The Puffer Forum

Hi everyone. My arothron hispidus (stars and stripes) is very happy in his 100 gallon with a bunch of live rock. Lots of stuff to check out and taste

I've enjoyed watching him and this tank more in a few weeks than all my other tanks combined over the years.

My question to you all is about the four yellow-tail blue damsels that my gf bought today at the LFS. She put them in my tank as a "surprise present". :\

I really like them aesthetically speaking but I am freakin out about what I'm reading online. Damsels are apparently hated by many, loved by few. Little bastards that drive their owners crazy is the general opinion in my reading.

They are tiny(1 inch if that) and the puffer is about 8 inches. He dwarfs them and ignores them completely. They aren't in danger at the moment at all and one is smart enough to follow the puff around trying out all the bits that get stirred up by the constant rock grazing.

Anyone have yellow tail blue damsels in with their puffer? arothron hispidus specifically? My puffer seems pretty cool, he allows the crabs to exist and basically ignores the damsels but I wonder what would happen if they start trying to get aggressive with him. Would he just serve up the beatdown all of a sudden? Or will they nip his fins without him being able to catch them....making me hate them?

Are they a good idea in there? There are four of them.

Thanks for any input on this, I'm a bit worried at the moment. They couldn't hurt him at all right now but what happens later? He's going to be huge so maybe I shouldn't worry.

Cheers, Jim

I'd say, go ahead & try them. Not too expensive of a meal, if it doesn't work...

You don't see four damsels being able to hassle a big puffer PP?

The tank is all about the puff, period. He'll have final say on what works in the tank of course but I just don't want any fish getting the better of him, causing him any anxiety.

I have a small problem with my six-line wrasse and my lined puffer... the little ferret keeps snatching food and darting to the back of the tank.

I either have to feed my puff out of the turkey baster (I finally got him eating krill this way) or use mussles in the shell. The six-line can't run off with the puffer's dinner if it's attached to something to big for him to run off with. The maroon clown also will snatch food but she's not as wily as the wrasse

It would be neat if these fish do okay with you puffer, but keep a close eye on them. I still check over all of the puffers tankmates every day... at a bare minimum at feeding time. I look for nipped fins and other signs of problems.

Good luck and keep us posted!

I had absolutely no issues keeping my 6" GSPs w/damselfish. If you call missing an occasional few, "absolutely no issues".

For their size, damsels are considered by many to be some of the most aggressive SW fish. Your tank is large enough that having them in with your puffer should not be an issue at all though, especially since they will likely become puffer food sometime in the future. I would leave them there for now, keep a close eye on them, and kindly suggest that your GF not purchase any more live animals for you without checking with you first.

Compatibility issues aside, it doesn't sound like the damsels were QT'd before being added to the tank and that would be my biggest concern.

puffergeek,

Six-line wrasses seem to be hit or miss when it comes to aggression. Some are fine in a community tank while others terrorize anything that swims. If all yours is doing is stealing food, you got lucky!

YBeNormal wrote:Compatibility issues aside, it doesn't sound like the damsels were QT'd before being added to the tank and that would be my biggest concern.

You read my mind.

Lack of QT/disease introduction is a much more pressing issue right now.

I wouldn't underestimate the aggressive capacity of the little $@^%$$# yellow tailed damsels. I had one about an inch long kill a good sized hippo tang by pestering it to death. They tend to pick and pester larger fish once they settle in. Just watch out for any fin or skin picking by the damsels. If they don't pick at him, damsels are a good clean up crew for messy eaters. I have a three stripe damsel in with my GSP and they get along wonderfully though the three stripe is a lot less aggressive than yellow tails on the whole.

Well she got them from the same store that he initially came from. Same system etc. I know that isn't a QT but it's all I've got to feel better about the situation.

So far he ignores them and they get out of his way but I'm hoping if they do get nippy that he'll just bite em in half.

Could they really stress a much much much larger stars and stripes to death? Wouldn't he just kill them? Man I hope so. This is a puffertank, not a damseltank.

They are really nice looking and do a great job of cleaning up while he's ripping apart his shrimp. I read that they are like african cichlids in that one by himself will be aggressive but if you get a group of 3-7 they are less so. We shall see.

Hope it works out. I'll have to keep an eye on them.

Well she got them from the same store that he initially came from. Same system etc. I know that isn't a QT but it's all I've got to feel better about the situation.

For all you know, they just came out of the ocean & got to the store right before she bought them. I have an LFS that QTs every (SW) fish for 2 wks, before putting them out for sale.

I wish my lfs did that PP!

Wow! If any stores did that in my area I'd support them no matter how pricey!

well all seems well so far. They can't touch the Puffs and Harlequin tusk.

One got bit hard between the eyes, had a nice little white spot but it's healing up.

my porc laeves them be, but everyone is correct, small fish wont harass a big one, but they can give it diseaes, so do watch.

OMG, you have a Harlequin tusk? On of my fav SW fish. Don't they have blue teeth? $$$ too!