Landscaping for my Dog Faced Puffer

[DogglesPuffer]

Hello to all....I am new to these forums and also new to saltwater aquariums. We have a 300 gallon reef tank (will post pics soon for some suggestions...it's a work in progress so please be kind and we just had to move out my beloved Dog Faced Puffer into another tank. We moved him into a 50 gallon tank with just some live rock....I made a little arch for him to swim under and he has a few little dark places to hide but I really, really want to make him comfortable...I'm open to any suggestions. I'm not really sure what kind of fish I can put with him, or even what kind of landscaping I can put....in terms of live stuff like anemones and feather dusters.....as I said...I'm a total newbie....but I want to build him a great tank.....please help

 

[leebca]

Probably the best advice I could provide is to first move the fish to a tank that is no less than 100 gallons. These fish grow to over 12 inches in length and, unless it is currently under 3" that tank is too small for it.

In a 100g tank, it might be fine with an eel and a few other choices I'll let you discover, but you still don't want to overcrowd that tank. The 100g would be the home for the puffer (period).

Once in the properly sized display, you can landscape it with more rock (doesn't have to be live rock) and structures that are open (like the arch) for the fish to maneuver around and through.

 

[DogglesPuffer]

Hello and thanks for the advice....He's still a juvenile (I think that's the word to use) and not more than 2 inches right now....I was hoping he would be ok in there for only a few months until we get our new place and then I'd definitely get him a bigger and permanent home. I'll get started on that bigger tank search right away though....I definitely don't want to suffer him in a tank that is too small. Thanks again.

 

[luke33]

Yep, definately needs a larger tank. I had one in a 125 for a few yrs and i felt that was to small. Very cool fish btw though. As far as corals they can live with........green star polyps were the only one i ever saw do ok with mine. It killed anything else that hitchiked or I added, including colt coral, xenia, shrooms, zoa's, and i'd never stick a nem in with one as they are for sure going to die. SPS, lps.......pretty much nothing can live with a DFP. Its pry the worst fish at eating corals or picking at them i've ever come across.

 

[DogglesPuffer]

Yep, definately needs a larger tank. I had one in a 125 for a few yrs and i felt that was to small. Very cool fish btw though. As far as corals they can live with........green star polyps were the only one i ever saw do ok with mine. It killed anything else that hitchiked or I added, including colt coral, xenia, shrooms, zoa's, and i'd never stick a nem in with one as they are for sure going to die. SPS, lps.......pretty much nothing can live with a DFP. Its pry the worst fish at eating corals or picking at them i've ever come across.

Oh no....that's terrible news! He seems so lonely but he can't live with anything....

 

[luke33]

He can live with other fish : ) Just not corals.

 

[DogglesPuffer]

lol. ok yes....other fish. but i wanted to put in some pretty things for him...(to look at...not eat! thanks guys...