Valentini puffer, yey or ney?

[Mmsetta]

38 gallon well cycled. Two ocellaris clowns, skunk cleaner, royal gramma. Just starting corals with a xenia and zoa. Big clean up crew.

Experience with valentini? I'd love to have one but heard that they sometimes eat corals and for sure eat snails. I think my skunk is big enough to defend himself.

If it eats snails, what do valentini owners use as cleanup crew?

Let me know if you guys think it's worth it.

 

[Slm222]

It does eat corals, saw one take a big bite out of my sps. Cute fish though.

 

[AZDesertRat]

They are nippers, had one eat SPS in my old system.

 

[clownfitch]

I have never looked into puffers because I assumed they all got too big but this one is perfect for a smaller tank. I may give one a shot in my softie cube. If they like snails that is a fairly inexpensive way to give them the hard shelled food they require. Just keep replenishing your snail population.

 

[tyler1503]

I have a valentini and couldn't imagine owning a tank without one. They can pick at corals, but mine hasn't bothered any zoas. I haven't tried him in with anything else though. He's been with me for almost 2 years now and eats live shrimp regardless of how big they are and occasionally picks off a snail. Once I added several large shrimp (bigger than he was at the time) and the next day all 3 were gone. He did have some help from my snowflake eel, but the puffer definitely had his fair share. I use snails and starfish in my CUC at the moment, but I've had shrimp in the past and he didn't eat them....until he did eat them. Mine won't eat crabs or hermits though. Sea urchins are another good CUC they don't normally eat.
I definitely recommend them. They become less of a fish and more like a pet. Mine blows bubbles and spits water at me to tell me he's hungry, he eats from my hand and loves to get in the way of my camera.
If you don't have one, GO GET ONE!!!

 

[mcarroll]

I think if you provide a good tank with space, regular feedings, and have fast growing coral you'd never notice the nipping. By all accounts, you should clearly not go into it thinking there will be no nipping though. This is a fish that "can" eat whatever it wants - and it might.

-Matt

 

[Spartan02]

I had one and it destroyed my whole tank.. Every coral.. My fish started getting nipped at and he ate all my snails Every time I replenished. I don't think it's worth it

 

[jordan banks]

Not worth getting. They will tear up your live rock and nip corals. It will destroy that shrimp in no time.

 

[jordan banks]

If you look up close they have a very sharp beak

 

[dadof4]

All puffers will bite rock, they need to to keep the teeth worn down. Corals are in the diet plan for them too, they may not start that way but they all eventually do start.

 

[tyler1503]

Not a lot of love for puffers here I see.
I understand the whole coral eating thing, but they're that awesome I can look past that lol.

 

[Dane Gyduska]

I have a valentini and she has yet to eat a snail or shrimp. Also have 2 chocolate chip stars and doesn't bother them eithe r. Guess it's just like a dog assnd depends on the fish

 

[Ironwill723]

I've kept them in mixed reef systems before with little issue.

 

[carlson]

I've had one for several months now and it's never bothered my zoas or sps. I get a purple poly birdsnest today and all of the sudden he's picking at it. I've always loved this fish but it makes me so mad now that he wants to pick at my coral. [emoji35]

 

[CindyKz]

I have one in my softie tank. He hasn't nipped at any corals but will take out shrimp and medium size snails like lightning. I had some hermits also but I haven't seen them in a while ;Sorry I put in a couple of huge turbo snails and he has left them alone, they are the only CUC left.

 

[Jesterrace]

I have never looked into puffers because I assumed they all got too big but this one is perfect for a smaller tank. I may give one a shot in my softie cube. If they like snails that is a fairly inexpensive way to give them the hard shelled food they require. Just keep replenishing your snail population.

That is true EXCEPT for the Toby variety puffers (ie Valentini, Blue Spotted) they are great looking fish and max out between 4-5 inches in length.

 

[Dom]

I have a Valantini in a 33 long as my first inhabitant. Plenty of assorted corals of which he bothers NONE. He did nip at things from time to time, but that was in the beginning when he was exploring and getting to know the lay of the land.

I don't recommend them with clowns though...

I added one to a tank with two tomato clowns and they killed him off in a day. Clowns can get aggressive, especially to fish that are added AFTER they were. They are very territorial.

I actually house my two tomato clowns in a separate tank.

 

[brooky89]

I have a valentini and couldn't imagine owning a tank without one. They can pick at corals, but mine hasn't bothered any zoas. I haven't tried him in with anything else though. He's been with me for almost 2 years now and eats live shrimp regardless of how big they are and occasionally picks off a snail. Once I added several large shrimp (bigger than he was at the time) and the next day all 3 were gone. He did have some help from my snowflake eel, but the puffer definitely had his fair share. I use snails and starfish in my CUC at the moment, but I've had shrimp in the past and he didn't eat them....until he did eat them. Mine won't eat crabs or hermits though. Sea urchins are another good CUC they don't normally eat.
I definitely recommend them. They become less of a fish and more like a pet. Mine blows bubbles and spits water at me to tell me he's hungry, he eats from my hand and loves to get in the way of my camera.
If you don't have one, GO GET ONE!!!

Hi there, I recently purchased one of these guys about five days now and he’s been picking at my Coral any advice what to do, can I put him in my sump tank for the meantime and teach him to eat mussels, pipis ect… what do I do think he may end up killing my corals

 

[Mhuq1197]

I have a valentini and couldn't imagine owning a tank without one. They can pick at corals, but mine hasn't bothered any zoas. I haven't tried him in with anything else though. He's been with me for almost 2 years now and eats live shrimp regardless of how big they are and occasionally picks off a snail. Once I added several large shrimp (bigger than he was at the time) and the next day all 3 were gone. He did have some help from my snowflake eel, but the puffer definitely had his fair share. I use snails and starfish in my CUC at the moment, but I've had shrimp in the past and he didn't eat them....until he did eat them. Mine won't eat crabs or hermits though. Sea urchins are another good CUC they don't normally eat.
I definitely recommend them. They become less of a fish and more like a pet. Mine blows bubbles and spits water at me to tell me he's hungry, he eats from my hand and loves to get in the way of my camera.
If you don't have one, GO GET ONE!!!

Mine only eating mysis! Doesn’t eat anything else! Love the little guy! Any suggestions for a varied diet?