Blue Spotted Puffer in Reef....Your Experience?

Charles4400 · Feb 7, 2020

Was thinking about getting a blue spotted puffer in a primarily sps dominant tank. Mainly frag size pieces everywhere with no real fleshy lps and leathers as softies.

Can anyone who has/had them chime in on how they did in your reef? Did they behave, nip but not harm sps, or devour your prized sps?

Have read conflicting reports, I know it depends on the particular personality, but would like to know some general trends of likeliness of good or bad behavior.

So how did your blue spotted puffer do?

DarkSky · Feb 7, 2020

I wouldn't think they'd bother your SPS, but they might go after any inverts you have in your tank - snails, shrimp, clams, crabs, etc.

scchase · Feb 7, 2020

Mine leaves everything alone including the Mexican Turbos

Stoneys'Reef · Feb 7, 2020

Puffer rarely play well with any coral. We tried before in our early hard headed days . If you find out the hard way it will end up costing you Alot of money in coral. Not really worth the cost to try. But you could get lucky. It does happen on a rare occasion. I wouldn't do it though and I love puffers

Charles4400 · Feb 11, 2020

Decided to go for one and roll the dice...got him in today, beautiful fish! He has not eaten yet but is exploring the tank...so far no bites I have noticed on any corals...will give a good feeding of live black worms tomorrow to hopefully get feeding started.

LRGMTH · Feb 11, 2020

Charles4400 said:
Decided to go for one and roll the dice...got him in today, beautiful fish! He has not eaten yet but is exploring the tank...so far no bites I have noticed on any corals...will give a good feeding of live black worms tomorrow to hopefully get feeding started.

I have had good luck. Will take a snail of hermit on occasion. Leaves the coal alone. He has been in there for about 2 years.

puffy127 · Feb 11, 2020

I've had 2 (at separate times) in my SPS dominant reef and never had any issues.

themcnertney · Mar 3, 2020

Any updates? I just bought one a couple days ago and plan to have a primarily dominated sps tank. No shrimp, no crabs, no snails.

Charles4400 · Mar 3, 2020

Mine died

I have no idea why. All other fish are all good. He just died.

I didnt have him that long, less than a month. He was eating live blackwotms and lrs frozen fine then one day noticed him sitting at bottom.of the tank lethargic. Next day dead. I suspect it was attributed to the way he was caught maybe? Cyanide perhaps? Really dont know. He wasn't being picked on (everyone ignored him) and like I said all other fish are active and fine...dunno.

But to answer ypur question he never picked at any sps corals or softies and didnt puck on any snails that I am aware of. He started off super shy but got used to the tank within a week. Beautiful fish. What a shame.