is porcupine puffer compatible with bubletip anenome??

sensei · Sep 16, 2018

I have a FOWLR with several fish among a puffer.
puffer eats like a pig. It even bites my figer if I am not carefull, so it makes me think that an anemone with not survive in a tank with puffer, but I am not sure if some people have had experience having both in same tank??

thanks

ndrwater · Sep 16, 2018

Generally, I would say no, but let's ask our resident fish expert @eatbreakfast
I know I personally trust his judgements

94Roarge · Sep 16, 2018

Imo it should be fine

jasonrusso · Sep 16, 2018

I'd say no. I have a reef tank and a predator Fowler (with a porcupine). I have put some clippings in the Fowler (pulsing xenia, green polyps) as a test and it was a big failure!!! He ate both of them. I can't imagine what he would do with a swaying around anemone.

nereefpat · Sep 16, 2018

I wouldn't trust a porcupine puffer with any inverts I cared about.

If you can get a cheap small bta (some folks are overrun with them. Check a local club if you have one), then it might be worth a shot.

eatbreakfast · Sep 17, 2018

I've kept the 2 together without issue. If the bubblw tip is in first and doing well the puffer should avoid the anemone. However, as stated above, a puffer will take exploratory bites of anything new.

Also, make sure that the flow isn't too high so that the puffer can be sure to avoid the anemone.

BradB · Sep 17, 2018

This might work better with a clown fish. Obviously the clown fish has to be large enough the puffer won't eat it.

nereefpat · Sep 17, 2018

Porc puffers get huge, fyi...big enough to chomp a clownfish like a Cheeto.

sensei · Sep 17, 2018

eatbreakfast said:
I've kept the 2 together without issue. If the bubblw tip is in first and doing well the puffer should avoid the anemone. However, as stated above, a puffer will take exploratory bites of anything new.

Also, make sure that the flow isn't too high so that the puffer can be sure to avoid the anemone.

The puffer is already in the FOWLR and I have no anenome now, I have a Gold Nugget Maroon in tank and I was thiking in adding the bbt anenome for him.
I have two Mp40s and several other pumps in tank , why do you make that observation about the flow??
do you think that adding the bbt is worth a try??

thanks a lot

4FordFamily · Sep 17, 2018

I think you’ll be fine

eatbreakfast · Sep 18, 2018

There is no guarantee that the clown will host in the anemone. But it should be ok.

sensei · Sep 18, 2018

thanks a lot for your answers. I will try and see how it goes

AdamNC · Sep 18, 2018

If the Clown takes to the anemone, it will defend it against anything.

LiveRockmia · Feb 27, 2019

So did you try it?

Jon Fishman · Feb 27, 2019

AdamNC said:
If the Clown takes to the anemone, it will defend it against anything.

It can "Try" to defend against a full-grown Porcupine Puffer...... but I can tell you who will win that fight.

It may not bother the Anemone, but any clowns you put in there will be just expensive food.

eatbreakfast · Feb 28, 2019

Jon Fishman said:
It can "Try" to defend against a full-grown Porcupine Puffer...... but I can tell you who will win that fight.

It may not bother the Anemone, but any clowns you put in there will be just expensive food.

Although smaller, clowns are faster and more agile than a puffer.

The op already has a clown with the puffer. The two can be kept together.

LiveRockmia · Feb 28, 2019

But did the puffer bother the bubbletip anemone at all? Any nipping?

sensei · Feb 28, 2019

the nem I was going to put in the tank got stock in a power head, so could not try last year.
The other nem I have in another tank already splited so I will try soon and let you know.

LiveRockmia · Feb 28, 2019

Thanks. Saw a tiny tiny porcupine puffer about the size of half a pinky finger. Im so compelled to get it for my anemone tank. But the tank is overrun with bubbletips

jasonrusso · Feb 28, 2019

Jon Fishman said:
It can "Try" to defend against a full-grown Porcupine Puffer...... but I can tell you who will win that fight.

It may not bother the Anemone, but any clowns you put in there will be just expensive food.

My porcupine puffer is in a tank with a small angler, small lion, and bi color angel. He never pays any attention to them. Puffers are not fish eaters by nature.

If it is defending itself, that's a different story.