The Puffer Forum

I had a previous post mentioning the integration of my bristlenose pleco, which has been successful. He dangles around on the front glass as they are swimming by.. No aggression seen on pleco or his fins.

My final addition to this primarily species only 55g was 4 clown loaches.. They are smaller right now, growing up in the community tank.. But when they get finger-size, I was going to try putting them in with the puffers. I have read alot and not found a whole lot on clown loaches + SAPs... It seems feasible that it would work.. Suggestions?

Going to be tough to get food to those loaches though.. That is the only problem I can see arising here...and clown loaches love bloodworms.. eek! My SAP's favorite food :/'

Suggestions?

loaches eat snails too, right? Just dump snails into the tank and your set.

I have loaches in with my Mbu and not once have they caused concern with food, if you feed sinking pellets on occasion they will get some food there and leave some snails for the puffer to munch

TBH, the thing that got me 'into' puffers' was when I removed my SAP's from a community set up and gave them their own tank. They were a different fish. Much happier.

One thing to mention I have noticed with my 3 SAPs, 2 of them spend a large portion of their day swimming up and down the 2 corners of the fish tank.... i'm not sure if they're amused by their reflection or they can see the fish & snails in the other 2 tanks? Or maybe they are bored? I don't think so, they are very lively.. it seems like it is in their daily routine to fly up and down the area near the in-tank Hydor aerator & penguin powerhead.. they get a kick out of it i think.. or are they bored? I have a background on the tank and it is planted.

SAP's love to swim around in and feel currents, so if the water is moving there, they are probably just swimming in that. I have heard that a good powerhead or high flow filter pointed across the tank might induce them to swim into that, rather than in the corners, but they love to swim and move no matter where they are doing it.