Saddle Valentini pufferfish

ah, this is discouraging, i always thought about trying one of these guys, but it seems like more often than not, they are bad tankmates!
 
I bought the largest healthiest one I could find at my LFS and it was about 3 inches long.
It secures itself to objects so it doesn't get carried away in the current, I've watched it many times to see if I could find any signs of how it does it but couldn't see any significant changes. My guess is it deflates its belly so it in a way it pinches itself to whatever it feels like.
I would say make your tank extra safe especially power heads cause they'll latch on to it, and if its close to the intake they'll fall asleep and get sucked in. I have 2 old school Maxijet 1200's so they weren't as safe as the newer ones (intake has a smaller opening so the pull is a lot stronger then the newer ones that have a wider range of intake).
This post isn't to detour you from getting one, just an informative experience. I really liked mine a lot, low maintenance but a little nippy, I would especially suggest one if you have a FOWLR tank like I do.
 
Heres a pic of him.

Week8ValentiniPuffer.jpg.html
 
Okay I currently have an open faced powerhead like the hydor ones but I have a mesh over it similar to pantyhose because I have an anenome that occasionally moves and to be safe I keep that on for if Im gone so he doesn't get sucked into it. Would that be enough or do you think it could still get sucked onto it and hurt? Im hoping that buying it small and young and it being raised in the tank with corals and cleaner shrimp he doesn't attack them. Why do you think some fish are non-reef safe? Do you think its due to the biology or what they're fed, if they come from the wild or if they've seen other fish do it?
 
A Hydor should be safe enough, the pull is coming from a wide enough area that the suction isn't powerful enough to harm it, you might have to separate it with a net from time to time.

I think some fish are not reef safe due to their breed, whether it be wild or not, some fish just have the need for greens, I fed mine flakes in the morning so it got its intake of algae's and greens, that maybe by why it didn't eat my shroom and polyps but not sure if it would have altered its interest if I had corals in the tank. They are very curious fish, it was fun to watch him swim around because it seemed like he analysed everything.
 
Yeah mine would be fed a very well diet so Im hoping that it will leave things alone enough. Okay hopefully the powerhead doesn't suck strong enough, if it is I can always replace it with a different kind
 
I had a female Valentini for several years during which time it grew from a very small fish to approx. 3". While I did not have a clam or SPS with it, it did not bother my hitchhiking bivalves, gorgonians, soft corals, snails, hermit crabs, or cleaner shrimp. It did eat all the tiny hitchhiking tube worms that were on my rocks. It was an avid feeder of frozen Mysis and I also fed it crab in the shell. Although I often worried about its teeth, I never had any issue with its teeth. I'm not sure if my cleaner shrimp was safe because the toby grew up with it...
 
Elysia said:
I had a female Valentini for several years during which time it grew from a very small fish to approx. 3". While I did not have a clam or SPS with it, it did not bother my hitchhiking bivalves, gorgonians, soft corals, snails, hermit crabs, or cleaner shrimp. It did eat all the tiny hitchhiking tube worms that were on my rocks. It was an avid feeder of frozen Mysis and I also fed it crab in the shell. Although I often worried about its teeth, I never had any issue with its teeth. I'm not sure if my cleaner shrimp was safe because the toby grew up with it...
Click to expand...

Interesting, Im hoping mine will act the same way. I will be getting it super small and the 2 cleaner shrimp I do have will have been very established in the tank by the time the puffer is added. I only have one spa right now mostly LPS and soft corals. I don't have a clam yet and probably won't because Id rather have the puffer. Or if I do get a clam I might build the clam a nice looking guard.
 
iv'e had two.. first one seemed ok with inverts.. the 2nd time i tried once most recently it picked at corals. so out it went.
 
that was awhile back.. had it in a 125g.. cant remember what happened but it was one of my favorite fish from what i remember. dont think i had sps back then and it didnt seem to bother naything else. the most recent was picking at sps.
 
Well the monti cap will most likely need a trim eventually. Just kidding. I hope it works out otherwise Ill just have to bring it back to my LFS
 
Yeah thats what I've heard. Is there any advice anyone can share on if any tricks will help the chances of it being reef safe increase?
 
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