What do Valentini Puffers eat?????

Eleni18 · Feb 9, 2020

Hello, I have recently added a Valentini Puffer to my mixed reef tank, after debating a long time with myself and reading all of the potential dangers to corals and snails in this forum. I have to say, the Valentini is an absolute darling. Very sweet, calm and friendly, never touches a thing, he is just curious about everything and especially the snails, but I never saw him harm a thing. The problem: He does not eat fish food. I feed everyone twice per day, once pellets or flakes and once a frozen cube of mysis or brine shrimp. He won't touch it. I tried some shrimp, nothing. He only seems to be picking things off the rocks, just like the mandarin. I have researched his eating habits before buying him and I nowhere saw he eats copepods. I would not want him to compete with the mandarin for food. But if he is not eating copepods, what is he eating? I have a lot of micro brittle starfish and I really don't know what else could be on the rocks? Any ideas?

Han · Feb 9, 2020

Maybe try something meaty like a piece of silverside or krill. I feed mine those, mysis, spirulina brine, clams, nori, and mega marine angel. Meaty chunks are his favorite though.

DylanE · Feb 9, 2020

Mine loved meaty frozen food. He also picked at the rocks all day. He was one of my favorite fish, but I lost him during a move.

How long has he been in the tank? Might just need time to settle.

Salt & Peper · Feb 9, 2020

I used to feed mine freeze dried krill. Also had to replenish the margarita snails every free months!!! I 2nd the picked at rocks all day long.

Eleni18 · Feb 9, 2020

He has been in the tank about 2-3 weeks. OK...but what on earth does he pick off the rocks?

Salt & Peper · Feb 9, 2020

Eleni18 said:
He has been in the tank about 2-3 weeks. OK...but what on earth does he pick off the rocks?

Filing down his beak! (I think)

Eleni18 · Feb 9, 2020

Salt & Peper said:
Filing down his beak! (I think)

I really think he is ripping off legs of micro brittle stars.....Is this possible? I had a massive population which was getting way too much, with little legs sticking out of every rock. Now, I don't see so many and when I really wear out my eyes trying to see what the h..k he is eating, sometimes I think I can see a starfish leg sticking out of his mouth

Salt & Peper · Feb 9, 2020

Yes that is 100% possible nothing better then live food!

Reef Buddy · Mar 1, 2021

I've had one in my main display now for a few months. I had a lot of the small featherduster worms on a rock in my tank on the day that I put it in. By the next morning it had picked off every one of them. Aside from that mine eats Reef Frenzy well, which contains claim meat. I'm pretty sure their diet in the wild is coral and shellfish. I had read that if they aren't provided something of that nature to eat their teeth/beak can overgrown their mouth opening and that this is why they don't typically last long in a aquarium. I landed on this thread looking to see what shellfish people were getting theirs before I start stocking my tank with acros.