Calling All Porcupine Puffer Owners

[SkinnyPete]

So, I posted a similar question on the Getting Started forum a few days ago, but I'm looking for someone who has had experience with my issue. So, I'm posting this follow-up.

I'm in the very early stages in my saltwater tank - about 3 months. I've got 2 clowns, yellow tang, yellow watchman goby. Long story short - I grew to love the shrimp and crabs that came with my lr so I changed from wanting an aggressive tank to a community tank. Well, I still really want an eel and my wife loves the porcupine puffers. I know that the eel and the puffer will take care of most of the shrimp and crabs. I've owned eels before and never had a problem with them bothering snails or hermits - I know the goby and the clows are a risk with eels, because you just never know. I'm less familiar with porc puffers.

Any porc puffer owners have any experience with keeping them with snails, starfish, hermits, and/or urchins? How about clowns or gobies? I might be able to catch a lot of crabs and shrimp and return them before purchasing the porc, but I don't want to sacrifce my whole clean-up crew for one fish.

Any experiences that you may have to share would be helpful.

Thanks all.


- Skins

[Hara]

you have been lucky with your eels. My snowflake had a huge pile of empty shells stashed behind the liverock. The puffer will do what comes naturally, that is, eat shelled creatures. In fact, one of the ways to getting one that wont eat, to eat, is to put dead food inside shells and they will go nuts getting it out. About the only clean up critter safe would be a starfish, in my experience.

[SkinnyPete]

So, basically, if I go with an eel and/or porc puffer - a few starfish for clean-up. And, I would assume Urchins would help too. I have a few of those purple "common" urchins that came with my lr.

[LittlePuff]

The porc would probably get the stars. Not sure about urchins.

Kim

[DragonsRus]

I had a small porc puffer (about 3-4") and I know he ate some of my snails and crabs, but I had a bunch that were a little big for him, I think. I also had a sand sifting star that lasted about three weeks, I saw him on the glass, the next morning I saw he was sans three legs, and I've not seen him since. My puffer was great, but I had to move so he is now in a differrent loving home. Hope this helps.

[ashobson]

I had a spiny boxer puffer he looks like the one you ask about he ate an arrow crab for a snack one day. loved the snails I had in there too. I have also found these types of puffers seem to always get ich.

[SALTYDAWGY]

Inverts don't stand a chance with a porc. Eventually he will shell them.

Originally Posted by SALTYDAWGY

Inverts don't stand a chance with a porc. Eventually he will shell them.

I guess it's really just their nature. I am lucky for now that nothing is happening. Actually, it was my white spotted puffer and my humu humu trigger that had some issues with my mex tubro snails. When I did a hyposalinity, the snails got weak and the white spotted puffer and humu humu trigger took advantage of it.

My porc has been harmless so far. He's about 4.5 - 5 inches small. I have a medium sized hermit crab (the one that has a big forearm and a small forearm) and a choc chip star. They're all living in harmony.

With that said, it's way too early for me to assess whether or not my luck will stay that way for inverts. So far, though, I see that it was the white spotted puffer and the humu humu that are causing terror into the inverts lives. The porc is so far out of the picture.

[LittlePuff]

I'd be careful about the Humu. I've heard that they are completely fine, and then one day they go postal and start killing. I'd love to have one with my porc, but I don't want to lose him over it, so I haven't risked it. I've heard this multiple times.


Kim

Thanks for letting me know. I will definitely keep watch of him. so far he's even peaceful to damsels that harm him. But who knows, these triggers are just that...they trigger something.

[ogden10]

OK so I have talked about this before. By no means do I say this is the rule, maybe more of the exception.

But.... I have a porc who I have had now for prob like a year and a half. During his time with me he lived in a tank that had at one point: a long spined urchin, a choc chip starfish, 2 different anemones (a seabae and a BT), and many various snails and hermits. He never, and I mean never, showed any signs of aggresion towards any of these items. In fact the only thing he ever took a nip from is a maroon clown, that had a tell tale half circle piece missing from his fin.

Ironically during this time that he was in this tank I had a good size snowflake that was also in there. Again no problems, he left everything alone also.

With this hobby there are many more exceptions then there are rules in my opinion. I am fortunate that I have enough tanks that if I put something in that is not working I can move it to another tank.

FYI, I also temporary had a really large sapo in this tank, that within 20 minutes was trying to eat my starfish and trying to figure out how to eat an anemone. So be careful, but with a small well fed porc I would say try it. They are truly I think one of the best fish in this hobby, and a joy to have. Mine has learned to eat from my hand, and spits water at me when he is hungry.

Good luck