due to being ill. It's not as if I wasn't totally aware of how they are .... I do read quite a bit about puffers, so I knew this species was somewhat aggressive. But the divider is up and there shouldn't be any more problems now.

I only posted the above for people who were thinking of maybe getting two ..... just as a warning of what could happen. Just thought I'd be helping other people in the long run.

You're lucky. "Experiments" can go badly, as you found out, and you're very, very, very lucky that you caught them before something more serious happened. Sometimes you just have to trust that the folks who have been doing this for longer know what they're doing. It's sure worked for me.

Also, it's not a good idea to buy sick fish, no matter how sorry you feel for them... Especially if you can't house them as is recommended.

This is just a thought .... but I bet there isn't even many people on here that's ACTUALLY owned this species. I don't recall anyone saying they have them. So it's not like there was much information on them.

I still made a mistake, I admit that, but sometimes you have to try things to know what's going to happen. No, I would never allow any of my puffers to get hurt, but how will we know something if it's not tried? Surely even the experts must have to "experiment" once in a while.

I did mention there was a fellow who kept them here. I haven't found any of the target species to behave any differently. I've been around here a very long time...

None of that group can be co-housed at all. i had one labeled as yours was many year ago, but I am no longer so sure if the ID. But it matters not - all of them are solitary. If your first batch were young and had always been together, that would explain the coexistence, but it still would not have lasted past puberty.