should i start a second tank...

[super stooge]

hello.
well you can definitely say ive been bitten by the bug. currently in the process of setting up a 180 gal reef and im ALREADY thinking about setting up a second tank :lol:.

for the moment the 180 will take all of my attention and ill have to re-asses whether i have time for a second tank once the 180 is in full swing.

The reason i want a second tank is so that i can keep some of the fish that arent suited to my 180.

One of my all time favorite fish has to be the fuzzy dwarf lion. So i was hoping to build a tank around one of them. i was thinking something like a 2x2 60gal cube with a small stocklist of personable fish

so:
1x fuzzy dwarf lionfish

with some of the current candidates:

Valentini puffer. (will he nip at the dwarf lion?)

blue spotted puffer. (can two puffers be housed together [both are tobies]?)

lawnmower/bicolour blenny (harassed/ swallowed by other tank mates?)


thats all i have on the list so far.
i would have loved to have had a boxfish or cowfish but i believe they need larger tanks than what i can dedicate to this project.
green spotted puffers also look very interesting but am concerned about their agression and the fact that they are a brackish fish.

So, right now im just testing the waters and probing the viability of this project. what do you guys think?

 

[Flaring Afro]

Puffers are very individual. Some can be mean, but most of the small marine ones never bother anything. As for the green spotted, some are very aggressive and some aren't. You just have to go through them to find one that is a little wuss. Mine has never even defended himself when picked on by a clown that was smaller than him which I has to return. He's got a huge personality though. Also, it's been proven that these puffers actually live longest (over 20 years) in marine water and are fine in it even as babies.

 

[namxas]

FWIW, the fuzzy would do fine in a reef setup as long as there are no small fish or ornamental crustaceans it can swallow (fuzzies have fairly small mouths as lionfish go).

As for the tobies...they might nip, they might not, as mentioned.

 

[Pallobi]

i would love to see a pic of your 180

 

[super stooge]

Puffers are very individual. Some can be mean, but most of the small marine ones never bother anything. As for the green spotted, some are very aggressive and some aren't. You just have to go through them to find one that is a little wuss. Mine has never even defended himself when picked on by a clown that was smaller than him which I has to return. He's got a huge personality though. Also, it's been proven that these puffers actually live longest (over 20 years) in marine water and are fine in it even as babies.

Thank you for the advice. interesting information about the green spot. i was concerned about at what stage its okay to place the puffer in a marine environment but if they are fine even as babies then i guess its not something i need to worry about. How lucky would i have to be get a GSP that would co-exist with a dwarf lion and other puffers? Are they an extreme minority? Also is a GSP suitable for a 60gal tank?

FWIW, the fuzzy would do fine in a reef setup as long as there are no small fish or ornamental crustaceans it can swallow (fuzzies have fairly small mouths as lionfish go).

As for the tobies...they might nip, they might not, as mentioned.

unfortunately the reef tank will have several smaller fish species. i Also generally prefer getting smaller specimens and watching them grow into my tank. The 180 will have fish like occ clowns, firefish, mccosker's flasher wrasses, court jester goby as well as cleaner shrimp. as to whether any of these are quite small enough for the lion to consider fair game, im not sure. but its something id always be concerned about with the lion in my tank

i would love to see a pic of your 180

the 180 actually isnt set up yet unfortunately


So from what ive heard so far it sounds like there is no solid rule as to whether puffers will be compatible with a lion or each other? its more up to their individual personalities?

 

[super stooge]

would i be crazy for thinking of adding a marine betta to this list?

 

[DoubleM 10]

would i be crazy for thinking of adding a marine betta to this list?

i have a marine betta for 9 months now. if you want to see the fish aside from feeding i would not get one. they are beautiful when they are out. they are shy and dificult to wean onto frozen. took me 4 months with mine. now all fish are different.

i really enjoy mine. mine will come out during the day when NOONE is around and at night all the time.

 

[DoubleM 10]

and BTW i lost a blue spotted toby puffer do to it being curious with one of my lions spines. puffer swam out of control for 1 day and then died

 

[super stooge]

yea ive read about the notoriously reclusive nature of the betta. i was hoping that with a tank of slow calm swimmers without any boisterous fish (assuming i can get lucky with the puffer) the Betta will feel a little more comfortable. Even then though, im not expecting to have the betta out and about all the time.

im very sorry to hear about your toby. Thats a worrying possibility. In your opinion do you think i should give it a shot or am i setting up a disaster?

 

[DoubleM 10]

From what I have read and experience I wouldn't. But then Again all fish are individuals. U could try it and you will probably be ok. I just had bad luck