Puffer Question

[71goalie]

Ok. I've been thinking about what type of inhabitants I would like to have in a future tank my wife & I are planning for. The tank will be a minimum 125 gallon. It will more than likely be a reef tank with fish. I love puffers. Has anyone had experience with them in a reef tank? What types of other fish can I have? Please don't raz me too much and alert the tang police - I currently have a sailfin tang that MUST go into this tank. I've read that puffers can get along with other fish as long as you start out with them young and only feed them frozen foods. I've also seen pics on this forum with them in reef tanks. Just want to really think this through. I look forward to hearing about your experiences.

[Racenrich]

Goalie,
I have a porky puffer in my 90g reef tank now. Hes almost 3 inches, boy did he grow fast! Gets along with everything. Nips at my snails but thats it. He gets feed once a day.
The only issue i have with him is that hes blind as a bat! Seems that way at least. Every once in awhile he trys to grab his food and snips a polyp here and there, trying to get food of course.
Outside that, AWESOME fish! would recommend. But of course, each fish is there own!
Hope this helps!
Rich K.

[71goalie]

A list of proposed fish for tank:
Sailfin Tang
Maroon Clown - maybe a mated pair?
Small school of Cardinals
Yellow tang - if compatible with sailfin
Maybe a Puffer
some cleaner shrimp
Trigger?
Any recommendations?
I want a "Peaceful" tank :)

[zooqi]

Stay away from the Trigger. They eat anything in the tank even will bite rocks. P puffer is very nice but they grow fast. I got one from Bytore and he is doing fine and I feed him once every week Jumbo Shrimp. I had him in a reef tank first when I got him and kinda did not feel going and feeding him everyday or every other day at the mall. Kids loved him and he did not hurt anything there. I brought him home and need to bring him and put him in a bigger tank.

[ByTor]

As Mo said I had a porqupine puffer in a reef for several years with no troubles. If you keep them well fed. they will just lay around and be a big ole fat porch hound... :)

[bmkindig]

hey goalie
if your serious about this the petco on lehigh st had 1 last week when i was there just take 22 w to 309 s and get off on 78 i think it's west(right hand turn)and there at the 2nd stop light on the right in the mall parking lot.
i'm not sure but i think there's a petco in the 25st shopping center to maybe they have 1 or can order 1 for you,i think it was like $14.00
later
brad

[71goalie]

i just PMd zooqi about the same thing... the petco by mein Easton had one too. he looked healthy and that is what got me started. I only have a 10 gallon hospital tank and my 30 gallon display at the moment. i don't think i want to add him the my display and it won't be until early next year when the new tank is up and cycled. just doing my homework at the moment. how did it go with the clowns?

[bmkindig]

hey doug
i knew about mo's puffer he bought it from bytor at his last meeting in august there a pretty laid back fish from what have seen.i olny noticed the fish because a friend of mine was looking for 1 but i don't know how seroius he was about it.
glad you asked about the clowns no luck i was like a kid on xmas eve all day waiting for that delivery and not a single 1 they got some nice sabae's in
brad

[zooqi]

A friend has one that he was asking $30 because of its color. It is almost as big as mine and if you want I can ask him to keep it. He was in love with them so he got a few and now they are getting big and he is selling a few and this one is the last because he was not sure if he wanted to sell it or no.

[71goalie]

if i get one, i'd want to start it out small since my tang is also small. just want to minimize any conflicts. the sailfin is a little territorial at the moment so i would probably want to add them to the tank at the same time. i have to get the 180 going first!! ;)

[nixnutz]

FWIW...I have a yellow tang and he's a PITA when it comes to new fish. He harrasses everything! Especially a similar tang. When I introduced the Purple Tang, the yellow tormented him for 3 days.

Anyway, the sailfin may torment the yellow at first, but it eventually subsides. My purple and yellow are buds now :confused: . Just like kids...fighting one day, buddies the next. HTH

Rahn

P.S. This post might keep the tang police off your butt..UH OH...now they're on mine! :uzi: