Dogface Puffer & Triggers With Anemones?

[cashmoney6980]

Well my wife and I decided against doing a full reef tank, as we've fallen in love with some fish that aren't exactly reef safe. My wife has fallen head over heels for a dogface puffer, who she says resembles my old dog that passed away a couple years ago (as crazy as that might sound, it's slightly true lol), and I really do like the clown trigger. The one, and probably only, coral I'd like to be able to keep with these in the future, would be some type of anemone, most likely a BTA.

Would it be possible to keep any anemone alive with either one, or both of these fish? If it would put either the fish or the anemone in danger of either gettin hurt, or eaten, then I'll stick with just the fish and go completely FOWLR. I'm trying to do some planning for future stocking and want to make sure I get everything compatible.

Thanks in advance for any tips, and thanks for looking! Cheers!

 

[Rosesrblu1]

Someone pls correct me if I'm wrong, but the biggest reason that they don't consider triggers or puffers reef safe is because they tend to eat inverts like snails and clams. I have a porkie puffer and Niger trigger in a fowler with 4 anenomes (1 rock flower and 3 from an anenome crab), btw crab died before either was in the tank. Both fish leave basically everything alone, but do tend to nibble on the hermits and snails from time to time. Most angels tend to make snacks of corals such as zoa's.

 

[Terrance]

I know of some puffers that actually eat the coral in addition to eating all the inverts.

 

[crister13]

+1. They won't bother corals or nems. Just hermits and things like that.

 

[Rosesrblu1]

If my reef tank was bigger, the puffer would be in their. He is bad a$$ looking, but a sweet guy. Even bit me once, but his beak is so worn down that it scared me more than hurt. It was pretty funny, thought I was a cube of mysis...

 

[cashmoney6980]

That's definately some good news! Main reason I wanted a reef tank, was for an anemone. We've been debating between going reef, or FOWLR, and after going back and forth on the fish we'd like to eventually have, we decided on FOWLR, but was hoping to be able to sneak a nem in there lol.

Now next question lol... I have 3 large turbo snails. I'd say about about 2 inches around, at least. It will probably be a few months til I get either the trigger, or the puffer, so I'm sure the turbos will be bigger. Will they be large enough to be safe from them? Or would they at risk as well? I know not that not many inverts are safe from them, but wasn't sure if it was one of those things where, if it's too big to fit in their mouth, then they won't eat it

 

[Rosesrblu1]

So, with the turbo snails, you have to watch out that they aren't flipped over. Sometimes they will fall, or the trigger or puffer will knock them down and then might eat them. I have had that happen a lot and sometimes you can flip them back where they make it, sometimes not. The turbos aren't cheap, but in relation to the fish price wise...you can get more snails. We get about 3-6 every 6 months or so to replace what has died in our 180 fowlr. Most of the time I can catch it before they expire, 3 times in the past couple of months, not so,much. I would consider them collateral damage with puffers and triggers.

 

[Terrance]

The puffer will definitely eat the snail. Probably sooner rather than later. Snail size does not matter much. Very expensive meal IMO.

 

[Rosesrblu1]

We have never had a snail taken from the shell, just flipped over or knocked off the glass...they can't right themselves...the snacks at more the hermit crabs...we find parts now and again...depends on if we forget to feed. The puffer gets about a cubes worth everyday...we keep the water pristine, so no issue. They are all eating and growing for sure. Had the puffer over 3 years, and is now a fat chubby 6 inches...when we got him, battled ich for a year, and was super thin. Now a big pig!

The blue and white hermits are fairly inexpensive, get them a reefs2go on a bogo...got some white legs last time for 2/1.42 or so...fast and they are still going strong...

 

[Hondatek]

I actually find my porcupine is the opposite he destroys snails almost instantly and let's the hermits linger on. Cant rely on puffs not to eat inverts. They will eat it all IMO .

 

[cashmoney6980]

I was afraid of that. But mainly got the turbos just for cleaning up the leftover algae from the cycle, and I only paid $1.50 for each of them at golf ball size, so IF I do end up losing them in the months to come after getting the puffer, then it's no huge loss, as ive already got $1.50 worth of work out of each of them.

Thanks for the input guys! It's all much appreciated!