I do love a fish expedition 👀😂
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Nano fish advice please!
- Thread starter SueC
- Start date
MirandaB
Member
Pea puffers really need a group,you could keep one on its own but personally I wouldn't 🙂Oh come on guys, you can’t beat a pea puffer !!
I might be bias as I love puffer fish
seedoubleyou
Member
They’re completely fine being alone, yes they can be found in shoals in the wild. But this is a defence against predation.
Dogs are pack animals yet we keep them solitary.
A single pea puffer well fed, and with a well planted tank to keep it stimulated is a happy puffer.
seedoubleyou
Member
Absolutely not irrelevant. It’s the exact same context. You’re humanising and putting human emotion on something that thinks differently.
As already said, puffers shoal becasue it offers protection from predation.
They’re perfectly fine as a single species, they’re extremely intelligent and inquisitive little fish, so providing your tank gives good stimulation, they have a few snails to hunt and are fed well. You’re left with a very happy little fish.
However if you’ve kept many puffer species yourself from freshwater to marine and everything in between, both in shoals and as singles. Then I’ll be happy for you to correct me.
ScareCrow
Member
Hi @SueC lovely tank, that crypt is really nice.
I think the tank is too small for kuhlis as they need to be in groups and need plenty of cover to feel safe. They should be shrimp safe though, they're not the best hunters. Unless they happen to fall mouth first on to food they're unlikely to get it.
Personally I'd add the shrimp, wait for the population to increase and then add fish. That way assuming you are feeding the fish they physically won't be able to make a significant dent in your shrimp numbers. I'm not suggesting over feeding but lining there stomach with a bread roll equivalent before you let them loose on the all you can eat shrimp buffet.
We keep other shoaling fish in groups for this reason. They shoal in the wild for protection and to make them feel secure. Although puffers seem to recognise people, they still have that natural fear of being predated, so keeping them in groups would help reduce this.
With regards to marine tobies, triggers, puffers and brackish puffers. It depends on the species. Some are found in shoals, others are solitary. Some come together to breed in large groups and some only in pairs.
I think the problem with puffers is that unlike other shoaling fish that sort out their hierarchical disputes without causing much damage, puffers are armed with a sharp beak and it doesn't take much to do serious damage with it. So it's easier to keep them singly to avoid disputes and harm to conspecifics. Whether that's a problem or the lesser of the two 'evils' I don't know.
I don't have dog(s) but worked in a kennel as a teenager. They certainly show different behaviour in groups. I wouldn't keep them in a tank though. Even though it looks like this guy does.
I think the tank is too small for kuhlis as they need to be in groups and need plenty of cover to feel safe. They should be shrimp safe though, they're not the best hunters. Unless they happen to fall mouth first on to food they're unlikely to get it.
Personally I'd add the shrimp, wait for the population to increase and then add fish. That way assuming you are feeding the fish they physically won't be able to make a significant dent in your shrimp numbers. I'm not suggesting over feeding but lining there stomach with a bread roll equivalent before you let them loose on the all you can eat shrimp buffet.
The Bristol (Keynsham) MH had Oryzias woworae a couple of months ago.
I only kept pea puffers in a trio, as I like to try and breed the fish I keep, so can't comment on them being kept singly. Also I'm not an animal behaviourist or Dr Dolittle so can't be certain about how happy a fish is but in response to the above.
We keep other shoaling fish in groups for this reason. They shoal in the wild for protection and to make them feel secure. Although puffers seem to recognise people, they still have that natural fear of being predated, so keeping them in groups would help reduce this.
With regards to marine tobies, triggers, puffers and brackish puffers. It depends on the species. Some are found in shoals, others are solitary. Some come together to breed in large groups and some only in pairs.
I think the problem with puffers is that unlike other shoaling fish that sort out their hierarchical disputes without causing much damage, puffers are armed with a sharp beak and it doesn't take much to do serious damage with it. So it's easier to keep them singly to avoid disputes and harm to conspecifics. Whether that's a problem or the lesser of the two 'evils' I don't know.
I don't have dog(s) but worked in a kennel as a teenager. They certainly show different behaviour in groups. I wouldn't keep them in a tank though. Even though it looks like this guy does.
PARAGUAY
Member
I think dogs think of us as part of the pack but two legged versions
seedoubleyou
Member
@ScareCrow 
That did make me laugh. (As words are often taken wrong, laugh in a good way)
With 95% of things in this hobby, we can only speak for our experience.
I’ve kept a lot of puffer fish and done a lot of reading on the puffer forum (lots of advice from marine biologist) if that means anything I don’t know.
I think ultimately for anyone, if you don’t want to keep a fish singularly, then don’t.
I will say though, you saying you don’t know if your fish are happy, do you not feel morally wrong then keeping a living animal you’re not even sure is happy in your care?
That did make me laugh. (As words are often taken wrong, laugh in a good way)With 95% of things in this hobby, we can only speak for our experience.
I’ve kept a lot of puffer fish and done a lot of reading on the puffer forum (lots of advice from marine biologist) if that means anything I don’t know.
I think ultimately for anyone, if you don’t want to keep a fish singularly, then don’t.
I will say though, you saying you don’t know if your fish are happy, do you not feel morally wrong then keeping a living animal you’re not even sure is happy in your care?
seedoubleyou
Member
I’m just teasing with the above. I’m not aiming to be difficult.
We only ever do what we think is best in this hobby, and hope we provide the best care, the behaviour our fish display is always the best indicator to how we’re doing.
We’ll agree to disagree, but agree that we all only do what we feel is right.
We only ever do what we think is best in this hobby, and hope we provide the best care, the behaviour our fish display is always the best indicator to how we’re doing.
We’ll agree to disagree, but agree that we all only do what we feel is right.
ScareCrow
Member
Yep, it's a constant moral struggle I have with myself. The amount of time I spend checking requirements, double checking requirements, verifying what I've read is correct, is shocking.
Part of the reason I like breeding fish is that I feel at least I'm giving something back, especially with wild caught species.
The best thing I heard when keeping marines was "my hobby is keeping animals in a box and glueing them to pieces of rock". It is an odd thing to do when you think about it.
seedoubleyou
Member
The hobby definitely needs more breeders I can say that much for certain