Lion or Puffer  12/22/2005
Hi Bob,
<Chris>
           thank you for your help.  I understand and do not want to put any
fish in harms way.  Can you help guide me here, I have had lionfish in the
past, even though they are beautiful, I want something with personality.  Do
you think a porcupine fish is a better choice than most lion fish?  
<I do... most Lions kind of just "hang around"... most Puffers have great intelligence and personality>
And if I
decided to got with the porcupine fish (Diodon holocanthus) Could I keep it
with a zebra moray or Golden tail moray eel.  Any other good suggestions for
a fish-only tank.
<These are very good choices for marine aquarium eels... amongst many fishes. A bunch archived on WWM re such selection. Cheers, Bob Fenner>
                         thank you for your help!
                                                             Chris

Stocking A 90 Gallon FOWLR - 10/08/05
Hi, just found your site and it helped me determine that I can't have an Emperor Angel.
<<ok>>
But back to my question, I have a 90 gallon reef that is being converted to a FOWLR. The 90g has 90lbs of live sand and 85lbs of live rock. I also have a 13g sump and a 30g refugium filled with 20lbs of live sand and Chaetomorpha. My tank has been up for almost 2 years and I have recently decided that I just want a FOWLR and if I do so, I want different kinds of fish than the ones I presently have. 
I was thinking of a Raccoon Butterfly, a Foxface lo, Niger Trigger or Clown Trigger or Humu Trigger (Please guide me which is the best choice in the long run as I did read that the clown can get very aggressive), 2 adult Maroon Clowns, Porcupine Puffer, and 1 Harlequin Tusk, and or if I can get any full size angel fish please make a recommendation.
<<My...you have high expectations of a 90 gallon FOWLR. It is my opinion that this stock list will grossly overload this tank.>>
The fish that I want 100% is the Porcupine Puffer, from my research it would appear that I can keep this fish.
<<Mmm...possibly, if we're talking about Diodon eydouxii...but can still grow to 12 inches.>>
If I can get all of these, cool.
<<Not in my opinion...in this tank.>>
Otherwise please tell me which fish I can get with the puffer and fit in my 90g.
<<These are large, messy feeders...For the long-term health of your fish I would limit the stock list to the puffer, the foxface, and maybe a couple or three smaller fish of your choosing (I think the clownfish might become too territorial/aggressive in this tank). Whatever you choose, do look them up on fishbase.org for maximum sizes, gut content (tells you what they eat), etc..>>
BTW, I have asked a question in the past and I have a problem finding where my answer is listed. Can you please email me the answer or email a link?
<<Strange...replies are sent back to the sender, posted in the daily FAQs.>>
Thanks, Mike
<<Regards, EricR>>

- Porkin' Up! -
I have a question regarding two species of Porkies. The holocanthus and the hystrix (spelling might be wrong). I've noticed from your site that the hystrix is  much larger of the two, but it is the most common one that I see in the pet trade. Is there a reason for this?
<Interesting, I have yet to run across a D. hystrix while I see D. holacanthus EVERYWHERE. Go figure...>
I'm setting up a 90 gallon FO tank and would like to add a porky. (my LFS has no problem with taking in trade in's)
I have found a few dealers that supply holocanthus and owning a fish that's not going to reach three feet in length could be something I might work on trying to keep.
<Good idea. Although last year I spotted what appeared to be a D. holocanthus on a night dive that was at least two and a half feet long...>
There just seems to be more info on hystrix. What can you tell me?
<I'd go with the holocanthus. They're cheap, exceptionally hardy, have gorgeous big blue eyes, will eat anything, and will squirt water at you when you go to feed them. What more can you ask for?>
You guys are awesome by the way!!!!!
<Awww shucks... -Kevin>

