toby puffer with daums lobster?

Saltyg · Apr 4, 2014

As the title states, you think I can get away with a blue spotted toby puffer thats been in tank about a year and add a daums reef lobster? Probaly not but never ask to hurt.

tyler1503 · Apr 4, 2014

I wouldn't. I have a valentini who eats anything remotely looking like a shrimp, so I'd imagine a lobster would get eaten right away. It's pretty normal behaviour for a puffer.
Mine wouldn't touch live shrimp for months and would only accept flake foods, he wouldn't even eat frozen mysis. My snowflake eel eventually ate all the feeder shrimp I added. A few months later I decided to try feeder shrimp for the puffer again and he went crazy. It was like an instant rush of excitement and ate 3 large shrimp about 2/3 his body length in a matter of hours. Now I can't add anything but fish to the tank lol.
So even if you do add the lobster and it goes in unharmed, expect to have him go missing eventually.

Saltyg · Apr 5, 2014

lol Yup mine is the same way, would not eat anything live only flake and nori. But have not tryed lately as live feeder shrimp are really hard to find around my area and live aquaria seems to always be out. Welp I would rather not feed him a 20-30 dollar lobster I guess=) Thanks for the tip.

tyler1503 · Apr 5, 2014

Haha yea it's an expensive meal. I remember when I first saw my guy hunting shrimp, I remember thinking lucky my shrimp are free otherwise this is gona get expensive quick lol.
I can't get mine to eat nori, did yours take it straight away or did you have to do something for him to eat it?

Saltyg · Apr 6, 2014

Took about a week. But I do this with all my algae eaters, seems to make them feel "safe" while trying it.. Take a rock about the size of a half dollar, and tie the nori onto the rock with a rubber band. Worked for all my tangs, lm blenny, puffer etc. put it in the same place every other day and even my urchin hangs out waiting for a free meal;)