Reef safe puffers?

[Imjustgud]

I've seen several different videos out there with different puffers in their reef tank. Are certain puffers reef safe?

I mostly have soft corals, lps and a couple sps.

 

[fscmocsaj]

I'm pretty sure saddle and spotted puffers can be put in reef tanks but with caution!. They will eat your corals if they are hungry. Puffers mouths are made to crush corals lol. My friend has a blue spotted puffer and its been doing well with the corals for about 6months now.

 

[rssjsb]

IME and based on what I've read from others around here, tobies are generally ok with softies and sps, but they will eat snails and shrimp. Bigger puffers (too big for a 75 anyway) are more of a risk for coral and small fish.

 

[SoloChromis]

When I worked at a LFS I knew a customer that had a little blue spot take out every coral in his 210 gallon tank (softies and LPS mainly), not to mention his snails, crabs and shrimp. Puffers, to me, seem like a fairly intelligent group of fish, giving them a wider range of personalities and "tastes" than that of the average damsel. SPS typically don't fair well with puffers, who use use them to keep their teeth filed down, especially if they're short on other things to chew on. Inverts are also iffy, because MOST puffers will make short of them, however I knew a porcupine that would have a scarlet skunk cleaner shrimp surf on his back. Obviously that is an extreme case, but it goes to show you how insanely different their demeanors can be from one another. If I were to try it myself, I would buy a small specimen and raise it up in a reef tank, as it hasn't become stuck in it's ways yet. I personally have seen a few green spotted puffers and porcupines in full blown reef tanks, but its up to you. I would love to have a porcupine or a golden arothron in a reef, but with the amount of money Ive invested in coral and inverts, its not quite worth the risk right now

 

[Imjustgud]

That's the crazy thing about the personalities of these fish. I have lots of feather dusters in my rock. I'm looking to go small for sure if I take the plunge and find the right one.