Saddle Valentini pufferfish

thompson2224

New member
I want to keep one of these in a mixed reef with 2 cleaner shrimp, some snails, urchin, and possibly a clam, as well as other fish. Has anyone had luck keeping one in a reef tank? If so is there anything specific you did to help it work?
 
I had one in my 90 gal and was very peaceful to my clam, shrimps, and snails. It had an untimely death so I decided to replace it. The new one was a complete terror and nipped at everything. My clam would stay closed all the time and my poor snails getting pick on all the time. I was able to take it back to my LFS. I don't know if it makes a difference but my first one was a female and the terror was a male. It's a gamble, but a cool fish.
 
Nope, nothing out of the ordinary. I did try and feed frozen clams to the terror to deter him from picking on my Maxima but it didn't work. From what I've heard it's hit or miss. I really miss the one I had she was a good girl.
 
I want to try it for sure, I just don't want to lose corals, my clam, or shrimp. Are they easy to catch in a DT if it is a problem? Should I introduce it with other fish or after?
 
I've been curious about tobies myself. Biggest issue is that I like my snails and don't want it picking on any future inhabitants (FOWLR right now, but going reef after I upgrade my lighting. and I want a clam)

They look like they'd be easy to catch, I've never seen them move in any hurry. But, looks can be deceiving lol.
 
Idk the thing that sucks is most of these fish are so unpredictable. Some are fine some aren't. Just like angelfish. I want to do some sort of angelfish as well but some pick at things and some don't. What are the saddle puffers most likely to attack? Ive seen videos of them being cleaned by cleaner shrimp which was encouraging but again you can't predict if it will eat them or let them clean
 
A Toby will almost certainly eat your snails and shrimp eventually. I love this group, but would not trust them with invertebrates. Not sure about your clam, but i wouldn't be surprised if it was on the menu too.
 
Really? Im hoping that if I get one small enough it will work out. Wishful thinking. I have seen a few now that are really peaceful and live well with everything that is in the tank
 
Well I mean it was fine for a while but then it changed and just tore apart the shrimp. But they aren't all the same so you may have better luck
 
If I lose a few snails I wouldn't be upset. My snails are actually rather large and have caps so I would be shocked if it was able to eat one of them. What is the best thing to feed them?
 
Check with you LFS and ask if you can take it back if it becomes a pest. Since they are slow swimmers they like easy targets, clams and snails. The one's I had did not bother my cleaner shrimps, the female would let the skunk clean it every so often. If you have pistol, sexy, or any really small shrimp I know they will go for those.
 
You can feed them anything. Pellets, frozen foods. Even seafood from the grocery store like squid, clams, oysters. Mine loved clams (had to open it in half though)
 
I don't have any small inverts or shrimp. The smallest are turbo snails and they are huge at this point and the nassarius are buried in the sand. I don't have a clam yet. Okay do those foods wear down there teeth enough?
 
Well the clam, oyster, anything with a shell will (just going off what I have read). The Puffer scrapes the teeth on it and it should be good. Otherwise you would have to trim the teeth.
 
I had one and like Desertrat505's male, it picked at everything. Took out all my dusters and picked off my snails one by one. The much larger Turbos and Mexican snails seemed to do alright but I'd still see him pick at them as well and knock them off their rock or glass. I don't have shrimp but I have lots of small hermits and he doesn't bother them at all. the only reef I have is what came on the rocks when I bought them, just some softies and shrooms and he left them alone as well.
I fed mine flakes in the morning and frozen mysis in the evening and he eat both with much liking.
He shared the 90 gal tank with a paired Maroon clown couple and a Lawnmower Blenny and all lived very peacefully, even biting off the same cube of mysis together like lady and the tramp.
I do warn you thou, when it sleeps it latches on to things with its belly some how, rocks, heater, Mag Float, even power heads... that's how I lost mine. It doesn't sleep in the same spots every night, pretty much calls it a night on whatever is closest to it whenever the moon light goes off.
Over all, a very nice and elegant fish to have if you don't mind the occasional snail shell going empty and I couldn't tell you if its reef safe, I'm told its not.
 
Okay, how large are these puffers when you have gotten them? Also when you said it latches on to things, what exactly should I be careful of? It getting sucked into the powerhead or what?
 
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