Valentini Puffer in Reef?

[LouH]

I love these little puffers, but everything I've read says not compatible in a reef system. Has anyone had one in their system without issue?

 

[rssjsb]

I have no experience with valentinis, but have had a c. solandri (blue spotted toby). It's a great little fish. I've kept it in in a tank filled with soft corals and anemones for many years with no issues at all.

The biggest thing with these fish is that they will eat inverts. Mine has eaten every snail in the tank and also ate a peppermint shrimp.

 

[Guygettnby]

i had one in the past when i was first starting out. that was before i knew better and spent a good amount of money trying to keep a clean up crew in my tank. it did not bother any corals that i noticed, but then again back then all i had was just softies. i do not know if it will bother and LPS or SPS corals... i do know for a fact they will eat any kind of invert you have in your tank. mine managed to eat a rather big urchin i had at the time.

i got rid of him after a few months and after paying 5x the price of the fish in more clean up crew. so with that said, if you want to have a clean up crew at all then keep him out of a reef.

 

[LouH]

Sounds too risky. I'll keep him in his own 30 gallon tank.

 

[MARINECRITTERS]

I have one, never killed or nipped at anything. Guess it is a hit or miss.

 

[DarthSimon]

I just removed mine from my 220 gallon reef tank. Mine was nipping at a very large Squamosa clam... Was going on for 2 months...

He also took out my smaller clams...
He's in a 30 gallon frag/qt tank now.

 

[LouH]

Yeah, nipping my clam was my biggest concern. My 30 gallon has a bunch of Trocus snails in it. So far they've managed not to become lunch.

 

[LouH]

This timing is great. I came home today and found a trocus snail shell upside down and the snail missing. I looks like my puffer has collected his first snail meal. The snail was almost as big as the puffer. He must be full.

 

[Triggerfish]

i added one about a week ago.. sure does love my orange cap picking the heck out of it.. tried catching him today..had it in the net and it freakin got out.. i put the cap up front to try to get him again... actually whiletyping this i tried again.. damn thing is getting faster each time i try.
had one before but dont think i had sps then and it seemed fine with softies and LPS.
he's back out in front gonna try again...