Puffer in Reef Tank?

tmcca · Jan 21, 2019

I have a Red Sea Max 170 and really like puffer fish. I see they reef compatible caution guessing because they will eat snails and clams. Can you have more than one puffer or no?

ndrwater · Jan 21, 2019

Puffers generally need to be one per tank depending on which type you are talking about.

dsh92056 · Jan 21, 2019

Depends on type of puffer

ndrwater · Jan 21, 2019

By the way, welcome to R2R!!!

dsh92056 · Jan 21, 2019

I'd stick with a valantini

tmcca · Jan 21, 2019

Ok what puffer can I have in a red sea max 170? I am guessing puffers eat snails?

tmcca · Jan 21, 2019

valantini puffer looks nice..

Sailingeric · Jan 21, 2019

I have a Valentini and it is a very fun to watch fish. Always looks like it is in deep thought.

dsh92056 · Jan 21, 2019

I have a valetini in my 85 gal does not mess with Corals. I feed tank 3 times a day with rod's

tmcca · Jan 21, 2019

what is rod's? I read they supposed to have hard shelled shrimp.. like where you get those? Hopefully my LFS will sell them

tmcca · Jan 21, 2019

I am guessing also no clams as they will eat them.

Evan28395950 · Jan 21, 2019

tmcca said:
I am guessing also no clams as they will eat them.

Rods reef food. I also have a Valentini in a nano, he loves the big pieces of shrimp in rods reef food. So I suggest feeding some bigger pieces of shrimp or other things to help keep his beak down. Also it all depends on the Puffer, some won’t touch corals, some do. Mine personally will go for sps, but not lps. Great personality. In fact one of my snails fell today and didn’t flip themselves over quick enough before the Puffer got them

dugthefish · Jan 21, 2019

My dogface decimated my Snail and hermit populations. Was really cool fish though. If I ever do a FOWLR again, I'd definitely get another.

CindyKz · Jan 21, 2019

My Valentini doesn't bother my softies. He munches on snails occasionally but leaves the hermits alone. He also hasn't killed the peppermint shrimp that's been there for at least 8 months maybe longer.

Idk how big a red sea reefer is but my Valentini seems ok in my 32 gal Biocube.

tmcca · Jan 22, 2019

I hear they will devour snails.. ugh.. I guess may not get this

vadajo · Mar 2, 2021

Be careful with valentini puffers. Mine started off sweet, thought I had a "good" one. Then it got the taste for blastos. Its beak made short work of them. Took me 3 days to realize it was him. Also couldnt keep hermits or snails, devoured them as soon as they hit the sandbed. Also SPS tips was a favorite nibbling snack. I finally got him out, I couldnt be happier.

*edit Forgot to add something important. His "bad" behavior began 4 months after I got him. My theory is he stole mysis from a blasto and got a bit of blasto by mistake and said to himself thats delicious!