Puffer proof?

[Drewbaby]

I have a sharpnose puffer that loves snails. I also have a porcupine puffer. The porcupine couldn't care less about the snails.

I need something to clean up. I tried Regular turbo snails and the big Mexican turbos. He made quicker work of the mexicans. Why do you recommend that might last with this little sharpnose puffer. Like I said the porcupine doesn't touch snails or crabs. She loves shrimp. Hopefully somebody can help me out.

 

[tom499]

I got nothing in the snail category. A puffer needs to wear his teeth down not unlike a beaver. Cerith snails might be small enough for him to ignore.

 

[Knox_Legend]

What about an urchin or two?

 

[Drewbaby]

He wears his beak down. Trust me. He likes algea and picks at the rocks all day with my tomini tang. The porcupine eats a good mix of tougher foods that she has to chew. When she gets larger I'm planning to feed her some crawfish from time to time. She likes silversides too and the bones in those help with the beaks.

I was thinking ceriths. I have them in my 55 reef and they do great, but I would need quite a few for a 180. That's why I was trying to see if there were any other options?

 

[Reefman29]

Have you tried hermit crabs or maybe like a conch or something that goes into the sand bed and comes out.

 

[Drewbaby]

I've wanted an urchin but heard mixed things about them. I'm planning on making this an sps reef with a HUGE skimmer lol. Would an urchin be ok

 

[Reefman29]

The only thing about the urchin would be that it will knock things over. They are really strong. So just make sure that everything is secured.

 

[Drewbaby]

I tried hermits, but lost most of them. Don't know where they went. I don't want a conch because I've seen them go after fish sleeping on the sand.

The urchin might be a problem. My rock is just stacked.

So far the only option looks like ceriths or risk an urchin rockslide.