would this be overstocking?

i want to put my money on the puffer!

Solastsummer said:

as in its going to eat everything?

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unless the eel gets them first...then the puffer will eat the eel.

Puffers and Eels are usually considered part of a "predator" tank and not a reef tank. I used to have just that.. 2 FOWLR predator tanks with puffers and eels. They both eat small fish like no tomorrow. I used to feed each one about 6 feeder fish a day for over 6 years.. that is A LOT of feeder fish. I think your cardinals would be lunch in no time as they are not fast movers or swimmers and an eel or puffer could gobble them up no problem.

Bi-colored blenny, from my experience, are nasty little buggers.. pick on everything, almost as bad as a damsel.

I used to feed each one about 6 feeder fish a day for over 6 years

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:headshake2::eek3:mg:

Ya, I know, seems odd that someone that loves fish so much would feed/kill so many fish. It is the way of the wild though.. and the feeders are sold as just that, feeders. Still, it was A LOT of $ for them. I would have to buy 100+ feeders a week just for my 2 predator tanks. That was one of the driving factors for me to get away from predator tanks and go to a reef tank.

Dear Lord, was it worth it so many feeders? To which would only shorten the life span of any fish you keep this on their diet and I not blame you much for this, but your LFS that knew what all those feeders were for. I know they feed the fish they get in like puffers and eels and that they feed these are the time. But for the short term of the fishes life span, not much damage would been done, but long term as what you said here, is extremely damaging :headshake2:

Somehow I don't think the 1000's of 5cent feeder fish I fed hurt the fish population to much. Was it worth it.. at the time ya. When it became to be not worth it I got out of it. It was a HUGE hit for all the neighborhood kids to come over and watch the feeding/bloodbath every day though.

As far as damaging to the fish.. well, hard to say. What people tell me now, and what people told me back in 1996 are completely different. I do know that all my fish lived, and grew big and fat over the years, never had any disease or parasite problems and I brought them back to my LFS when I got out of the predator tanks. My Porcupine puffer that I had for 6 years in my tank, went on to live at least another 5 years in someone elses tank before I lost updates on it. It was my fav fish I have ever had so I tried to keep tabs on it as long as I could. 11+ years for a porcupine puffer raised in a tank seems pretty good to me, but I honestly don't know how long they live in the wild. I read they live around 20 years in captivity.. and I know it lived over 11 years because it was about a year old when I bought it.. and I just lost getting updates on it.. it could still be living.