Anyone kept 2 Toby Puffers?

[Stuart60611]

As you can see from my signature, I have a blue spot puffer. I really love him. Not that I am going to do this, but I would consider possibly adding a spotted puffer (also a toby). Has anyone housed two toby puffers together successfully? Has anyone added a toby puffer to a system with an established toby puffer?

 

[MatthewLaw]

i had a valentini puffer in my 30g tank for a few months and everything was fine.

i added a papua toby and literally overnight must everything died. i found the valentini dead, royal gramma dead,and the papua toby died 2 hours later. my super hardy green chromis died a few hours later and on one last ditch effort i put my false perc clown into a QT that was at the end of cycling. the clown is the only survivor.

i do not know what happened but would think twice before mixing puffers. aside from south american puffers (FW) i am not sure puffers do well together unless you have a very large tank; similar to mixing various species of clowns.

 

[Stuart60611]

I thought it would be a problem. But I have been reading some posts lately where people have mixed certain puffers. I was curious if this was common or or just something that occassionally works out. In a 125, I thought that perhaps two small tobies would have enough space to avoid major conflict?

 

[MatthewLaw]

considering their size and the size of the tank, it would make sense for these puffers to peacefully coexist.

 

[Stuart60611]

Ya, the size of the tank and these fish does suggest that this could work. However, I do not want to chance it unless I hear others who have done so successfully, particularly adding a new toby to a system with an established one. I really love my blue dot and would not want anything to happen to him. Plus, two puffers going at it would get real ugly really fast resulting in a situation of substantial injury and/or death when considering their teeth designed to crack shells. Plus, if one of them manages to substantially injure or kill the other, I would be afraid that my other predators may feed on one of them and die from the toxicity of the injured/dead puffer which I bet is why your tank crashed.

 

[MedicalZoa]

i have a 4-5 inch dog face with a valentini puffer and they get along fine, and eat the same clam etc... there in my 75g. i was thinking about geting another dwarf puffer as they will all be gone in a 125g or larger.

 

[Stuart60611]

I would love a dogface, but I think that is just too much fish for my system in light of my current stocking. Plus, I guess my damsel and sixline may be a risk, but I think they would probably be ok. I would prefer just another toby which I think my system could easily handle in terms of bioload (running for quite a while with fairly low nitrates (vodka sure helps) for a FOWLR (20 or so usually and at most 50 when slacking on husbandry ). Plus, I think aggression could become an issue for me in light of too many large fish. Maybe one of the midsize puffers could work, but I do not know much about them and how they mix with a toby.

 

[MedicalZoa]

well my dog face puffer keeps to him self, i have never heard of dog faces attacking smaller fish or being aggressive etc, but i forgot to add that my toby puffer was in my 28g with a green spotted pufffer, before i moved it with the dogface, and they also got along fine.

 

[MatthewLaw]

i have a black dogface (ARIK) that for the most part keeps to himself; except during feeding time. when those scallops hit the water you better watch out because he is going to get it one way or another!!

The juvi niger trigger has learned that whatever ARIK doesnt it, he can safely grab!!

 

[LisaD]

my 7" dogface is in with a Hawaiian spotted toby and a leopard toby. They are also with a reticulated boxfish, and all get along fine.

 

[Stuart60611]

Lisa:

That is very interesting. You are the first person I have heard that is housing two tobys together. Did you add the tobys at the same time or was one established first? I would definitely add a spotted to my system if my blue dot and the spotted could get along. I am confident that my other fish will care less because I added the blue dot a couple of months ago as the last fish, and the other fish had no reaction to the addition.

Would you make this addition in light of my stock?

 

[philter4]

I've almost always collected spotted tobys in prs and I gave my uncle a pr for his FOWLR, they did fine together. Here is the pr in QT, the one has a cool abberent pattern

 

[Stuart60611]

philter4:

Those are some gorgeous puffers. I see that you added them as a pair. What would be your thought about adding an additional spottted to my system with an established blue dot? Do you think that they would go at it?

I am thinking of adding a spotted puffer or a lyretail hogfish. My fears are that the puffers won't get along or the lyretail will get hazed by my established pinkface wrasse. I am leaning toward the additional puffer both because I think it would be less of a bio and behaviorially load to the system. Plus, I am very confident that the only other fish that may harass the new puffer would be the existing puffer because I added the blue dot last, and all other fish completely ignored the addition. In contrast, I am willing to bet the addition of the hogfish will create some aggression issues with my wrasse and perhaps one or both of my triggers.

 

[Budlitechic69]

Need help with my Reef puffers/tobys

Need help with my Reef puffers/tobys

I now have 2 reef puffers/TOBY'S in my 45gal tank I started with 1 I guess he's a papuan toby's along with an assortment of other fish then yesterday I purchased another reef puffer/toby but a crowned toby ever since I put him the tank my other toby has just beaten the he'll out of him I just separated him cuz he doesn't look ok today my ? Is are these puffer/tobys one of those fish that can't be in pairs has to have 1 or 3 and so on so they don't kill each other like my yellow tangs or am I suppose to only have the same kind in there if i want 2 of them can anyone help me ASAP so I can either go buy a third one or take this poor new guy back b4 the Lil guy dies and get the same kind as I already had please help

 

[Budlitechic69]

Need help with my Reef puffers/tobys

Need help with my Reef puffers/tobys

I now have 2 reef puffers/TOBY'S in my 45gal tank I started with 1 I guess he's a papuan toby's along with an assortment of other fish then yesterday I purchased another reef puffer/toby but a crowned toby ever since I put him the tank my other toby has just beaten the he'll out of him I just separated him cuz he doesn't look ok today my ? Is are these puffer/tobys one of those fish that can't be in pairs has to have 1 or 3 and so on so they don't kill each other like my yellow tangs or am I suppose to only have the same kind in there if i want 2 of them can anyone help me ASAP so I can either go buy a third one or take this poor new guy back b4 the Lil guy dies and get the same kind as I already had please help