The Puffer Forum

So I bought a second hand tank...as you do. And part of the livestock which came with it was a starfish, a shrimp and an eel*. I've never kept any of these and I'm looking for some pointers as regards thier husbandry.

* I also got a GSP and a clown fish but I think I can cope with them....well the GSP any way...


Apologies to any Wizard of Oz fans

What eel? There are hundreds of species.
Also, what shrimp and what starfish. Feel free to post some pics if you are unsure about their IDs.

Shrimp + puffer = puffer.

The shrimp you shouldn't even bother acclimating, but from what I've heard is that GSP's eat Starfish.
It really depends on the Eel you have and the size of the Puffer and the Eel because I've kept my GSP with a Snowflake Eel as juveniles.

Probably (80%) if the Gsp has a decent volume, it will eats shrimp, then eat starfish (i´ve unfortunately seen that with a poor Protoreaster nodosus), then will bother the eel (if it is smaller).

The eel is a snowflake and is around 8 inches in kength. It's now called Houdini sinced Puffer Ghoti found it on the floor several metres away from the tank.

The shrimp is a cleaner shimp ( L amboinensis).

I haven't ided the starfish yet. I'll try to photo it and upload when I can.

You will continue to find the eel on the floor, without a good cover.

Puffer ghoti spent some time filling in the gaps on the cover. Hopefully this should corral it.

I would think the corners to be the most important.

the starfish looks a lot like this one. Olive green body with orange nobbly bits..

I hope it's not that BIG! Considered moderately hard to keep and it is very sensitive to rapid environmental fluctuations. You must keep the levels of salinity, oxygen and pH very stable in an aquarium where you house this sea star. You will not be able to use copper-based remedies to medicate your aquarium, since sea stars can die even from low concentrations of copper. Be careful when you transport your sea star and never allow it to become exposed to air. Most specimens offered in fish stores are 3-6 inches, but they can eventually reach a size of 10 inches. It is a semi-aggressive species.