Quote:
Originally Posted by Salmon King
Since I put my mappa puffer in my 255 afew of the fish nip at the puffers tail.I was wondering if it/s responce to the puffer being a predater in the wild.Anybody have the same thing happen to them.
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Yuppers.
People seem to think that Puffers are really aggressive fish, look big and tough but really they are fragile fish. They are only aggressive with getting food only when they have to fight for it amoung other tankmates, other then that they are fragile. They don't do well in a tank that is busy with fast moving fish as they swim slow. They get picked on by Tangs, wrasse, eels, etc. Puffers are loner fish that seem to do better with other slow moving fragile fish, scaleless, lionfish, cowfish and same size puffers to name a few. They also dont handle fast moving current in the tank and will get stuck to powerheads and pumps super easy. Making them IMO fragile fish.
I have had many puffers with different fish (tangs, clowns, wrasse, eels, etc.), it seems the puffers tails was always the first target.
Over the years, the puffer being my fav, I ended up just realizing he pretty much needed his own tank to be happy & live longer. His only other tankmate is another lil puffer. Although it seems like a huge tank for just two puffers, they have never been happier and the king of their tank.
You will have to watch your Mappa closely. If they are continuing to nip his tail, it could turn foggy meaning sign of infection. You will have to make the decision to get rid of your Puffy, start another tank for him or remove nipping tankmates. Sometimes moving rock around can help break up territories.
Best of luck.