A poll on Dog faced puffers???
- Thread starter MBuck
- Start date
SaltyMember
Premium Member
Well, I've only had mine for about a month (not including quarantine). It is my first DF and is about 4 inches long. It is a very personable fish but he is still kinda shy. Eats very well, but you have to be careful not to overfeed. This is my experience so far.
emperior911
New member
XtrmCHoPZ, thanks for returning my phone calls
MBuck
New member
Yes, particularly the dog-faced....are the spotted, yellow-bellied, and panda puffer diferent, or just different colorations, same species?
I am curious as to their longevity, what do you feed them, how do you get them to eat if they are not trained to prepared foods..
Just some simple husbandry, this will be my first puffer...if he is still the LFS, I will be getting him in around a month, he's approx 5", is this a a good size to start with? It is already eating shrimp, store bought with shell on....
I am also planning on a lionfish... I know there's a chance of fin-nipping, but have heard alot of success stories too... I am willing to give it a try, and have a place for the lion if it will not work...which would you intriduce first, or at the same time??
Also will be adding an eel, and tang or foxface, hate to have two venomous fish in there....
BTW, this is a 125g tank, 72 X 18D X 23T, I will be adding a 40g sump to the sytem before the livestock are introduced with a refugium for chaeto...
What can I expect when I bring him home? Are they generally shy at first? How often, and how much to feed him??
Anything else you can think of or advice you could give...most reading material is pretty vague....
Thanks for the replies so far!!!
I am curious as to their longevity, what do you feed them, how do you get them to eat if they are not trained to prepared foods..
Just some simple husbandry, this will be my first puffer...if he is still the LFS, I will be getting him in around a month, he's approx 5", is this a a good size to start with? It is already eating shrimp, store bought with shell on....
I am also planning on a lionfish... I know there's a chance of fin-nipping, but have heard alot of success stories too... I am willing to give it a try, and have a place for the lion if it will not work...which would you intriduce first, or at the same time??
Also will be adding an eel, and tang or foxface, hate to have two venomous fish in there....
BTW, this is a 125g tank, 72 X 18D X 23T, I will be adding a 40g sump to the sytem before the livestock are introduced with a refugium for chaeto...
What can I expect when I bring him home? Are they generally shy at first? How often, and how much to feed him??
Anything else you can think of or advice you could give...most reading material is pretty vague....
Thanks for the replies so far!!!
SaltyMember
Premium Member
Here is some reading material for you:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/puffcareinfo.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/puffcareinfo.htm
THe spotted dogface is probably the most common of arothrons. It has many different color morphs from brown to all black, cream, yellow, white, and "dalmation". Its a different species than the Panda ( arothron diadematus )
I have had the dogface, golden, stellatus, stars and stripes, reticulated, narrowlined and panda. I feed formula 1&2, cockle, mussel, krill, prawn, PE mysis, enriched brine, pellets and occassionally live feeder crabs or shrimp. I feed 2-3 times a day. Puffers eat a lot and may always seem hungry, just dont overfeed them. They WILL BEG for food and start to recognize you when you walk into the room. I have a lg golden that eats only pellets that sink and that are brown. My other golden ate nothing but live food for the first 2 months I had him, now he eats almost anything.
5" sounds pretty good to start.
I have a large volitans in with a golden and a narrowlined puffer and have had no problems. The lion has also been in tanks with other puffers and never a problem, the puffers are actually intimidated by him. If u are weary then add the lion 1st.
My panda puffer swims away when someone approaches the tank but the goldens arent shy at all. They beg and splash until they get food!
Very important!!! Make sure there is nothing in the tank that the puffer can get sucked into like filter strainers or powerheads. If they dont have covers or screens make sure they do!. Puffers may look tough but a powerhead w/o a strainer can suck it in a cause damage. I lost 2 that way before i figure what happened.
I have had the dogface, golden, stellatus, stars and stripes, reticulated, narrowlined and panda. I feed formula 1&2, cockle, mussel, krill, prawn, PE mysis, enriched brine, pellets and occassionally live feeder crabs or shrimp. I feed 2-3 times a day. Puffers eat a lot and may always seem hungry, just dont overfeed them. They WILL BEG for food and start to recognize you when you walk into the room. I have a lg golden that eats only pellets that sink and that are brown. My other golden ate nothing but live food for the first 2 months I had him, now he eats almost anything.
5" sounds pretty good to start.
I have a large volitans in with a golden and a narrowlined puffer and have had no problems. The lion has also been in tanks with other puffers and never a problem, the puffers are actually intimidated by him. If u are weary then add the lion 1st.
My panda puffer swims away when someone approaches the tank but the goldens arent shy at all. They beg and splash until they get food!
Very important!!! Make sure there is nothing in the tank that the puffer can get sucked into like filter strainers or powerheads. If they dont have covers or screens make sure they do!. Puffers may look tough but a powerhead w/o a strainer can suck it in a cause damage. I lost 2 that way before i figure what happened.
MBuck
New member
Thanks for the reply! You obviously like the puffers!!
I fell in love with them quite some time ago, but didn't have a place to keep one, and didn't want to "hope" for a lrger tank, and not be able to accomodate my little buddies..
I now have a 125g, and am very excited about getting one though I am a little nervous...
That's why I wanted a little personal experience...don't remember reading anything about powerheads in any of the literature I have found! Good to know!
Thanks again!
