tweederlee
New member
I have been considering getting a valentini puffer. im wondering if anyone has had experience withthem and if so is it possible to keep one in a reef tank or are they to hard on the coral.
Valentini Puffers
- Thread starter tweederlee
- Start date
Donkeykong
New member
All puffers will eventually nip at coral, valentini might be safe for a while when it is young but eventually he will go after things. Sorry, but there are tons of fish we all just would die to have in our reefs, but we either have tried it and paid the price or already know better not to risk it.
tweederlee
New member
Thats why I asked. I'm still pretty new to this. I have a lot to learn. Lol. Thanks for the help! I'm not gonna chance it.
small alien
The fungus is among us.
Donkey may be right, but don't just take one person's word for anything in this hobby. Including mine! One thing about little puffers, they're pretty easy to catch, so you could remove it if you wanted. I have a blue spot toby (related) that is a fantastic fish and hasn't bothered coral yet. I made a choice some time ago to fit my coral collection to my fish collection rather than the other way around. For me, it's about the fish, so I have just softies and leathers and if the fish wants a bite, go for it.
Here's my tank.
And here are some of my semi-coral friendly fish.
I think the risk is very worth it. :rollface:
Here's my tank.
And here are some of my semi-coral friendly fish.
I think the risk is very worth it. :rollface:
Hoosierfan
New member
I love Blue Spotted Puffers; however, I'm not ready to take that risk yet.
Donkeykong
New member
Two things
1. Yes there is always exceptions to the rule and you will here about people keeping things that for all accounts should not work, but as long as you know the risk going into this and are ready an d prepared to risk certain things then your tank is your tank. IF you have success then share it with your experiance and it might help others.
2. Puffers have fused teeth that will continue to grow till they die, they use this teeth to break open clams snail crabs and what not. If they dont have things like this to help keep there teeth worn down they can and will chew on everything from rocks, corals, power head, your arm if its in there to long. If they dont their teeth will get to long and cause them to not be able to eat.
Now with that said the valentini puffer along with the stars and strips and a few others in the sharp-nose puffer family tend to be the more docile and less destructive of the puffers. If I was ever going ot try a puffer in one of my tanks it would probably be a A valentini, but I would not have any of my prized pieces in there with him at the time. One of the reason the above people are having success with there puffers are since they mention leathers and softies, which give off a nasty slime that the puffer may have tried once and said no thank you.
1. Yes there is always exceptions to the rule and you will here about people keeping things that for all accounts should not work, but as long as you know the risk going into this and are ready an d prepared to risk certain things then your tank is your tank. IF you have success then share it with your experiance and it might help others.
2. Puffers have fused teeth that will continue to grow till they die, they use this teeth to break open clams snail crabs and what not. If they dont have things like this to help keep there teeth worn down they can and will chew on everything from rocks, corals, power head, your arm if its in there to long. If they dont their teeth will get to long and cause them to not be able to eat.
Now with that said the valentini puffer along with the stars and strips and a few others in the sharp-nose puffer family tend to be the more docile and less destructive of the puffers. If I was ever going ot try a puffer in one of my tanks it would probably be a A valentini, but I would not have any of my prized pieces in there with him at the time. One of the reason the above people are having success with there puffers are since they mention leathers and softies, which give off a nasty slime that the puffer may have tried once and said no thank you.
Valentinis aren't totally reef safe, but imop they're pretty manageable reef inhabitants. Eventually yes they will put some bite marks in SPS at least, and they'll keep your cleanup crew in check. You'd probably have to give up on having a lot of snails to clean the glass.
LobsterOfJustice
Recovering Detritophobe
I had a blue spot for a while, he picked at some zoas and that was it. I didnt have any shrimp in the tank. Like Small Alien said, you have to decide if you want to pick your fish around your corals, or your corals around your fish. Keeping certain corals (and shrimp) won't let you keep certain fish, and vice versa.
They are definitely not a typical "reef safe" fish, but its not like they are going to eat all your corals and you'll end up with a FO tank. You have to decide if your willing to give up a few corals (and more likely shrimp) to house them.
They are definitely not a typical "reef safe" fish, but its not like they are going to eat all your corals and you'll end up with a FO tank. You have to decide if your willing to give up a few corals (and more likely shrimp) to house them.
thelizardkin
New member
I've heard the smaller puffers are worse for corals than larger ones I know my LFS had a baby porcupine puffer in their 300 gallon reef and that tank is one of the nicest I've seen what's nice about puffers is if they start acting up you can catch them easily
