Twin spot puffer

I just got a twin spot puffer this past weekend and I am in love with him!!!! He is currently about 2 inches long...from what I have read he will get to be 5-6 inches.

I would just like to hear from anyone who has experience specifically with the twin spot puffer...or target puffer. What things should I be aware of? What experiences have people had with their twin spot puffers? Do they live alone? Has anyone tried tank mates? I tried ottos....he ate them both. I had read that ottos were decent tank mates...but that may have been for the dwarf puffers and not the twin spot puffer. I had been researching both of them, so I don't remember for sure!!

What are their personalities like? Do they like to move around much? Mine spends an equal amount of time sitting on the bottom or swimming around up high. I put a lot of tall plants in there because I read that they like to swim between the plants and stuff (I still haven't doven into real plants yet)

What kind of foods to they most enjoy? I tried little tiny snails but he didn't seem interested. I also tried frozen bloodworms...no luck. Maybe he is still getting used to things.

Any info, any fun stories, any advice would be very appreciated!! there is only so much I can find using google. And I want to hear from people who have had experience with them! Thanks all!!

 

Congrats on the find, I hear they are somewhat rare! I personally don't have one, or know anyone that does, but I'm sure the Puffer Forum has some people with experience with them. I believe it's a lurker, and those are mainly piscivorous fish. You're lucky you got him so small. I would love to grow a puffer out! Have you had a puffer before?

Has it been trying to burrow in your substrate? What is it eating? Typically lurkers aren't very active, but my palembang will be active a good amount of time if I'm around (not as much as my others though). I don't know about their teeth situation but if they are like other lurkers they don't grow fast at all. The thing with puffers and tank mates...you just never know. It's always a risk, even if it's not an aggression/territory problem, they might just nip or eat something. It was definitely the pea puffers you heard about with ottos. If you reallllly want to try, start with something reasonably sized and cheap (may want to QT 1st). It is fun to watch them hunt down things though. I'll recommend live ghost shrimp. They'll help clean up and when the puffer gets one they'll swallow it whole! Listen for the crunch too, it's crazy. Any worm or shrimp usually does the job for job. If you want to see him go nuts and help with their growth, get some earthworms. Give him time to break in to. All my puffers have had different situations and tastes, that even changed with time.

I look forward to seeing pictures and updates on this little guy! Their designs are beautiful.

 

I was hoping to hear from you MJDutI !

One thing that I really enjoyed watching was how much he enjoyed the bubbles. he kept on positioning himself right over the bubbles and let the bubbles shoot him up and then he would swim back down and reposition himself over the bubbles and kept doing that over and over. It was so cute. And sometimes he just sits by the bottom of the bubbler and just seems to enjoy having the bubbles go over his face. (in other words, he was choosing to float up with the bubbles each time, because he was totally capable of staying on the bottom and enjoying the bubbles down there!)

The face of a puffer is to die for!! His face looks like he has a permanent smirk. LOL Not a full blown smile, just a cute little smirk!

His name is Bullseye by the way. His two twin spots are red with a black outline. I chose him because the other twin spot puffers in the tank with him did not have red spots. They were solid black spots. I liked his red spots. And of course the eyes looking in different directions. I just love watching him!

I tried the snails by going to petsmart and having them give me, for free, the little snails the end up with in the bags with the fish they order. The ones that are invasive. I figured if I put a couple of those in his tank, they will multiply and he will have a non stop supply of food. But I ended up taking them out when he wasn't interested and I got afraid of the snails taking over the tank! So I decided to scratch that idea.

I think I will get a few ghost shrimp. I have a HUGE number of baby dwarf crayfish right now. (in other tanks) And there is a part of me that is thinking....circle of life....maybe I should let him have some of the baby crayfish (since I have way too many to even sell) population control...right? My daughter won't let me though. She loves the crayfish and the idea of making them be food for the puffer makes her furious!

I didn't realize they were rare. I had never seen one before...so I guess I am not suprised!! But they had a tank with about 5-6 of them and no one was buying them! They looked so miserable in there. So I had to bring one home, especially since I have been wanting one for so long!!! I did a lot of research first, but still want to know more! Especially from those who have experience with puffers.

I will post pictures when I get a good shot of him!!

 

No tankmates, please. They will be eaten.

From your description, it sounds like you have a M. Turgidus (or, less likely, a Fangs puffer, M. Cochinchinensis). Turgidus are indeed lurkers, as MJDutI pointed out. Activity level varies from fish to fish. They prefer low-light conditions and might hide from bright light.

