FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Ok, so my two little figure 8 puffers are together in a 10 gallon tank. One of them has chose to get EXTREMELY territorial and chases the other one away from the food! I can't move one to the other tank because it will pick on the Sleeper goby! What should I do?

Well, based on what i know, i think the sleeper might just eat the puffer, depending on its size. If the sleeper can get away though, im sure it will be fine. What sleeper have you? If the 10 gallon is a show tank, then dont do this, but i think you should add a divider to it. If it is a show, then feed on both of the sides with a heavier food that wont drift away to the other side. If problem persists, then maybe you can do the divider, or add territories for them to guard. If they are of the opposite gender, then they might be breeding(doubt it though). Are they chasing Each Other around? Maybe the tank is too small. Overall, the problem isnt too bad, unless they are fighting. Im sure the puffers wont pick on the goby if it is a reasonable sized tank. Try some new things to get a feel of the problem, then asess it using your creative part of your mind(all people have it, its just that they dont use it. LOL)

><> ~=!Vote Today!=~ <><
-----> View My Dragons <-----

Well the goby is in a different tank than the puffers so he is fine. Maybe they are breeding cause they re a boy and a girl. The girl curls up and sleeps ALOT and just lays around the tank and the boy chases her away from the food.....CONFUSING!

If he is chasing her from the foodd I doubt they are bredding, but I'm not really knowledgable in breeding figure eight puffers. But I do know that a 10 gallon is a bit small for two figure eights. Even though they are small now they well get bigger and I would go with at least a 25-30 gallon for both of them.

Basic problem here is that although figure of 8's are tiny, they really need more space for their territorial requirements than a 10 gallon.Every time I say puffers need roomy tanks I get talked down by some nerk saying that its fine to keep them in a tank that small.This is a classic and often repeated example why, despite the size, they need roomy acommodation. Biologically its fine to keep a puffer in a small tank, and behaviorally it isnt depending on sex and individual personality.

The only real solution is to split them up or upgrade the tank to a much larger one. I think putting a divider in a 10 gal would be acceptable to stop them fighting for a few days , but its not a real solution. Basically each puffer will want roughly a cubic foot or two of space each. Thats a 20 gallon for two and larger would be better. You can try adding as many visual barriers as possible , but even that might not work.

You might also have to consider that your puffers might no longer be compatible at all, sometimes they do seem to take personal dislikes to one another. These fish can fatally wound each other with the utmost ease, so consider permanent segregation seriously.

Puffers can be a tricky fish to keep. The best solution would be another 20g or larger tank and put tons of decorations in. The more rocks, driftwood, real or fake plants, etc... that you put in the tank the less likely they are to pick on each other. They define their territory by the objects in the tank and if you have an empty tank(even a big empty tank) each one will try to claim the entire tank as their own. You can try adding things to the 10g and see if they get along but the more agressive one will still probably try to claim the whole tank.