The Puffer Forum

The new tank I am setting up has 4 Bumblebee Gobies in it and as soon as they are acclimated to BW I am going to put my puffers in there. But I cant help but wonder if the Fig8's will try to eat the Bees since they are so small and tend to sit around and not be very quick? I had heard they should get along fine but for the first time just yesterday I saw one of my Fig8's tear a guppy to shreds that was a bit larger than the Gobies are. I usually throw in a few Guppies and my Mono normally gets em pretty quick (the puffers often chase after them but have never seen em catch one yet). But yesterday one of the guppies just ran into the corner of the tank and didnt move. The puffer chomped it in two and swallowed it all, I was kinda worried since they have never done that or eaten a live fish or that much at one time.

I am going to hold off a bit and let the BB's grow hopefully a little bit bigger. They have been in there a couple weeks now along with plants I am slowly bringing up the SG. Probably will be a couple 2-3 months if I can hold off that long, dont really now if they will grow that much in that little time but they already look like they are starting to get bigger even though I only feed them every other day just a little bit. I am guessing they are around 3/4" long right now.

Co-housing with any puffer is always a risk. A lot of folks get away with F-8s and BB gobies, but others do not. You really cannot predict the behavior toward potential meals of any puffer.

My GSP would not allow any tank mate smaller or even the same size as he was. The bigger ones he left alone.

My Fig8's have gotten along fine so far with tank mates larger and smaller in different tanks they have been in the last couple years (scat, mono, knight gobies, spiney eels, krib, anablep) but none nearly as small as the BBgobies. Guess I'll just watch em really good when I first put them in thier. If they show any signs of aggression then I'll put the puffers back, re-acclimate the tank to fresh, take the Bees back to the store, and get some more knight gobies instead.

My BBG has lived with my F8 for a year now, no problems whatsoever. My new F8 has been leaving him alone too, for several months now. My puffs are a little bit on the 'docile' side as far as puffers go, but they still get aggressive sometimes. I've found my BBG has learned when a puff looks a little too interested in him and he darts away.

If your F8 tore up a guppy though, I'd take that as an indication that you have an aggressive puffer. I think any tankmates will be risky with that one, but you won't know unless you try it...

Keep in mind a larger tank may lessen the aggression a puff shows towards other tankmates, but your puff may see them as food. In that case it isn't a matter of territory but appetite!

Our Fig.8 chased and killed all 8 of our bbgs. He'd take one bite and leave 1/2 of a bbg, still alive, for me to take care of.
He apparently didnt care about it from a food standpoint, just a chase and kill predator reaction.

OraLacerta wrote:If your F8 tore up a guppy though, I'd take that as an indication that you have an aggressive puffer. I think any tankmates will be risky with that one, but you won't know unless you try it...

Well like I said they have had several tankmates big and small, just non quite as small as a Bee. The Fig8's have never even paid any attention to my Knight Gobies. Maybe he just knew the guppy was a 'feeder'... lol, I could only hope. Mine also have been extremely docile, only this recent feeder guppy massacre has 'raised my eyebrow', up until then I wouldnt even had thought twice.

Steelgeek wrote:Our Fig.8 chased and killed all 8 of our bbgs. He'd take one bite and leave 1/2 of a bbg, still alive, for me to take care of.
He apparently didnt care about it from a food standpoint, just a chase and kill predator reaction.

I am sorry to hear that. Just out of curiosity how long were they together before the puffer started attacking the gobies? Was it like right away (first day) or was it over the course of a longer period of time?

I have 2 F8s with 4 Bumblebee Gobies and have never had any problems. In fact, the gobies will fight each other and are far more aggressive than my puffers.

But, as someone said, it depends on the puffers and the environment.

You can certainly house them together but if you see any trouble then I would seperate them.

I am sorry to hear that. Just out of curiosity how long were they together before the puffer started attacking the gobies? Was it like right away (first day) or was it over the course of a longer period of time?

He would nail one a week or so, then take a break, where we thought he'd stopped, then kill a few more.

Goes to show all of this is up to each puffer's individual personality!

I have my f8 in with 8 bb gobies, and one dragon goby, and they do fine. She was curious at first, but they are fast little buggers and she doesn't pay them much attention unless it's feeding time (she tries to hog).

OraLacerta wrote:Goes to show all of this is up to each puffer's individual personality!

I think that's what it all boils down to. But when you have three of them (or more) then I guess the chances are higher that eventually one of them might strike a tank mate. I'll just keep my fingers crossed. Probably will be another month or two before they go in the tank with the gobies though... slowly acclimating some plants and haven't really started the acclimation yet since I am still trying to get the fert dosage figured out and see whats going to happen with algae. I've already got some algae and its been only like 2-3 weeks.

True, multiple puffs can be complicated. I've got 2 but so far no problems (crossing my fingers).

Sounds like it will be a really nice set-up when you get everyone settled in. I'd love to see some pics of the tank once you're finished.

Definitely will do. But like said, will be a couple months. Also might be effected by algae concentration since this is a relatively med/high light tank and trying to plant it. I guess I am trying a lot of new things (to me) on this tank... hopefully all will turn out well but that rarely happens lol.

To echo SteelGeek's comments, I have also had an F8 who got on fine with my BBGs for over 18 months, then decided to take a nibble on one. Thankfully, he recovered and ended up living longer than the puff - the irony!

But again most people have already hit the nail on the head in that there is such a diverse range of personalities, you just can't tell!#

Good luck though!