GSP getting bullied by a... Molly? What?
Posted: Wed May 27, 2020 9:09 pm
Hey guys,
I recently came across a 3" GSP in a freshwater store - great store, but they don't deal in salt, and the puffer had been sent to them by mistake. So I got him for free! I had been wanting one anyway, but didn't have an acclimation tank up. So, I dripped him for 8 hours into my 55 gallon FOWLR - a tank that I expected him to terrorize, to be honest. It's got two juvenile Clarkii Clowns, a juvenile yellowtail damsel, and two mollies, one who I've affectionately named "Chonk" after her 4" size.
Well, he took his acclimation like a champ, and promptly took off into the tank to hide. Today, when I got home from work, I noticed that "Chonk" the molly has been chasing the GSP around. What? All GSP's I've had in the past (even 1" juveniles) have been absolute terrors. This guy hasn't eaten yet, although he has a really round, full belly. Chonk never actually makes contact with the puffer, she just chases him across the tank, and then turns away. She doesn't do it to any other fish in the tank.
Should I just give it time? I keep on waiting for the GSP to turn and chase Chonk off into the rockwork, but not so far. Should I move the mollies into another tank? I've got a macro tank I've been raising some SW Guppies in that I could move the mollies into, although it wouldn't be ideal.
Kinda stumped!
I recently came across a 3" GSP in a freshwater store - great store, but they don't deal in salt, and the puffer had been sent to them by mistake. So I got him for free! I had been wanting one anyway, but didn't have an acclimation tank up. So, I dripped him for 8 hours into my 55 gallon FOWLR - a tank that I expected him to terrorize, to be honest. It's got two juvenile Clarkii Clowns, a juvenile yellowtail damsel, and two mollies, one who I've affectionately named "Chonk" after her 4" size.
Well, he took his acclimation like a champ, and promptly took off into the tank to hide. Today, when I got home from work, I noticed that "Chonk" the molly has been chasing the GSP around. What? All GSP's I've had in the past (even 1" juveniles) have been absolute terrors. This guy hasn't eaten yet, although he has a really round, full belly. Chonk never actually makes contact with the puffer, she just chases him across the tank, and then turns away. She doesn't do it to any other fish in the tank.
Should I just give it time? I keep on waiting for the GSP to turn and chase Chonk off into the rockwork, but not so far. Should I move the mollies into another tank? I've got a macro tank I've been raising some SW Guppies in that I could move the mollies into, although it wouldn't be ideal.
Kinda stumped!