- Diodon nicthemerus? - Source, habitat?
I am looking into information about the Diodon nicthemerus. I have Googled it and found a few things online and on fishbase.org, but I was wondering if this puffer is sold in the aquarium trade. It seems to get to a max of 15 inches with most being around 11 inches which seems a great trade on a pufferfish that is smaller than the Holocanthus and the Histrix and even the Liturosus. Has anyone seen the so called slender- spined puffer in the aquarium trade? 
<Nope.> 
Is there a reason why its not seen? 
<Given its distribution - south Australia - it's likely too remote an area from normal collection zones to be imported in any great quantities.> 
I'm in a small town so Holocanthus is pretty much it for here. 
<The Diodon holocanthus is circumtropical, so it's just easier to find, get a hold of.> 
Fishbase does say that they are seen in groups instead of being loners on the reef, but there isn't much on them to really help me. 
second question, does any of the divers have pictures or a greater idea for setups for a natural porcupine puffer habitat? 
<They are reef fish... any reef habitat will do.> 
I am sure my puffer is a holocanthus as the spines are longest on the head, but I do want to set things up as close as possible to a Caribbean reef where they are. 
<Sure.> 
I only have two overdriven NO fluorescents, over the 55 it is currently housed in while I'm building his permanent home (in a 120 to 160 depending on how much acrylic I mis-measure ) so I can't do a lot of corals or other high light items but I do want to give it a good setup. Thank you for your help in advance for any help you can offer.  Btw I Googled pics and ideas for their habitat but only came up with rocky habitats and a lot of cover. nothing really on plants and other things.
<The Caribbean is mostly sponges and gorgonians. There are some corals, but being a frequent diver off the south east coast of Florida I can tell you, gorgonians outnumber just about everything by a large margin. Cheers, J -- >

Porcupine fish
Hi Bob.
I'm writing to ask you about the porcupine fish ( Diodon Holacanthus ),
I have a 55g with four fishes, a damsel, royal Gramma, clown and a Heniochus butterfly, I have seen them and they look so cute that I would like to get one. What can you tell me about them, are they easy to keep ?
Thank you for your help. Americo.
<<This is a hardy puffer species. I would start with a small (3-4") specimen to give your three small fish species a better chance to "get to know" the Porcupine before it gets large enough to try eating them (a possibility in this stocking plan), and feed the puffer sparingly. Often, these intelligent fishes take a while to catch on to captive foods, and do go on the occasional feeding strike. Don't let either worry you. They almost always learn what's what within a few days to weeks. But don't overfeed the newbie, even on just good principles; you don't want to have that porker get too big too fast. Bob Fenner>>

Puffer Fish
Hi Bob,
I hope you can give me an answer to my question. I have gotten lots of conflicting answers in the last few weeks. I have a 46 gallon tank. Has been up since Nov. and all levels are perfect. In it is 50+ lbs of live rock, the substrate and 25 lbs of the rock were from my smaller tank that I put in the new one to jump start the cycling and add the micro inverts, etc. The rock is covered with coralline and macro algae, small sponges, and hard corals. A mantis shrimp hitched a ride with the new rock so I have a Niger Trigger in there right now to help get rid of the shrimp but I do not plan to keep him. I also have a small yellow damsel (also not keeping). I was thinking about a Porcupine Puffer for a centerpiece. Will he destroy my rock, etc? Will I be able to have other fish with him or will he kill them too? If he is not suitable will a Foxface be ok with a pearly Jawfish, a couple of Percula clowns, and maybe a Banggai (sorry, I can't spell) cardinal? Thank you in advance for any info you can offer. Olivia
<Hmm, I would skip on the Puffer, as it is too messy and would likely eat too much of your live rock organisms... The "other" list should work out together>
I loved the wetwebmedia.com site!!! It has such great advice and wonderful pics. Keep up the great work!
<Thank you. Will endeavor to do so. Bob Fenner>

Freshwater Diodontids/Burrfishes?
Dear Mr. Fenner,
I have a question for you concerning puffers:
I would like to get a brackish-water puffer, and I have been told that there is a brackish-water Burrfish. Is this information true?
<Hmm, not as far as my sources show... Joe Nelson, fishbase.org for instance states that all six genera, nineteen species of the family of Burr/Porcupine Pufferfishes (Diodontidae) none are fresh, or even brackish... all marine. Many brackish tetraodontids ("smooth" puffers) are conditioned, otherwise sold as freshwater organisms... and there are indeed true freshwater members of that family... but Burrfish, no. Our Puffer coverage and pix archived on the site: www.WetWebMedia.com. Bob Fenner>
Thanks. Ronald P. Jean