Blue-spotted Puffer

[Packersfan21]

Yesterday, I bought a blue-spooted pufferfish that was on sale in the divers den section of LA, and I'm trying to find more info about these fish. Mainly about feeding them,and fish they aren't compatible with. Also was wondering the best way to qt and acclimate them. I will be puuting it in a 75 gallon FOWLR mainly focused on somewhat larger agressive fish. The only other fish I have a right now is a sunburst butterfly.





Thanks in advance,

Matt

 

[Packersfan21]

bump.

 

[AquaKnight]

I've had mine for 2 years now, and has been great. For food, see my sig :thumbsup: They should really get a well rounded diet of mixed meaty foods. Mysis, scallops, clams, etc.

For tankmates, they aren't the most rowdy fish. Out of a Blueface Angel, Rock Beauty Angel, Naso tang, and a Leopard wrasse, the BlueSpotted was on the lowest chain. I would advise not to house with any 'bruisers,' but in a 75gal, you're probably (hopefully) not going to keep anything like a Clown trigger or a Sohal tang...

 

[Packersfan21]

Thanks for the reply. Sounds it was good fish to choose. Still not sure exactly how to qt and acclimate though cause i heard its bad if their out of water for any period of time.

 

[Jim96SC2]

I've had mine for 2 years now, and has been great. For food, see my sig :thumbsup: They should really get a well rounded diet of mixed meaty foods. Mysis, scallops, clams, etc.

For tankmates, they aren't the most rowdy fish. Out of a Blueface Angel, Rock Beauty Angel, Naso tang, and a Leopard wrasse, the BlueSpotted was on the lowest chain. I would advise not to house with any 'bruisers,' but in a 75gal, you're probably (hopefully) not going to keep anything like a Clown trigger or a Sohal tang...

Any problems with SPS/LPS corals or more peaceful fish like Clowns or Gobies?

 

[Stuart60611]

I have housed several species of the commonly named blue spotted puffer both in reef and fowlr systems. You will have no problem with the puffer picking on any fish (other than other toby puffers), and I have successfully housed them with fairly large aggressive fish, such as huma triggers and bannana wrasses without the larger fish picking on the puffer at all. I currenly house one with a dogface puffer and a bunch of larger fish, and they all get along great. As far as corals, they pretty much leave all corals alone except for ones which are newly introduced. Upon newly being introduced, the puffer may nibble on the coral a bit until it figures out it is not good eating in a day or so and then leave the coral alone thereafter. The same cannot be said for a dogface who will decimate certain corals in minutes. In terms of your clean up crew, it is often hit or miss with miss being more likely. They will, if not immediately, eventually eat most of your inverts.

 

[mitsurs01]

do the inverts that meet their demise include snails as well? I just purchased one myself for my 75. He is smaller one. I am just hoping I can keep him more happily fed that he wont want the snails.

 

[AquaKnight]

Correct, even though Toby puffers rarely inflate, they still can. So it's very discouraged to expose puffers to air. When they are exposed, they could try to inflate, and suck in air, which is very hard for the puffer to expunge from their body. I nearly lost my Burrfish to this. To transfer puffers, just use a small bowl or cup.

For corals, I only ever once had a problem, he nipped all the new buds off a green slimer. That was only once and he never did it again. Some times it might look like they're going after the coral, but they love to hunt pods/worms, so they're liking hitting a pod on the coral. Here's a vid of mine knocking off a favia frag in search of food...

For inverts, yea, any inverts added after would be at a risk. All my snails never had eyes, the puffer would relentlessly hover over the snail till it came out, and he'd try to peck a piece. I had a blue tux urchin, cowrie, olive snail, and CBS the puffer didn't bother.