Let's see your Toby Puffers!

[small alien]

Hey Kids. I recently introduced a small Papuan bluespot toby to the DT after some time in QT. Surprisingly, my OSFF's picked on it a bit. I don't think they liked another orange snout in the tank. But everyone's mellowing. The Toby Puffers are such cool little fish. Here's a few pics of mine. Let's see yours, too!

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/smallalien/2012-03-20_15-13-34_799.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/smallalien/2012-03-20_15-14-04_756.jpg

http://i300.photobucket.com/albums/nn4/smallalien/2012-03-20_15-13-40_915.jpg

[rssjsb]

I have one just like it (no pics right now) and love it. Do you know how to distinguish this fish from c. solandri? I can't tell which one I've got.

Also, do you have any shrimp in your tank? I'd like to move mine to my main display but haven't because of my two cleaner shrimp.

[small alien]

Hey there, Robin. No, I don't know how to tell the difference. So maybe I have solandri. It is such a charming little fish. Mine's only about 2 inches with caudal fin. I do have one cleaner shrimp and I noticed it's antennae are looking a lot shorter than usual. Do you suppose it's the Toby? If it is, so it goes I guess. I do like cleaner shrimps but my fish don't rely on their services and my tank is "fish first", corals and other inverts second.

[Breadman03]

I love the false eye! The true eye is very well camouflaged and even the body shape doesn't clearly define head vs. tail.

[small alien]

True!

Mine is so funny at night, it sort of sticks itself to the aquarium silicon like a little slug. And it gets grey/white banding. I hope I don't have trouble with over-grown teeth. Puffer dentistry is not on my list of desirable activities. I read Dr. Thaler's article about them in Coral some time ago. She suggested small foods like cyclopeeze that they have to pick out of the rocks and thereby wear down their teeth. So, I am trying to do that.

[Monkeyfish]

Are you worried about any aggression from the Toby? I've always wanted one, but was concerned with their rep for nipping. I'm afraid it would harrass my tassled filefish. Even though he's almost 8 inches long he's still a big baby.

[blennielove]

I love the Tobies too but didn't think they were "reef safe" as they would eat the CUCs and then ofcourse, I was told that it would go and bite the tails of my PBT and Emperor Angel...

[clowntriggerfis]

I have a C. solondri and I love him
Here is mine:
http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n587/clowntriggerfis2/IMG_5909.jpg
http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n587/clowntriggerfis2/IMG_5913.jpg
http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n587/clowntriggerfis2/IMG_5915.jpg

[rssjsb]

True!

Mine is so funny at night, it sort of sticks itself to the aquarium silicon like a little slug. And it gets grey/white banding. I hope I don't have trouble with over-grown teeth. Puffer dentistry is not on my list of desirable activities. I read Dr. Thaler's article about them in Coral some time ago. She suggested small foods like cyclopeeze that they have to pick out of the rocks and thereby wear down their teeth. So, I am trying to do that. FWIW, I've had mine for two or three years and have never had an issue with his/her teeth. I had to trim a dogface puffer's teeth before and it was sort of scary but not really a big deal.

[Bnortz]

FWIW, I've had mine for two or three years and have never had an issue with his/her teeth. I had to trim a dogface puffer's teeth before and it was sort of scary but not really a big deal.

How would one trim a fish's teeth?

[rssjsb]

You sedate them with clove oil, then use clippers to snip their teeth down. Sounds barbaric, but sometimes their teeth get so long they can no longer open their mouths well enough to eat. They tolerate the procedure relatively well and eat immediately after the anesthesia effect wears off.

[Daniel Reef]

You sedate them with clove oil, then use clippers to snip their teeth down. Sounds barbaric, but sometimes their teeth get so long they can no longer open their mouths well enough to eat. They tolerate the procedure relatively well and eat immediately after the anesthesia effect wears off.
A video of the procedure would be interesting.

[Fishfirst]

Small Alien, it appears you have C. papua

[rssjsb]

A video of the procedure would be interesting. There may well be a video out there somewhere on the interwebs, but I don't have the dogface anymore, so I won't be making one.

Small Alien, it appears you have C. papua How can you tell? Solandri and papua look very similar to my eye.

[Daniel Reef]

Thanks, Robin. I found a video.

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/7dI3j3zpWYg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[small alien]

A video of the procedure would be interesting.

Redundant post.

[small alien]

Small Alien, it appears you have C. papua

The dorsal eye spot is much clearer on mine it appears. Is that the difference?

[small alien]

Are you worried about any aggression from the Toby? I've always wanted one, but was concerned with their rep for nipping. I'm afraid it would harrass my tassled filefish. Even though he's almost 8 inches long he's still a big baby.

We shall see. I would be concerned a little about Mr. Tassel Face. Hopefully mine will be chill. He'll definitely be well fed in my tank so hopefully that will deter him or her from eating cuc and nibbling its fishey tank mates. As long as it doesn't hassle the other fish, I'm okay with loosing some shrimp and hermits. That's life in the sea. Fish are off limits.

[small alien]

I have a C. solondri and I love him.

very pretty fish. Thanks for sharing. How big is yours now?

[spotfin]

I would use MS-222 instead of eugenol.

[clowntriggerfis]

very pretty fish. Thanks for sharing. How big is yours now?

Thank you. He is about 3 inches.