Messy Dog Faced Puffer eats the new cleaning lady

[TexasDefender]

I have a 29 gallon tank with a 5" dog faced puffer. My doggie is a messy eater, and I wanted to help control nitrates, so I bought a brittle star today to clean up wasted food.

When my dog faced puffer met the new brittle star, he loved him. Positively ate him up.

Dog faced puffers with full tummies: 1
Brittle Stars: 0

:(
:cry_smile:

I share this so you will know if you have a dogface, don't let it share space with a brittle star.

[ErikH]

Or clams or most any invert.

[corruption]

...And will get up to close to a foot in length, fairly quickly...

http://www.fishbase.us/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6400

If you want any hope of keeping nitrates in check, you need larger quarters, and soon... a 5 inch specimen is quite a bioload, especially for a 29 gallon.

-Justin

[TexasDefender]

...And will get up to close to a foot in length, fairly quickly...

http://www.fishbase.us/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6400

If you want any hope of keeping nitrates in check, you need larger quarters, and soon... a 5 inch specimen is quite a bioload, especially for a 29 gallon.

-Justin

I have a new 150 gallon tank I am getting set up for that purpose. I know he's a bio-load every time I clean his green slime out of my protein skimmer But I've grown accustomed to him (a la My Fair Lady).

[corruption]

Good to hear you have larger captive spaces coming -- unfortunately you won't likely find much invert life that will survive here long term... even in the larger settings :)

At least in the larger home, the water volume and extra filtration will help in that regards! :D

-Justin

[TexasDefender]

To Corruption or anyone: Who can make good tankmates with a larger dog face puffer, once I get him moved to my new 150g? Current tankmates are green chromis and pajama cardinal fish. No hostility from the dog face toward them.

[ACE]

To Corruption or anyone: Who can make good tankmates with a larger dog face puffer, once I get him moved to my new 150g? Current tankmates are green chromis and pajama cardinal fish. No hostility from the dog face toward them.

I have had a DF Puffer in a tank with Purple Tangs, Triggers, Banana Wrasse (he was too fast for the puffer to eat, but he did eat a cleaner wrasse). Things he ate are all inverts, mushroom corals, and any food items offered. Puffers are actually quite tame and intelligent. And Corruption is right, a 29G is WAY too small for a DF Puffer, set up the larger tank as soon as possible. If not, you will battle ich.