Puffers in a reef tank

[akazzz]

Hi,

What do you guys think of keeping a puffers in a reef tank?

I have heard they can pick on corals and might even nip on smaller sized fishes.

 

[robert.mccook.elm]

what kind of puffer are you considering?

 

[akazzz]

Hey robert.mccook.elm,
I'm considering these puffers:

Spotted puffer

Bennett sharpnose puffer

Leopard puffer

Saddle valentini puffer

Their max size are around 4-5".

 

[robert.mccook.elm]

those are some nice puffers. my follow up question is when you say reef safe, do you mean won't eat or bother all the invertebrates that live in a reef. or do you mean coral safe, as in won't nip at coral.

if you mean the first, then im sorry to say a puffer will not work. as im sure you know, they eat invertebrates to keep their beak filed down. some also have a tendency to nip other fish. but in my experience that is not always a guarantee. a lot of that depends on the puffer you get.

also correct me if im wrong but i thought the spotted puffer is the same as the leopard puffer?

 

[Aw3s0m3]

I had a green spotted puffer in a reef and it was fine. Never touched any soft corals and would occasionally nip at an sps or lps but that was rarely. Other than that it was fine. Just don't expect to keep any shrimps or crabs besides hermits and larger snails


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[Thekid]

It won't work with inverts. Mine hunted stars, hermits and snails to to the point that within two days all hitchhikers on live rock were gone.


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[akazzz]

I'm planning to keep a clean-up crew and a goby/shrimp combo so I guess a puffer is out of the question

 

[robert.mccook.elm]

it would be a risk for sure. when you say shrimp goby combo do you mean pistol shrimp and a shrimp goby?

 

[akazzz]

Yes, that's correct. It would be pretty cool to see the gobies fend off the puffer if it tries to nip on the shrimp.

 

[Aw3s0m3]

Ya that definitely won't work. The shrimp would be an expensive snack and possibly the goby too


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