Green Spotted Puffer Agression

[Kyton]

Aloha,

I recently added two juvenile green spotted puffers (~1.3") into a 55gal tank.  They have tons of room as the tank is oversized and one is bullying the other only when its feeding time.  Otherwise there's no fighting other than when its feeding time.  Not sure how to make them get along.  I know they have personalities but after watching them together in the same tank for around 45 minutes in the store they didn't fight at all and they were pretty overcrowded in the store tank.  I didn't get a chance to see what happens when they feed.  One is starting to not eat because I think stress from getting bullied. What should I do? I want two of them and to upgrade to a 75gal when they get a little bigger.  Any help is appreciated. Much love from Hawaii.

[mountaintoppufferkeeper]

I havent kept green spotted puffers but have experience with groups of hairy puffers, miurus congo puffers, and Mekong river puffers both F1 fry groups and an adult colony. I imagine I could come up with some advice. What is the bullying behavior you are seeing?  Does it happen just with one food ? 

One solution i have done for a temporary fix is using the egg crate style lighting diffuser to split the tank in half so they can still see and smell each other but not be able to touch.

The second one ive done is to feed on both ends of a tank and essentially train each puffer to eat at a station

Edited June 12, 2022 by mountaintoppufferkeeper

[Kyton]

Thank you for the response. The one getting bullied has passed away. I'm not sure why. Other than eating very little he had no signs of illness or anything.  He did start having a swim bladder issue I think. His nose was going down and his butt was going up and he couldnt really stabilize himself. That was the night before; he passed in the morning. 

 

I went to the LFS I got him from and they recently had an ich outbreak in that tank he came from so I picked one up and I'm trying to rehabilitate him. Half the puffers in there died. Hopefully he stays strong.

 

😞