Puffers in reef tank

rocsec1

Active member
I finally have my 120 up and running and my wife( who loves the tank) has her heart set set on a puffer. Are any of them redfish safe? I am going to have mostly soft corals and a cuc.
 
Most puffers can be a bit destructive, in a reef I would go for some type of sharpnosed puffer. They stay relatively small and usually leave softies alone. In my experience they picked at stony corals and some clean up crew.


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My recent sharpnose/canthigaster ate zoanthids in astonishing quantities, goniopora, rock flower anemones, cyphastrea, chalice and wellso.

He's currently in my fuge.
 
Get a mimic "puffer" (filefish) - Paraluterus prionurus and tell her it's a valentini puffer ;) They stay small, are very docile, and are relatively reef safe (clams and zoas may run a bit of a risk).
 
IMO, you may could do one of the Toby species. They will generally leave corals alone, but with all Puffers, CUC has the possibility of being in danger.
 
I've had a valentini in my reef for maybe a year now. Leaves snails and hermits alone, never seen him pick at coral but I don't have that much. What they end up picking at seems to be dependent on the individual fish. Leaves my mushrooms and candy cane alone, I had some problems with my gorgs retracting their polyps but I could never pin it on him.

I love this fish, every afternoon it cruises the front of the tank flashing these really pretty light gold colors. Very peaceful and never bothers anyone. Rarely I'll see him puff up, pretty cool but he deflates as soon as I approach.
 
I have a valentini puffer in a 30g tank that was supposed to be FOWLR. after a bit, I started putting prunings from my main tank in there for holding until I traded them. Aside from curiously picking at them occasionally and knocking them over, she leaves them alone. Since I got LED lights for that tank for Christmas, I will be adding some additional corals. Nothing expensive or high calcium demand because she could develop a taste for something. Plus I don't want to have to start dosing this tank.

Corals my valentini has been fine with: frogspawn, leathers, mushrooms, montipora, birdsnest, rock flower anemone (not a coral!).

No clean up crew in that tank. Only other inhabitant is an orchid dottyback. Both fish are very mellow.
Kim
 
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