Blue Spot Puffer in a reef

[brett559]

Looking hard at a blue spot toby puffer. Local stores say they aren't coral safe, yet online it seems that MANY people have had good success with them. I have mostly LPS, zoas and mushrooms. Are these guys like dwarf angels (50/50), or are the odds better? Seem like such a fun fish. Any thoughts?

 

[Moort82]

The tobies I've had, solandri, valentini, leopard were all fine with corals but possibly not cuc. The only reason I don't have another in my reef now is not for fear of my corals being eaten but for fear my brittlestar will be. My valentini used to bite a gorgonian and hold on for night night but did very little damage.

 

[scooter31707]

I agree. Corals should be fine, but snails, crabs, clams, and shrimp may become a snack.

 

[cougareyes]

I wouldn't do it.

 

[brett559]

I wouldn't do it.

But I WANT to!

 

[reef thief]

I caught two and had them in my tank for a couple years. One adult one baby (which grew) they only ate mysis and left my CUC alone. I had shrimp, hermits, snails, and linkias. They didn't cause any trouble and they were both wild caught. Get one.

 

[olemiss reb]

I have a Blue spotted toby in my 75. Only softies and a couple of gigantea nems. Only thing it seems to peck at are the pincushion urchins. Ignores- hermits, snails, emerald crabs, and fire shrimp. There is also an anemone shrimp that that was kicked out of the Gigs by the nem crabs. It resides in some polyps and has been ignored by the Toby. Tank gets fed frozen heavily.

 

[brett559]

I caught two and had them in my tank for a couple years. One adult one baby (which grew) they only ate mysis and left my CUC alone. I had shrimp, hermits, snails, and linkias. They didn't cause any trouble and they were both wild caught. Get one.

Did you have corals in your tank?

 

[Gar3th]

I had one in my tank for a few days and it didnt stop eating my LPS the whole time, not worth the risk IMO.

 

[brett559]

I had one in my tank for a few days and it didnt stop eating my LPS the whole time, not worth the risk IMO.

Wow. You used your first post on my puffer question. I feel so honored.

 

[MuShu]

I have a Valentini and he doesn't even bother by CUC. My LFS owner said that most of them are fine in reefs, but she has had only one returned for nipping corals in all her years of owning her store.

 

[Moort82]

I have seen many mimic filefish come through as valentini and they definitely have a taste for corals. Not trying to suggest that a puffer won't eat your corals (they all have different personalities and are a very inquisitive species that like dogs sometimes learns by biting things) but not all are true puffer experience.

 

[NYCBOB]

try it. at least they r slow and easy to catch.

 

[brett559]

The more I talk with people, it really is a 50/50 thing. Seems like every time I try a fish like that (angels, filefish, etc.), I get the bad ones. So I'll probably pass for now....