Small puffer in a mixed reef?

[Kirschy17]

hey guys,

Have any of u kept sonething like a valentini puffer in a mixed reef environment? I have a 65g reef and i thought about adding a small one. I know they can pick at snails and crabs but my snails reproduce so much that i dont care if he snacks some of those tiny ones. Also i have plenty of vermetid snails and colonistas that i would mind him munching on aswell.

Any species you would recommend/not advice to get? Do they eat full grown snails and hermits(red)?

 

[ChadLo]

hey guys,

Have any of u kept sonething like a valentini puffer in a mixed reef environment? I have a 65g reef and i thought about adding a small one. I know they can pick at snails and crabs but my snails reproduce so much that i dont care if he snacks some of those tiny ones. Also i have plenty of vermetid snails and colonistas that i would mind him munching on aswell.

Any species you would recommend/not advice to get? Do they eat full grown snails and hermits(red)?

I have a Valentini and he nips at some of my hard corals at times. Fyi

 

[Kirschy17]

I have a Valentini and he nips at some of my hard corals at times. Fyi

How about other inverts? Do u have any?

 

[Tft12]

My favorite, and he never bothered and SPS or LPS, was a leopard puffer. Pretty shy though.

 

[Swoody]

I really loved my Valentini...they are a very engaging and entertaining fish.....BUT he did kill my CUC crabs and snails more than once (that I could live with) and then took a liking to my SPS.....I re-homed him and hopefully he is having happy life!

 

[Ditto]

Porcupine puffer no issues in my lps, sps tank. Does sometimes snack on my blue leg hermit crabs but I just buy more from reefcleaners.

Very entertaining and could not do another tank without having one in it. When having a cup of coffee in the morning the puffer will go left and right and spit water out of the tank till I feed him.

 

[Kirschy17]

My favorite, and he never bothered and SPS or LPS, was a leopard puffer. Pretty shy though.

Howwas the invert side? Also what about size. How big does a crab/snail have to be to be safe?

 

[Tft12]

Howwas the invert side? Also what about size. How big does a crab/snail have to be to be safe?

It never killed any crabs, snails, or shrimp that I was aware of. I never say him look at my little cerith snails or hermit crabs. From what I could tell, he spent the whole day hunting for pods. He was a little bit of a finicky eater and would readily eat worms (black or blood), but not a lot of mysis or brine. I had him for a few years and then he disappeared.

 

[ChadLo]

How about other inverts? Do u have any?

Yep. I have quite a few inverts. Turbos, margaritas, cleaner shrimp. He will attempt to get them occasionally. I just keep him well fed.

 

[Kirschy17]

Lastly my tank is only 65g therefore the porcupine is out. Valentini, leopard should work right? I dont want an excess amount of nutrients to keep up with waterquality

 

[ChadLo]

Lastly my tank is only 65g therefore the porcupine is out. Valentini, leopard should work right? I dont want an excess amount of nutrients to keep up with waterquality

One or the other should be fine. They are rather clean eaters. Mine eats pods, mysis, brine, krill (as a snack) also chlorella flakes and pellets. He'll pick at the seaweed i have on a clip occasionally as well. Good call on not getting a porky! They are extremely messy eaters! I have one and he has an awesome personality but the filtration! Lol

 

[RtomKinMad]

Valentini puffer for sure! Was my first fish before knew we wanted a reef. Sometimes picks at snails but not crabs. Doesn’t touch the coral and is super cute! Have a mixed reef, also. Perfect for a 65gal.

 

[alex.mccann99]

I just returned my Blue Spotted Fiji Puffer. He was a model citizen, ate like a pig everytime I fed. All was great until I caught him flipping over my hermits and tearing their legs off. Then he started pecking after my Blood Fire Cleaner shrimp that I've owned for 3 years. Not cool. He never picked at corals at all, I have LPS, Zoas and Soft corals.

 

[Johnnyg.]

Mine demolished snails