New to the hobby with questions!!!

[maddawg]

Hi all I've had my tank running for about 4 months I recently started adding livestock. I have about 30lbs of live rock. Two clowns and 12 hermit crabs. I really want some anemones but on the other token I want to add a puffer. Have anyone successfully had a puffer not eat all the anemones? My tank is 75gals.

 

[maddawg]

I do plan on adding about 30 more pounds of live rock!

 

[gbru316]

I don't think anemones are a normal dietary staple of puffers. You should be fine.

 

[Heisenreef]

Keeping a puffer in a tank that size is not advised. They are messy and big eaters. Meaning they will foul up the water quickly. The saddled puffers are smaller and perhaps you could try and get away with on of them. But I would not even advise that.

Years back before I was into salt tanks a friend of mine had a porcupine puffer in a 55. It was a horrible idea and the tank was always filthy. He did not do the research and the poor animal suffered because of it. The fish had an amazing personality and was a real conversation piece but eventually passed because it was in a tank way to small.

If you want a nem for the clowns any puffer would be a bad idea. They tend to pick at stuff and like I said before add a good amount of nutrients to the water. Nutrients that the nem wont like. Also, flow is not a puffers greatest friend and nems need good flow.

 

[maddawg]

nem? I've seen a stars and stripes in a smaller tank but I under stand what you are saying. I'm looking for that conversation piece personality fish!

 

[tilo]

nem = anemone

I agree with Heisenreef.

Nice conversation piece with lots of personality could be a type of hawkfish. They eat ornamental shrimp (cleaner shrimp,blood shrimp), but really have a personality and come and greet you when they see you.

 

[fishhuman]

Yes all but Toby puffers get way to large. I to have seen puffers in small tanks and it's sad that the owner cares so little for the animal.

 

[syngraves]

My LFS has a stars and stripes in their main display tank and it nearing 18in long and as fat as a football. can see them lasting in a tank under 100g. Porcupine puffer might do fine in a 75g if you run a sump and fuge and can keep the water clean. as for a puffer in a tank with an anemone i cant really comment since i havent seen it first hand yet

 

[maddawg]

Can i get some suggestions on lights? I have the lights that come with the tank it's a blue/white LED but i'm not sure how to tell if it's sufficient?

 

[fishhuman]

My LFS has a stars and stripes in their main display tank and it nearing 18in long and as fat as a football. can see them lasting in a tank under 100g. Porcupine puffer might do fine in a 75g if you run a sump and fuge and can keep the water clean. as for a puffer in a tank with an anemone i cant really comment since i havent seen it first hand yet

You kidding porcupines get giant

 

[fishhuman]

If you want anemones then you will probobly need metal halides the light that comes with the tank won't be enough

 

[ichthyogeek]

If you're serious about the anemone, +1 for the metal halides (or a similar very powerful lighting). When you say puffer, do you mean an actual pufferfish? Or would you be content with a Toby, like a Saddleback or a blue spotted toby? Or a pufferfish that looks like the stereotypical pufferfish like the porcupine or dog face? I think (not sure), that you could get away with an anemone as long as the clowns were protective of it, i.e. they chased away fish trying to attack it. I say this because my valentini nips. If not a puffer, then how about a comet? Oh, and any puffer, toby or stereotypical, will get at the hermit crabs like an oscar in a guppy tank.