puffers in a reef

[bianjd]

Hello,
just like the title says has anyone had anyluck with any puffers in a reef or a boxfish and if so which ones? My wife would love to have one in our tank and i thought i would see if possible I thought i heard tobys but not sure

Thanks
Jeremiah

 

[jdthomas24]

I am going to tag along for this one. my wife wants one to and i have read that some have had luck but its all about what coral you have and the main thing is that they eat all the shrimp, snails and crabs but im going to tag along on this one to see if anyone has.

Hello,
just like the title says has anyone had anyluck with any puffers in a reef or a boxfish and if so which ones? My wife would love to have one in our tank and i thought i would see if possible I thought i heard tobys but not sure

Thanks
Jeremiah

 

[bianjd]

anyone got anything

 

[Airwolf75]

I keep a blue spotted boxfish in a reef tank. This system is only a few months old, and so far it does not show any interest in eating corals.

It does eat some algae and any small enough shrimp. So far in this short experiment has not eaten any snails that I can see.

 

[bianjd]

thanks for the response if u dont mind what kind of corals do you have right now ? and i will check them out and do some research
Thanks again though
Jeremiah

 

[saltyESQ]

I have a golden puffer that I caught the other day eating some mushrooms.
My tank is mainly a fowrl with some mushrooms here and there.

 

[Airwolf75]

Right now the boxfish is in with a large acro colony, xenia, mushrooms, ricordia, a large gorgonian, a green sinularia, and anthelia.

 

[bianjd]

thanks for the responses I guess i just might have to do some research and pick one up and post the out come and see what happens

Jeremiah

 

[r2nj]

bianjd, if you do end up getting one, please post your observations. I've been wanting a boxfish in my reef tank, but was always chicken sh$$ to do so. I have a dogface in a 125 FOWLR tank and I know it will eat anything in a reef, at least softies. I found out the hard way. I'd love to have a boxfish in my 180 reef.

 

[bianjd]

will do I have a fairly new set up with only some zoas and some other stuff i picked up for a good deal not sure what it is though i will try and post pics and find out

Jeremiah

 

[Mangodude]

Would love to be able to get a puffer/box fish that would not kill my reef! I really love the coloration but most people say they are aggresive...

 

[Airwolf75]

The real problem with blue spotted boxfish is they tend to not be good at outcompeting other fish for food, and are really sensitive to disease. The first one I tried, got a mouth sore, which I fixed, then got ick, which I fixed then got some kind of internal problem where he was all swollen and died from that.

The second one, I treated it with hyposalinity and chloroquine phopsphate from day 1, and it did pretty good, it then developed a lymphocyst on the tail. So I hooked an ozone unit to the QT to push the water quality, and with much work got the fish to eat more than just one food. So now we are looking much better and living in the final destination tank with no other fish.

 

[rioshilo]

I have a black dogface in a mixed reef. He will decimate any mushroom or paly within reach. Doesn't bother sps lps or most softies. He is in a 125 with a few different types of leathers, gsp, a few softies (zenia, colt), pipe coral, a brain, and a couple acans. There are some mushrooms and palys still growing in this tank but they are on the side next to the nem where the clown is very defensive and aggresive if he starts picking at things near her and her nem.