Just thinking. . .

cms722

Reefing newb
So I don't have fish yet, but I am thinking about different options. I was curious. If I wanted to have some kind of puffer, or dwarf lionfish, what kind of clean up crew would stil be good to have with them? I know that puffers have beaks so they need crustaceans to keep it in check and lions eat almost anything, but are there things that I can put in there that would still help? Or is the idea of a clean up crew with these types of fish a lost cause lol.
 
I thought urchins were pretty cool. They're not too hard to take care of? And what if I made sure the puffer was fed well. Like with the kind of crustaceans he needed so he would leave any others I have in the tank alone? Do they go after all of them or just the ones that are small enough for them to eat. Wondering if they were bigger if they would be left alone.
 
The puffer would definitely go for any vulnerable crustacean sooner or later. Its just in their nature. Its just best to not risk wasting money on puffer food. Urchins are too hard to take care of. If your water quality is bad you'll find the urchin loosing spines.
 
Must puffers need more than 55 gallons but a saddle puffer wold be okay. I guess the it would eat this?



I guess it's to big for you tank anyway.

"Only for the very largest of reefs (Public Aquarium) with very stable structure, touch tanks, or large fish only with live rock tanks. (FOWLRs)"

And urchins aren't that hard to take care of...
 
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I know lions eat pretty much any fish that can fit in their mouth, but they don't eat the crabs or snails right?
 
I'm gonna have to look into it more then. I don't want to spend a bunch of money on little critters for my tank just to have them turn into food one day when I put the lion or puffer in there lol. That is, if I do decide to put them in there. But I really WANT them hehe.
 
Well, you should feed your puffer snails or other hard shelled critters everyone once in a while because they need it to wear their beak down.
 
I have a puffer and huma triger, both crab eaters. There was a hermitt and a salley in there before I added those fish, they are still around. But I added 10 hermitts and 3 snails later and by day three they are all gone. My fish are well fed but when the lights go out the puffer is on the move. I don't know why they don't eat the orignial ones but for some reason they don't bother them. Some day I believe they will change their mind. I believe it is OhNo that has a few triggers and he adds hermitts for them every once in a while.
 
I have a Niger Trigger. Any invert I added before him is still alive (snails, hermits, and a couple emeralds). He has eaten every invert I added after, with the exception of my skunk cleaner. You have a better chance with the shrimp with white antennas, as they are broadcasting "do not eat me! I will clean you!". Still not a guarantee, but my trigger and cleaner have been together for almost a year now with no incident.
 
That's good to know. Maybe its just that they sense that they've been there longer and have already kind of staked their claim to the tank? Lol so maybe if they're big enough when I put the puffer in there then he'll get they're not supposed to be food. And that shrimp you're talking about Erin is the one I want! So maybe it'll all work out.
 
Well, I had a lionfish and puffer in a 40g, and all I had was an abalone because the others didnt last long.
 
You just totally popped my bubble lol. I know its hit or miss with puffers and lions. But I love them both. Maybe I'll just do my reef tank and then someday when I have the money to upgrade I'll do some sort of predator tank. Ooooh the ideas hehe
 
I have a Niger Trigger. Any invert I added before him is still alive (snails, hermits, and a couple emeralds). He has eaten every invert I added after, with the exception of my skunk cleaner. You have a better chance with the shrimp with white antennas, as they are broadcasting "do not eat me! I will clean you!". Still not a guarantee, but my trigger and cleaner have been together for almost a year now with no incident.

One of my favorite fish :Cheers:
 
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