I am currently in mourning... I just lost my favourite fish.. my young tiger oscar.
At the weekend I went to a different fish shop that normal and spotted some tiny figure 8 puffer fish and thought they would be great in my community tank. I spoke to a member of staff and asked him about these cute little things, and if they were ok with other fish and anything to watch out for. He said they were fine and nothing really to worry about.
I got home and put them in the community tank, they seemed fine. Next morning three of my honey gourami's fins were almost gone! I was not impressed! So I thought fine you can't stay in there.. you will have to go in the tank with my bad boy cichlids and chance they will manage to not get eaten. Try fin nip these.. I dare ya!
So I net them and do my routine for switching tanks and put them in the tank.. instantly my Oscar took notice and bam one got eaten in one quick snap.. then as quick as it went in it got spat out with a look of horror! I thought ah he doesn't like them and will probably be ok.. but then before my eyes within about 15 seconds the oscar went limp, drifted and turned upsidedown.. mouth gaping wide. Then within a few mins he was totally dead. I was very shocked, and very confused..
I then set about reading more about the puffers, nothing much to read, just about fin nipping. Then i discover they are in the same family as the salt water spiny puffers which I know have poison in them.. I thought they were just called puffers as they looked like the spiny ones eg like the bala shark which is actually a minnow.
This made me angry so I called the fish shop and calmly explained the situation the the manager. He told me that yes they have venom in the skin and should be kept on their own. He was very apologetic and was not happy that a member of staff had wrongly informed me. He has offered to replace my oscar... not much else he can do i guess... but as we all know it just isn't the same. He was my buddy who I could hand feed.. I could put small pellets in the tank and he would ignore them and let the other fish get those as he knew I would give him some others by hand.
I will get another, but I hope he is as peaceful and this one was. R.I.P
At the weekend I went to a different fish shop that normal and spotted some tiny figure 8 puffer fish and thought they would be great in my community tank. I spoke to a member of staff and asked him about these cute little things, and if they were ok with other fish and anything to watch out for. He said they were fine and nothing really to worry about.
I got home and put them in the community tank, they seemed fine. Next morning three of my honey gourami's fins were almost gone! I was not impressed! So I thought fine you can't stay in there.. you will have to go in the tank with my bad boy cichlids and chance they will manage to not get eaten. Try fin nip these.. I dare ya!
So I net them and do my routine for switching tanks and put them in the tank.. instantly my Oscar took notice and bam one got eaten in one quick snap.. then as quick as it went in it got spat out with a look of horror! I thought ah he doesn't like them and will probably be ok.. but then before my eyes within about 15 seconds the oscar went limp, drifted and turned upsidedown.. mouth gaping wide. Then within a few mins he was totally dead. I was very shocked, and very confused..
I then set about reading more about the puffers, nothing much to read, just about fin nipping. Then i discover they are in the same family as the salt water spiny puffers which I know have poison in them.. I thought they were just called puffers as they looked like the spiny ones eg like the bala shark which is actually a minnow.
This made me angry so I called the fish shop and calmly explained the situation the the manager. He told me that yes they have venom in the skin and should be kept on their own. He was very apologetic and was not happy that a member of staff had wrongly informed me. He has offered to replace my oscar... not much else he can do i guess... but as we all know it just isn't the same. He was my buddy who I could hand feed.. I could put small pellets in the tank and he would ignore them and let the other fish get those as he knew I would give him some others by hand.
I will get another, but I hope he is as peaceful and this one was. R.I.P
. These things happen to all of us at some point.