Puffers: Reef Compatibility?

jwhann6 · Sep 14, 2016

Hi all,

I'm planning out a tank for about a year from now and when talking about it with my fiancé, she mentioned how she's always been a big fan of puffer fish.

I know that they usually aren't recommended for reef tanks, but has anyone had experience with specifically blue spotted puffers or saddle valentini puffers? Have yours nipped at corals?

Thanks,

Jake

cromag27 · Sep 14, 2016

I've had several valentini that didn't bother corals (sps, lps, softies). but it's a crapshoot for sure. no guarantees with puffers.

jwhann6 · Sep 14, 2016

Thanks Cromag, I figured it was kind of a toss up, but it's nice to hear that someone has had a good experience.

cromag27 · Sep 14, 2016

I've been very lucky. if you add one make sure you can get it out easily. if that's not possible then I'd pass on one.

jwhann6 · Sep 14, 2016

Good point, something I'll have to consider, I have a friend who has a pretty nifty trap that he would probably lend me if need be. thanks for the advice!

eatbreakfast · Sep 14, 2016

The ones I had nipped duncans, wellsos, acans, and clams. They were fine with most other corals

jwhann6 · Sep 14, 2016

Thanks! Looks like its something I'll just have to try and see if I'm lucky

thomygirl · Sep 14, 2016

I was told by my lfs that they can eat your cleanup crew. I passed.

Jongalt26 · Sep 15, 2016

I have a porc puffer, the only thing it nipped at was some clove polyps and my fingers, plus there was the one time he decided to go floor surfing by hanging on to my shirt. His puppy dog attitude, ability to spit water to get attention and easy to anthropomorphize eyes make him a family favorite. I've had no issues with him eating any clean-up crew (shrimp, snails, crabs, lobster)

Bbaz123456 · Sep 15, 2016

I have a porc too. They are great fish but will likely clean up your clean up crew.

Steve Tobias · Sep 15, 2016

I am very intrigue by this conversation. I always felt that a puffer would be one of the neatest inhabitants for my tank, but decided to go reef and having skunk shrimp, a blood red amongst emeralds and a variety of snails I decided the only way to include a puffer into the family was with a second tank. Are people in this thread actually having success with a puffer in a reef tank with invertebrates? What about trouble with other smaller inhabitants, such as cleaner wrasse, purple file fish, a red scooter. The rest of my family appear to be large enough that they would not be intimidated by the addition, but I am just blown away that some are having success adding a puffer to reef tanks.

Bbaz123456 · Sep 15, 2016

I kept one for years that didn't bother anything at all. He used to get cleaned by my cleaner shrimp all the time. The one I have now does eat snails. I don't have any crabs or shrimp anymore. As far as fish, I find it hard to believe that a puffer could ever catch one if they wanted to. They're very clumsy and slow moving

Steve Tobias · Sep 15, 2016

My emeralds are fairly large and I have two skunks and a blood red shrimp. All three are mature and at about 2" bodies.

Eva Rose · Sep 15, 2016

I've heard that "mimic saddle puffer"( a filefish) is less risky than a puffer with corals. It looks almist identical to a valentini puffer. This filefish is a more timid fish. It needs more passive fish to feel comfortable eating. So with tangs/anthias , the filefish may not hide but it may also not eat. Best with passive peaceful tankmates.

cowboy · Sep 15, 2016

The only one I have dealt with in my reef was a porc he left all the coral alone and loved to eat the little star fish. Very personable fish and awesome attitude and was a great addition to my tank. And I didn't have to worry about the little star fish.

MCooper · Sep 15, 2016

Porcupine puffer would be the ultimate in my tank, but i have a ton of inverts!

DeepBrew · Sep 15, 2016

We have a saddle valentini in our reef tank. He's an awesome little guy and my daughter's special fish so he's not going anywhere, but he has a taste for acans. The acans now live in the frag tank. He leaves everything else alone though. We learned to watch him closely when new corals are added. He's going to closely inspect everything added to the tank and may give it a nip just to see if it's tasty. If he gets a little too interested we pull the new coral out.

In short, we have to be careful what we add but he's such a great fish it's worth it.

puffy127 · Sep 15, 2016

I have a valentini and a blue spot puffer. They don't really bother my corals, but did decimate my snail population. I took the opposite approach. I started as a fowlr, then slowly added corals. If my fish nipped at the corals, I would have taken the corals out or seen how long the corals could survive. Fortunately I have been lucky so far, but I mainly only have hammers and montis.