I fell in love with them quite some time ago, but didn't have a place to keep one, and didn't want to "hope" for a lrger tank, and not be able to accomodate my little buddies..
I now have a 125g, and am very excited about getting one though I am a little nervous...
That's why I wanted a little personal experience...don't remember reading anything about powerheads in any of the literature I have found! Good to know!
Thanks again!
jcopp24 thats a narrow line or thin lined puffer, Arothron manilensis. I have one that has great color and almost never fades. THere's a store in my town that gets them and calls them "assorted stars & stripes", I wish they could just figure out what it is and call it the right name. They also call reticulated and stellars stars & stripes.
VolitanLioness
New member
Here is my Puffer, is this what you are looking for?
As you may know I keep this puffer with my lions in a 300g, and so far so good. I do keep a close eye on the whole situation with the Puffer, Trigger & Lions. I read for almost a year before adding the puffer to my system so I hope it works.
I have not heard the power heads mentioned with the puffers before, very happy this is brought up because now that I do have one I could see how they could get hurt.
I feel it is very important to feed a variety of foods, the Foods I offer my fish include Mussels, Octo, Squid, Mahi Mahi, Crab, Raw Shrimp, Nori, fresh frozen Peas & broccoli from the grocery store. I also feed Mysis, Marine Cuisine, Silversides & Cyclopezee from the LFS.
I feed 2-3 times per day, I soak all my foods in Vitamins almost daily & Garlic every once in a while.
One thing that my puffer does is eat the Fresh Frozen Peas, and any algae in the tank. This puffer will eat Macro to hair algae.
So now I have a question, after all my reading on this puffer I have not seen algae mentioned ....... LOL
Do Puffers eat algae or just some ?
Kaye
As you may know I keep this puffer with my lions in a 300g, and so far so good. I do keep a close eye on the whole situation with the Puffer, Trigger & Lions. I read for almost a year before adding the puffer to my system so I hope it works.
I have not heard the power heads mentioned with the puffers before, very happy this is brought up because now that I do have one I could see how they could get hurt.
I feel it is very important to feed a variety of foods, the Foods I offer my fish include Mussels, Octo, Squid, Mahi Mahi, Crab, Raw Shrimp, Nori, fresh frozen Peas & broccoli from the grocery store. I also feed Mysis, Marine Cuisine, Silversides & Cyclopezee from the LFS.
I feed 2-3 times per day, I soak all my foods in Vitamins almost daily & Garlic every once in a while.
One thing that my puffer does is eat the Fresh Frozen Peas, and any algae in the tank. This puffer will eat Macro to hair algae.
So now I have a question, after all my reading on this puffer I have not seen algae mentioned ....... LOL
Do Puffers eat algae or just some ?
Kaye
VolitanLioness
New member
I found this on Wet Web...........
"Puffers are opportunistic omnivores; they eat most anything and everything. In the wild they feed on all types of invertebrates, algae and carrion. Very important is the inclusion of greenery in their diets; live algae is best, but a prepared green food on the bottom will do."
I love this hobby, I can learn something new everyday!
Kaye
"Puffers are opportunistic omnivores; they eat most anything and everything. In the wild they feed on all types of invertebrates, algae and carrion. Very important is the inclusion of greenery in their diets; live algae is best, but a prepared green food on the bottom will do."
I love this hobby, I can learn something new everyday!
Kaye
MBuck
New member
HI Kaye,
Yes! That's what I am looking for!!
I want the dog-faced, but unsure if I want the panda or the spotted....would love a Map, but can't afford anything like that right now!!!:eek2:
Are there any differences in tempermant, feeding, etc, between the panda and the spooted. it was noted above that they indeed are different fish, not just a color variation...
Wow, your guy eats alot of different thing..some that haven't been mentioned in my readings! I actually feed my Lovebird frozen veggies, so they are always on hand!!
Is the white on his face natural coloration, or did something happen, or did it develope??
Got my tank drilled today, have to pick it up tomorrow, so it will be a matter of time before i get him!!
My LFS has one, about 5-6", he has been there for several months, he's a yellow-bellied dog faced??
He's already eating frozen, would it be practical to put the puffer and lion in the tank at the same time?? Or should I still put the lion in first to create some territory, etc...??
Yes! That's what I am looking for!!
I want the dog-faced, but unsure if I want the panda or the spotted....would love a Map, but can't afford anything like that right now!!!:eek2: Are there any differences in tempermant, feeding, etc, between the panda and the spooted. it was noted above that they indeed are different fish, not just a color variation...
Wow, your guy eats alot of different thing..some that haven't been mentioned in my readings! I actually feed my Lovebird frozen veggies, so they are always on hand!!
Is the white on his face natural coloration, or did something happen, or did it develope??
Got my tank drilled today, have to pick it up tomorrow, so it will be a matter of time before i get him!!
My LFS has one, about 5-6", he has been there for several months, he's a yellow-bellied dog faced??
He's already eating frozen, would it be practical to put the puffer and lion in the tank at the same time?? Or should I still put the lion in first to create some territory, etc...??
From my experiences the arent many differenecs between the panda and the spotted dogface. They eat the same things and generally bahave the same. I particularly like the panda WAY more. Mine, and probably all of them, change colors alot. If hes freaked out he will turn a ghostly pale white, and when he sleeps he is a mottled black/white/gray color. Whenever hes in a good mood hes got his black mask on against the white.
