Porcupine Puffer

[fyrfytr]

So my wife has convinced me that we need to get a porcupine puffer. Yes I know, tank size and the like...but I am hoping that will encourage her to let me get a bigger tank, or she will go on the "foster fish" way and we will keep the tank we have now and when they get to big for it trade out for something new.

ANYWAYS....

I have been looking into the fish and have found some mixed information. So I am here for help, current and past porcupine owners.

LED lights...yes or no?
Messy eaters...sine you need to give them shells and the like, what do you do for a CUC?
Corals...cool addition or expensive puffer food?
Food...obviously a mixed diet, but of what?
Krill...puffer crack?


Thanks in advance

 

[AlexG]

My wife is the same way she wants a porcupine puffer. Unfortunately I am not willing to accept the risk of a puffer in a reef. I am going to setup a fo with lr in my next house. That way we can have a reef and a fo again. Puffers will eat inverts and might sample corals.

sent from T-Mobile GSIII

 

[650-IS350]

from my own personal experience I got a baby porc puffer rougly 1" which was housed with nano fish, gum drop gobies, green banded gobies, citron goby, yellow watchman, 2 juvi picasso clowns all fish were less then 1.25" in my 37 cube.

My puffer i trained to eat from my hand baby krill then as he got bigger fed him frozen cubes and large freeze dried krill. He was the most peacefull fish I had, didn't bother any of the nano fish even during feeding. He was my puppy, would see me coming home as I entered the condo from all the way across the other side of the condo... he would start rubbing his face on the front aquarium pane, like a happy puppy till I came over to feed him. I would put my hand in the tank to work on Z's and P's with no fear of being bitten. He was also very instrumental in teaching my .75" baby humuhumu to be docile and NOT touch anything in the tank and wait to be fed by me nor touch my hand either. Both puffer and humu were very docile and never touched corals either. Baby porc grew to about 3" which was imo' getting to big for the 37cube,

He also never touched my hermits nor my snails. He did love frozen grass shrimp when he got to 3" size.

I bought it cause the wife wanted both. Unfortunately one night after eating too much which was a week or 2 before i was planning to donate him to a bigger home, during its sleep it wandered to one of my maxi carpets which took out my puppy Puffer. Even after the puffer passed, the humu continued its good behavior. Lost my humu to ich which also took out rest of my fish except my 3 nano fish, baby mystery and baby purple tang. Till now the wife and I really miss our 2 favorite fish, I can't bear to get another humu nor puffer as too saddened by their loss.

 

[hybridazn]

I've had a porc puffer for going on 7 years now. He was in a 6' 120 gallon but I am in the process of buffing it down so he is currently in my 55 gallon qt. he is about 8-9" long. Would I put him in my sps dominant reef? No, he always tries to take a bite out of anything in the tank. Not only is he a sloppy eater, but an aggressive one. He lunges at the food and this has been proven fatal. He killed my male maroon clown by doing this.

Feeding a puffer a steady diet of freeze dried krill will eventually lead to lock jaw and then Possible death. I would only use it on a newly acquired puffer to get to eat. I feed mine a steady diet of fresh uncooked shrimp soaked in vita chem. I have heard that they will also eat scallops but mine doesn't even look at it. Every so often I will feed him a live crawfish or some type or crab just to keep him entertained.

 

[okayamapiper]

I've kept puffers over the years. They need to wear down their teeth or risk lockjaw. I net mine at night where they eat barnacles and shellfish growing on the dock. Mine chewed on some SPS and nibbled on my brain coral so he went back to the dock. CUC will become tasty snacks.

 

[650-IS350]

never had mine nip on corals or any tank inhabitant.

 

[kv2wr1]

I have had my porcupine puffer a little over a year. When I got him he was about 3 inches. He is now 6-7 inches and fat (they grow fast). I started out feeding him 1-2 times a day mysis and krill soaked in slecon and vita-chem as this was the only thing he would eat. Now he eats more of a variety of things such as clams on the half shell, scallops, squid, table shrimp and what not. He will sometimes chomp on the live rock as I notice little pieces here and there. I have heard of some people offering cuttlebone (the kind for birds without vitamins added) to file down their teeth. I never had any problems with his teeth. Mine is in a 180g fowlr. He doesn't cause any problems with the other fish. He does get a little excited when feeding time comes. No clean up crew since he would eat them.

 

[fyrfytr]

So could I cut down frozen table shrimp? Thaw it out and soak it in vita chem?

 

[hybridazn]

So could I cut down frozen table shrimp? Thaw it out and soak it in vita chem?

Yes. Just make sure it is uncooked. I usually can get 4-5 pieces out of one shrimp for my puffer. It makes it easier to eat and won't create as much waste

 

[jokervueboi]

My PP puffer loves to eat Instant Ocean Brine Shrimp gel. So i give to him once in a while for a treat. Other than that thawed out krill. He doesn't even touch my CUC or corals. 2 years and on going!