Looking for opinions on getting a Porcupine Puffer

[Jason McK]

I've always wanted one and now that I'm out of SPS I was thinking about getting one. What do you think?

I currently have
Chevron Tang
Naso Tang
Sailfin Tang
Orange Shoulder Tang
FoxFace
Pint Tail Trigger
2 yellow stripped Maroon Clowns

No shrimp
A few Hermit crabs and snails


thanks
J

[Leah]

I was thinking the same thing and Mike talked me out of one.

[burrows14]

I say go for it! Ive had one for about 6 months now and they are great. I have a couple of shrimp that he has not touched and he stays away from all my corals.

[Skimmerking]

i wouldnt J why thou they are grat and all until you spook him/her and then you are working in the tank. great fish but really they do get really big look at griffie

[Jason McK]

Leah, If you don't mind me asking what was the deciding factor for you not getting one\\

Thanks Borrows14

J

[Skimmerking]

Answer your phone you

[Jason McK]

Ha I thought it was my inlaws LOL

[Leah]

The ick magnet thing and the fact they get huge and buying a bigger tank just for him basically with no corals, as he grows up. Cute as baby's, well you know. And then if he got really big then what. :sad: I would then need to try desperately to find a good a home if not better, oh so hard to do. So not fair for him. And I really really wanted one.

[burrows14]

I do agree with leah on the ich issues. I added a sharknose goby and he takes care of the puffers ich problem. i think the positives of these fish over shadow its negatives.

[Leah]

[QUOTE=burrows14;I do agree with leah on the ich issues. I added a sharknose goby and he takes care of the puffers ich problem. i think the positives of these fish over shadow its negatives.[/QUOTE]

I really appreciated your help when I was thinking of one. Ray was totally honest
and he was the first to tell me about the ick thing.

[Leah]

Ha I thought it was my inlaws LOL

Oh busted :lol:

[Leah]

Not sure whats worse

[Jason McK]

Not sure whats worse
LOL Too Funny
:onfire::onfire::onfire::onfire::onfire::onfire::o nfire::onfire::onfire::onfire:


good talking to you Mike

J

[Leah]

[QUOTE=Jason McK;LOL Too Funny
:onfire::onfire::onfire::onfire::onfire::onfire::o nfire::onfire::onfire::onfire:


good talking to you Mike

J[/QUOTE]

That is great, I need those :wink:

[Skimmerking]

your a a ass leah :mrgreen: lol and ya J it was great talking to you too.

[Leah]

Mike you have to quit calling me that! :razz:

[Skimmerking]

ok lazy reefer lady lol

[Leah]

Lighten up!

[Skimmerking]

J I think that you should get a bunch of wrasses and anthias.

[Leah]

Mike
You mad at me again?
Leah

[Skimmerking]

lol you are killing me here

[my2rotties]

I had a huge porc puffer for about a year... he LOVED to eat clown fish and i mean LOVED to eat them. He also ate half of my Mandarin goby, and the poor thing lived for a week afterwards. He also hunted down and tried to eat any sort of gobies I had.

I gave him away to another canreef friend and he happily resides in her tank now. He did manage to bit a floating thermometer in half and ate a bunch of lead balls within it as well as some glass... he is okay now though.

They are very pet like, and have great personalities, but will eat whatever they can stick into their mouths. They don't touch corals though, just anything that looks appetizing ( they are very creative in what they think is edible as well).

[fishoholic]

I had one for a few months but I ended up rehoming him. When I first got him he was very healthy and didn't have any ich on him at all. Unfortunately after 2 days of being in my tank he got completely covered in ich :surprise:

None of my other fish had any ich on them at the time I got him, but I knew my regal tang would get a few (2-4) ich spots every now and then (about every 3-4 months). The ich would last about 2-3 days and the regal tang would be ich free for awhile again.

Unfortunately the proc puffer I had stayed covered in ich the whole time I had him. After I few months I felt bad for him and I ended up giving him to a friend of mine, who luckily was able to keep him ich free in his tank.

As far as I know proc puffers will leave all types of corals alone but they will eat snails, and possibly crabs and shrimp and small fish. Your clowns would be fair game.

If you're wanting a puffer I would suggest a toby puffer. I love my little blue spot toby puffer and the two things I was most worried about (when deciding whether or not to get him) turned out I need not worry about. #1 He never got ich and #2 He hasn't nipped at anyone. At the store he came from he picked on/nipped at the frog fish but he's well behaved in my tank. It's probably because he's with large semi to very aggressive fish, but with the fish you have a toby puffer would most likely behave himself.

[naesco]

The ick magnet thing and the fact they get huge and buying a bigger tank just for him basically with no corals, as he grows up. Cute as baby's well you know. And then if he got really big then what. :sad: I would then need to try desperately to find as good a home if not better, oh so hard to do. So not fair for him. And I really really wanted one.

It is tough to make these decisions but we owe it to the creatures we keep to provide the optimum conditions for them
Way to go Leah

[whatcaneyedo]

I'm assuming that although no one has mentioned it yet, they would eat tridacna clams as well?