Valentini puffer

[woody390]

Have got all my fish moved into my new tank now and the next one I'm getting is a Valentini puffer I have spoken to my Lfs and they can get me one no problem, how long should I wait before adding new fish? Also I know I need to feed my Valentini puffer stuff to keep the jaws down but what sort of food do people feed them to do this do they need food like this everyday? Do they need feeding everyday been reading they should be fed 3 times a day?

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

Congrats! All depends in what you have in there now and when you added them. I have a puffer and feed 1x a day either shrimp or clams. Elude82 is extremely helpful when it comes to puffers. I'd pm him.

 

[woody390]

Newly cycled tank and I moved my 2 clowns and narcissus snails (know these will most likely end up as puffer food) in today it's a 30 gallon and hanks will ask him

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

I have a pretty good size porc and he doesn't mess with any of my other fish. I also have 2 clowns, 1 mandarin goby, 1 yellow wrasse, and 3 chromis. Everyone get along fine. I love the Valentini Puffer. Good choice.

 

[woody390]

Yeah one of the reasons I wanted a saltwater tank was for the Valentini love the mandarin too but bit scared to get one due to problems people have with them plus only 30 gallon

 

[SaltwaterNuB]

Mine is actually a spotted mandarin. It's my wife's favorite because it looks like he's wearing make-up. I was worried when I first got him. I bought Copepods, but was able to get him to eat mysis and brine.

 

[woody390]

That's cool maybe one for the future then defo one of the best looking fish though

 

[Terrance]

All food can be bought from grocery store seafood isle.
3" or less - feed once daily, 6 times per week
bigger than 3" - feed once daily, 4-5 times weekly

Do you have a skimmer or refugium for growing macroalgae?

 

[woody390]

Yeah I've got a refugium growing cheato and I have a skimmer too although need to get a new one whys that and thanks!

 

[woody390]

Also what sorts of stuff from the seafood like muscles clams crab claws?

 

[Terrance]

Both fuge and skimmer help keep good water quality. The waste excreted from these fish are very high.

I feed raw shrimp, scallops, clams, and mussel. Any crustacean is fine. Thaw them in a bowl of tank water. Once thawed, i use feeding tongs to transfer food from bowl to tank. Dump the water in the bowl afterwards. Once thawed, never refreeze.

Feed until tummy is slightly rounded. Very difficult to starve these fish, but you can overfeed and kill them with your kindness.

 

[woody390]

Brilliant thank you, is it the fish that makes the waste or just the food they d ont eat? I know you can't have cuc with these but would a goby go well to pick at the food the puffers don't eat?

 

[Terrance]

Its actually both that causes terrible water quality. Without fuge and skimmer, you are looking at weekly 50% water changes.

 

[woody390]

Luckily I have both then although may look at better skimmer in that case, what do you have in with puffers to keep sand and rocks clean out of interest?

 

[ktomminello]

Puffers tend to be stand alone showcase fish, and when you're a puffer owner keeping a live rock heap that your puffer can't get into should help keep your CUC around.... If you want a puffer, lol, I would get used to having a lot of bristle worms... Puffers need to sharpen their beaks/ teeth so when they eat they tend to shred things up and make a huge mess. Hi terrence!! Here's my gsp eatingPuffy snacking on freeze dried krill | Facebook

 

[woody390]

Yeah I guessed that might be the case, could be good with the cuc though because my live rock has a lot of hides holes that e puffer won't get into. Surely a goby and clowns should help with the shredded off bits too as long as its eaten.

 

[ktomminello]

careful

puffers do have a way of stressing out and nipping other fish, which we know can be a pretty big problem. I'm not saying it's impossible, I believe valentini are less aggressive, though bigger, than their brackish counterparts. Just make sure that there's enough space for everyone to have their own little nook. Good luck, keep us posted

 

[Bectan01]

My puffer leaves all my snails alone and they do a great job! 2x conch, 2x turbo and 2x banded trochus...

 

[Terrance]

My puffer leaves all my snails alone and they do a great job! 2x conch, 2x turbo and 2x banded trochus...

Lucky you! You got a keeper. If your puff is still young, then it there is still a chance of an attack when he/she gets bigger and more mature.

 

[ktomminello]

My puffer had a blue clawed crab that I thought he was ok with, lol, and then he grew a little, flipped the crab on it's back and tore into the belly and ripped the claws off lol, it happens.