Puffers

[brunkdent]

Does anybody have currently or has had a valentini puffer? I love them, and I want one but I can't really gather how difficult they are to take care of. One thing I read is the opposite of what I read before it seems like. Any opinions??

 

[tonedogz]

this puffer is moderate as far as care. if you have any invert or corals it will eat them so be careful what you have in there with it.

 

[brunkdent]

As of right now just some hermit crabs and some pretty big snails...not that I want to scarifice any other critters..but he's just so cool to watch!

 

[tonedogz]

well they are very good at cracking shells so the crabs and snail will probable be on his dinner list. They'll also chomp on live rock

 

[brunkdent]

They sound like such a pain! I would like one but I am working really hard on my tank so maybe I will just look at them whenever I go to the lfs...
I've heard some people never have a problem with them eating their inverts or LR but so far with this project I haven't been lucky...

I just like the way they swim..

 

[tonedogz]

The problem is the unpredictability you don't know if they will or won't so better safe then sorry

 

[brunkdent]

seems like the cooler it is the more of a liability it is LOL

 

[Hondatek]

Puffers are worth it to do whatever whenever to your tank just to give them the right setup IMO . The best fish ever. Just feed hard shelled foods for their beaks. The puffer your interested in isn't a big or very aggressive puffer since it's a toby . The tendency will be a lot less for a Toby type of puffer to try to chew on rock even though It may try to like the others have said. I have a porcupine puffer and he has never just tried to do that . Inverts are a whole other story. My puffer will eat them all except turbo snails because they are too big for now. I cant say because i never had a Toby myself but i really don't think they would be able to crush a hermits shell . A member named Terrance will probably chime in he is a puffer guy like me.

 

[tonedogz]

http://www.freshmarine.com/saddle-valentini-puffer.html Read this

 

[Hondatek]

Ok so all that says is that they can crush hermits . I did say that I do not think they can crush a average size hermit but i don't know for sure because I never had that particular puffer .

 

[tonedogz]

just trying to tell him something about the fish cause he didn't want to sacrifice and of the inverts he has. He could also get a mimic filefish which look the same and are reef safe

 

[Hondatek]

Ok there still is a chance of anything will puffers I agree with that . My puffer may eat a hermit or two per week but he is a a bigger puffer than a valentini . If the op can't live with any of them getting eaten then a puffer of any sort is not a good idea in this case . But if you don't mind replacing them it's a good meal for them to keep their beaks worn.

 

[FTMMWS]

Ok there still is a chance of anything will puffers I agree with that . My puffer may eat a hermit or two per week but he is a a bigger puffer than a valentini . If the op can't live with any of them getting eaten then a puffer of any sort is not a good idea in this case . But if you don't mind replacing them it's a good meal for them to keep their beaks worn.

I agree ,,

 

[Terrance]

They sound like such a pain! I would like one but I am working really hard on my tank so maybe I will just look at them whenever I go to the lfs...
I've heard some people never have a problem with them eating their inverts or LR but so far with this project I haven't been lucky...

I just like the way they swim..

Some Valentinis are very mellow, but a puffer is a puffer. Do not bet on long-term success of a Valentini being peaceful in a tank full of other fish and/or invert. This species are known to nip hermits to death even if they can't get through a hermit's shell.

Watch them at the LFS like I do. Cool fish indeed.

 

[SeanMonster]

I have a Valentini and I didn't see him for the first two weeks. He was so shy at feeding time I thought I was going to lose him. Now he's out all the time. Great fish. I have him in a 180g with a blue spotted Toby and an dogface. They are great fish and I have had no problems with it.

 

[Terrance]

No problems for now. Over the course of 10 or yrs.. it may very likely end up in tears (very cliche here). You do have a lot of tank space though. Its better that way.

 

[brunkdent]

LOL I don't mind him eating a few hermits here and there, I just didnt know how much of a feeding frenzy it would attempt to have.

What would you say is the min. tank size? I have seen some conflicting info. and I really only trust it from people I know have experience...some lfs will tell you anything u want to hear..

 

[SeanMonster]

LOL I don't mind him eating a few hermits here and there, I just didnt know how much of a feeding frenzy it would attempt to have.

What would you say is the min. tank size? I have seen some conflicting info. and I really only trust it from people I know have experience...some lfs will tell you anything u want to hear..

I've found that the information at liveaquaria.com to be fairly accurate.

 

[brunkdent]

I've found that the information at liveaquaria.com to be fairly accurate.

Well thats about right then, when I can get a fish again he will be one of my top choices