Blue Spot puffer

[ozorowsky]

Is a blue spot puffer reef safe?

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+39+3110&pcatid=3110

I have him in one of my overflows right now (my over flows are like 25 gallons) and he seems to be doing perfectly fine. As a test I put some snails in with him and he could care less about them. I put a conde anemone in there as well and he wants nothing to do with it.

My question is, would I be ok to move him over to my main tank area or what should I worry about him bothering? This one seems very docile.

 

[rssjsb]

I've got one in a softy tank with an anemone, a couple of clowns, and a boxfish. He's never shown any interest in my anemone or any of my corals. He's great with other fish.

However, he has eaten every snail in the tank and I'm pretty sure he polished off a peppermint shrimp, too. Even if yours isn't eating snails now, that doesn't mean he won't when he gets more comfortable.

 

[ozorowsky]

Thank you. He has been in. there for three weeks. I'll give him a few months. May try him in display if he doesn't touch these snails at all.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I have an Canthigaster papua, which is very similar. Like Robin, mine has polished off most of my snails -- there is one golf ball sized "turbo" that he doesn't bother. He hasn't killed off my shrimp, yet, but they spend most of the time hiding.

Mine loved zoas, eats SPS, and nips at my fingers when I feed.

 

[Khemul]

Canthigaster sp. in general are tricky.

I have a Valentini that started out terrorizing snails but has never touched a coral. He has gotten lazy now and won't even harass the snails, but will still go after shrimp. He has gotten so lazy about hunting food that I'll probably need to trim his teeth soon.

I had a Hawaiian White Spotted that started out only eating frozen/live food. It eventually went after corals, and then fish. When I traded it in at the pet store they had either a Solandri or Papua (I can't tell the difference personally) that was brought in for eating SPS.

My newest one is a Caribbean Sharpnose. It will terrorize snails and harass my Pincussion Urchins and Sea Hare but does no damage to any of them. It tries to terrorize me but I play back. If I ever need to remove it it'll be easy since when it goes to nip my hand I just grab it and pet it, then it swims off and sulks.



The key I've found is make sure it eats just about anything. A hungry Toby is a dangerous ones. When they get hungry is the time when they question what is edible. If they are willing to eat just about anything then they are less likely to ask questions about what else might be available. But it is always a toss up. I wouldn't call them reef-safe but I always wouldn't call them not reef-safe either.

 

[ozorowsky]

guess we'll find out.

I woke up this morning to admire my tank during a bowl of cereal. When I was checking on my blue spot puffer he was nowhere to be found.

Guess he got lonely cuz I looked and looked like an idiot and he was just to my left area in my main tank staring at me like a puppy.

Somehow he jumped out of my overflow area and up into my main tank.

Will he hurt pistol shrimp, cleaner shrimp or fire shrimp?

I haven't noticed anything eaten yet but keeping an eye on him.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I suspect that your shrimp are going to hide all the time. Mine are no longer out and about, and when they did risk it, mine will go after them right away.

 

[ozorowsky]

I suspect that your shrimp are going to hide all the time. Mine are no longer out and about, and when they did risk it, mine will go after them right away.

I'm gonna give it a few see how it goes, might move him back to sump

Still can't believe he jumped a good 6" out of the air to get to a place it had never seen before.

 

[Khemul]

Puffers are like that. :lmao:

Odd combination, not the best swimmers but great jumpers.


The shrimp thing will depend a lot on personality really. My Valentini will ignore any invert once he realizes he can't kill/eat it. My Caribbean insists on testing everyone even if it was not edible before. The snails have learned to stay high up in the tank.

 

[Triggerfish]

any update with the puffer? just put one in qt.

 

[ozorowsky]

Puffer and surprisingly a Humu trigger in main tank and surprising haven't touched any snails or corals; keeping an eye on them though.

 

[Triggerfish]

you have them in a mixed reef.. or what primarily? good to hear..

 

[fishfreak2009]

I have an Canthigaster papua, which is very similar. Like Robin, mine has polished off most of my snails -- there is one golf ball sized "turbo" that he doesn't bother. He hasn't killed off my shrimp, yet, but they spend most of the time hiding.

Mine loved zoas, eats SPS, and nips at my fingers when I feed.

My Canthigaster papua ate all my "texas trash" (or at least that's what they are called on my local forum) palythoa.

 

[Triggerfish]

liveaquarius overview of the papuan and blue spotted: "It will eat invertebrates found in a reef tank" one listed as not reef compatible and the other as "with caution". wonder why the difference with same overview..

 

[ozorowsky]

you have them in a mixed reef.. or what primarily? good to hear..

They are in my mixed reef tank.

 

[Regal858]

Is a blue spot puffer reef safe?

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+39+3110&pcatid=3110

I have him in one of my overflows right now (my over flows are like 25 gallons) and he seems to be doing perfectly fine. As a test I put some snails in with him and he could care less about them. I put a conde anemone in there as well and he wants nothing to do with it.

My question is, would I be ok to move him over to my main tank area or what should I worry about him bothering? This one seems very docile.

Got myself one of these beautiful fish a couple of weeks ago from my local shop tonight is the first time he has eaten any food I have put in which was a cube of Mysys, cube of enriched Brine shrimp, a cube of cyclops and a cube of angel formula. He ate a fair bit as well for the first time up to now all he has done is pick around the live rock which fortunately I have a lot of in my tank. He is kept with a Niger Trigger a pair of bluethroat Triggers,Regel Tang, Sailfin Tang, 4 blue damsels and 2 Convict blennies which all get along as well as you could hope for. The only problem my puffer faced at the start was from the Sailfin Tang who gave him a hard time for about a week which may have contributed to him not feeding. I think the trick is having enough live rock for them to pick at until they adapt to the food that you put in. Put this picture of him not great but you get the idea. Up to now he has shown no interest in any of my crabs or softies so far so good so happy with him.