They can be picky about food, especially when acclimating to a new environment. They are not piscivores, though they will eat fish (it's not a great diet for them, too fatty and not enough crunch). Hit up the seafood department of your local market and try mussels, uncooked shell-on shrimp, or clams.

Feed thawed frozen krill in moderation, as it has been reported to cause lockjaw. However, it can be a great way to get a picky puff eating, as it's kind of the equivalent of "puffer crack."

Make sure your tank has at least a couple good hiding spaces (caves, tunnels) or the puffer may become stressed. Looking forward to photos!

 

Bullseye

 

MollyPolooza made a good point. I'm not good at identifying these types of puffers. I was actually reading something earlier about how there are so many variations in body color and markings with these species that they are really tough to tell apart. However, they are similar is most things from size to tank requirements to food, etc. And he is also correct in saying frozen krill is "puffer crack". Don't know what it is, but I have also read conflicting things on the whole lockjaw issue. I use it as a treat maybe 1x week at most.

You'll have to get a video of him doing the bubble thing! And it's sad that people don't pay them any attention in the store. IMO it's because they are aren't super colorful or they're not the typical round chubby "cute" puffer. They're just different.

 

You'll have to get a video of him doing the bubble thing! .

Let me know if the link works!!

 

WARNING: Cuteness. Overload. (Yep, the link worked!)

 

He is lovely

 

Eeeek, he loves those bubbles! Adorable!

99.9% sure that's a Monotrete Turgidus you have there. Sometimes known as "turds."

 

Yes, cute!

 

Bullseye

Super cute! <3

 

how's the feeding going?

 

how's the feeding going?

Horrible actually.....I got him last saturday, so it will be a week tomorrow. I still haven't seen him eat. I have only been able to try what I had on hand. Which includes, frozen bloodworms, frozen brine shrimp, flakes, shrimp pellets, tiny snails and even a 2 week old baby dwarf crayfish (that was not easy for me, but I have a LOT of babies and was desperate to get him to eat) That dwarf cray might actually be able to survive with the amount of hiding places there are...and how tiny the cray is. LOL I will have to watch for him because if I do find him alive...I will take him out. He will be a lucky little crayfish!

So this weekend I will have to go out and see what else I can find for him. What do you suggest I try first? Do you think he would normally like any of the stuff I gave him? Because I am wondering if he is still getting use to things and that is why he isn't eating.....

Thanks for checking in!! Please let me know what you think I should do! Thanks!!

 

geez, how's his stomach looking? Don't bother with the flakes or shrimp pellets, even if eaten they don't have any nutritional value for puffers. If you can eventually get him on frozen bloodworms that'd be great, and easy, and cheap. So save those.

For suggestions now, just the ones mentioned previously:
*ghost shrimp - you can gutload them and just throw them in for him to hunt. may get him excited. and if he doesn't eat them right away they will help clean the tank slightly. should be able to find them in pet stores fairly easily
*Earthworms - get these. He should go after them, and will definitely help with growth. Just go to any store that sells bait
*frozen krill - or "puffer crack". once they get a taste they go crazy for it. once again, pretty easy to find in any freezer in pet stores
*frozen silversides - they're fairly big and can make a mess, but it's a different route if nothing else is working.

you should invest in some feeding tongs. that way you can hold the food in front of the puffer, move it to make it look alive, etc. Also if you starve a fish long enough, and it's healthy, it will eat eventually.

 

I'd definitely try the krill first. Don't get him hooked on fish -- it's fatty and not good for him. M. Turgidus are not piscivores. Ghost shrimp is a good suggestion too.

 

Good news... He ate the frozen krill! I also purchased some ghost shrimp, what do you think I should do with them at this point? Should I keep them separate and put them in as treats occasionally? I got 4 of them, and I don't think I should put them all in there at once right? Should I avoid live food since he accepted the frozen krill?

 

I would just throw them in, unless he's full off krill. I doubt he'll get them all right away. And if he does he enjoyed a little feast. It'll get his natural hunting extinct going and make him happy. Go off of how big his stomach gets.

 

I would just throw them in, unless he's full off krill. I doubt he'll get them all right away. And if he does he enjoyed a little feast. It'll get his natural hunting extinct going and make him happy. Go off of how big his stomach gets.

How often do you think I should feed him? And how much?

 

How often do you think I should feed him? And how much?

Six days on/one day off is perfect for a growing puffer. Once he's full grown, every other day is sufficient. Feed until his stomach is gently rounded but not grossly distended.

 

He's looking great