porcupine puffer compatibility

[salt_water_aqua]

I have a 6" porcupine puffer that I've quarantened for approx. 2 months (he went thru a bout of ick but now he's cured). He is eating very well, very alert, and looks good.

Question: I have a 500 gallon FOWLR tank with the following harmonious inhabitants - 3' snowflake eel, 2.5' zebra eel, 5" gray angel, 5" chrysurus angel, 5" blueface angel, 4" koran angel, 5" rectangular trigger, 7" guinea fowl puffer, 12" lionfish, 6" bird wrasse, 8" diameter cortez stingray, and a 12" broomtail wrasse. Do you think the porcupine puffer would make a compatible addition? I know that nothing's guaranteed, and I've heard that these puffer types are susceptable to ick, but if everyone settles in and gets along, I thought the tendency toward ick would be minimized and this puffer would make a good fit. What do you think?

[B.Pereira]

Personnally I dont know, but your tank in my head looks to cool for school could you upload some pics, sorry to be off topic I just want to see your tank

[julianp]

My porcupine puffer has never taken any interest in any other fish. The only time I ever had any fish-related problem with him was with a much smaller fish (1" clownfish) that tried to grab a bite of the puffer's shrimp just as he was lunging for it and thus was accidentally bitten. There's a pretty good chance you will have no issues with the stock list you have now. I'd just stay clear of adding any smaller, slower moving fish like clowns, gobies, etc.

I haven't witnessed this myself, but I've heard that porky's like to watch eels which I think is pretty hilarious.

[reefergeorge]

I think it would make a great addition. I also have a six ich porc, and my only problem with him was when he ate two of my clownfish.

[reefergeorge]

Sorry six inch, not six ich.

[JHemdal]

IMO - the mix will probably work out, but I wonder if the porc gets curious, if it might not bite at the eyes of the ray? Of course the angels and trigger have been known to do that as well, and your's obviously haven't. I've seen porcupines go after food and bite/kill another fish by accident, but dead is dead regardless of intentions(grin).

How long into the quarantine did the porc have Cryptocaryon? I always wait six weeks AFTER I've cured a fish before moving it out of quarantine...while this is probably me just being overly cautious, could it possibly more of an issue with a porcupine due to their propensity to get ick?

JHemdal

[julianp]

JHemdal:

I think that's very good advice! When my porc originally had cryptocaryon, I quarantined him for 4 weeks @1.009 and the ich returned within about 3 days of bringing the water back to 1.025. I ran hypo again for 6 weeks after all signs were gone (so a total of more like 6.5) and he has been fine ever since.

Ever since that day, I've been a big fan of 6 weeks as the "standard" for hyposalinity instead of 4.