Reef Safe puffer?

[frankpayne32]

Has anyone had any experience with puffers in their reef? I have a 125 gallon that is a mixture of SPS and zoas/palys. I love the personalities of puffers and would like to have one but I realize that most like to munch on everything. I don't care if it would eat snails, etc. but I couldn't have anything that would damage my corals. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Frank

 

[sanchoy]

Puffers.. most are not reef/coral safe. If you value your corals don't add

 

[frankpayne32]

Puffers.. most are not reef/coral safe. If you value your corals don't add

Yes, I realize that most but possibly not all aren't coral safe. I was just asking if anyone had any experiences adding them to a reef. Anyone else?

 

[Stuart60611]

Any of your toby puffers are usually (but not always) coral safe. No puffer is invert safe, although some may leave inverts alone for a while. Dogface puffers often love to munch on polyps, zoas, mushrooms, and other corals.

 

[frankpayne32]

Any of your toby puffers are usually (but not always) coral safe. No puffer is invert safe, although some may leave inverts alone for a while. Dogface puffers often love to munch on polyps, zoas, mushrooms, and other corals.

Thanks Stuart. Are you aware of any of the tobies that are "more coral safe" than the others?

 

[COreefer]

I kept a valentini in a full blown reef for 2 years without any problems. They are hit or miss though. Right now i have a blue spot toby with anemones and some LPS...no problems.

 

[arrowheadpuffer]

I personaly kept a takifugu niphobles puffer in my tank for many years. It once nipped a discosoma mushroom and never touched a coal again. I kept mostly softies, some LPS and a few SPS. This puffer needs a sand bed, as it like to bury. Very active, swimming all over at high speed. Mine loved krill and trigger cubes. Sadly mine jumped into the overflow and got a massive gash that led to its death

They are sold as freshwater fish, but in nature they spawn in fresh and then move to full marine. It takes about a month to slowly acclimate to full marine.

Max size 6".

Also some people keep green spottted puffers in reefs with no problem.

Just watch out for your shrimp and crabs...

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

How are the smaller tobies with shrimp?

 

[tybox]

had a porcupine in a mixed reef for years. never bothered anything.

 

[LisaD]

my dogface puffer loves mushrooms, it ate about 200 of them, many different colors and species. if the emperor angel hadn't already wiped out the zoas, it would probably have eaten them too.

It left Porites, cabbage leathers, Turbinaria and some other soft corals alone.

 

[Airwolf75]

How about a Blue Spotted Boxfish. Stays small about 6-7 inches, has the same personality as a puffer. I keep one in a species tank with a bunch of soft coral and acros.

Honestly, I read some reliable reports they don't eat coral, so I did a setup with frags from the main tank I really don't care about. It's all still only a few months old so don't take this review as gospel.

Not an easy fish to keep, rare chance of releasing posion, fragile, but you seem like an advanced guy who might have fun with it.

 

[frankpayne32]

Thanks everyone for their input. I am starting to lean towards a toby.

Thanks Airwolf75, I never considered a boxfish, I've heard so many times that they can easily nuke a tank if they are stressed or die. I will have to do more research on them.

 

[Elysia]

Lobster -- I put my juvenile valentini female in my tank w/ a mature resident cleaner shrimp. She never bother the shrimp and the shrimp only passed away because I caused a rock slide right after it molted, and the slide cut the shrimps body in half. I still feel guilty about that. I think it helped that the cleaner shrimp was a resident before the toby, and started out being bigger than the toby. I have seen her knock snails and hermit crabs, but if she is well fed, she doesn't go after them further. She is also going to go into a larger tank in the next month, which will give her some new things to investigate -- I really think she is in need of some environmental enrichment. That said, she is a great fish with a great personality. From my (limited) experience, I would say get a small one and watch it grow up.

 

[reefergeorge]

had a porcupine in a mixed reef for years. never bothered anything.

Same here. He doesn't even bother shrimp.

 

[maggiec]

I have 2 green spotted puffers in a mixed reef (about 1.5 years). They have zero interest in coral & are not aggressive towards other fish (including a mandarin) but are very interested in the CUC. From time to time they will nose the hermits but they just duck into their shells. I only keep a pistol shrimp. Fantastic personalities

 

[Reef Bass]

My Tyler's toby was reef safe and an enjoyable fish with personality. Its shape, coloration and movement were very different from my other fishes.

 

[scooter31707]

IME, I had a bluespotted Toby puffer. Didn't bother any corals, but shrimp, crabs, and snails were on the menu.