Valentini Puffer in a reef tank? Experiences???

[dangtang25]

Hello everyone.. I'm new to the site but not new to SW.. I am however new to Puffer keeping. I got my first puffer, a porcupine puffer yesterday who calls my 150 gallon rubbermaid sump home. I also have a 75 gallon fully stocked reef tank which I'd love love love to attmept a valentini puffer in since I am offically hooked.

here he is:



The spots you see on him are microbubbles not ich so dont worry!

Anyways, heres a bit about my reef setup

I do have another tank setup which I could put the valentini in if it didnt work out but would really like to see him in my reef. My tank is filled w/ 125+ lbs of LR and I have many many LPS corals. Some examples are echinos (rare ones like true watermelon), the standards torch, frogspawn, hammer coral, various brain corals, lobos, dendros, duncans, acans, micros, etc. I also have softies like leathers, zoas, mushrooms, and ricordias. I've got some SPS like 3, I only really care about one of them the others were brown freebies that I got to see if they'd survive under my lighting. I also have 3 coco worms which I really like, and a RBTA, and of course various hermit crabs, & a few serpent starfish.

Fish include

Yellow tang
Mandarin
Flame Hawkfish
Blue Devil Damsel
Bangaii Cardnalfish
False Percula Clownfish pair

Would this be a disaster waiting to happen or has anyone successfully done it with a similar tank?

LMK!!

Thanks!

[crazedpuffer]

Nice porc. What size is he? Also the Valentini might work it might not. I'd go for the risk though.

[dangtang25]

Thanks, hes about 5-6 inches or so..

As far as the valentini I think I might take the risk. My luck though he'll snack on my watermelon chalices or something.

I do have another setup that he can go in if it didnt work out though..

hmmmm

Still want to see if anyone else has had good experiences.

[Pufferpunk]

Bitten by the pufferbug, huh???

Look for the threads by Bonnie here. She has a Valentini & Hawaiian bluespot toby in her reef tank. The bluespot is eating the polyps off her SPS, the Val is a perfect fish. I have a Val in my softie tank & he doesn't mess with anything. I really don't thimk the chalices are in danger at all.

My next fish is the bluespot in the same softie tank.

You are welcome by any time!

[Pufferpunk]

BTW, my LFS has a Valentini that has been there for months. Nice size too.

[bonnie3188]

Thanks for the comment in my tank journal thread. I don't know if you read the whole thing or not, but I tried another Valentini in there for a few weeks and she was an absolute terror. She would eat anything remotely 'hard'. She ate acans, acros, montis, lobos and was quite aggressive aswell. She was only small- about 2-3cms. I also know of other people who have tried Valentini's in a reef with the same results, and some will eat all inverts aswell.

How big is the tank you would put him in if it didn't work out? Is it set up already? Any fish in there?

If the spare tank is suitable, then Id say give it a go. Mine has added so much personality to the tank, and is the nicest fish in there. He is a model citizen, but of course not all are.

[dangtang25]

The tank is a fully established 75 gallon tank the fish list is in my original post on this thread.

I did read your whole thread and saw that one did not work out.

I think I'm going to give it a try.

[bonnie3188]

Oh, I was actually asking about the tank you would put him in if he didn't work out in the reef tank

[dangtang25]

Oh, I'm sorry I misunderstood.

The other tank would be my 45 gallon hexagon tank which is kind of a fuge type setup at the moment. Just LR and macro in there right now.

[dangtang25]

The valentini immediatly attacked my dendros, blasto, and frogspawn upon introduction to the tank. Literally within seconds. Kind of disapointing... I'm thinking about trying to rehome him and trying one more time..

I feel bad though

[Pufferpunk]

Do you think he was just tasting them or was he really doing a job on them? Puffers are really curious & may just have been tasting but could leave them alone by tomorrow.

[ozzypuffer]

Dont do it he will chew up all your good stuff . I put a val into my 400l reef tank and he destroyed all my live rock feather dusters spirals infact anything of intrest. To late for me so he gets to stay I guess.

[Pufferpunk]

Guess Bonnie & I got lucky then. So glad I didn't put mine in my main reef tank.

[dangtang25]

He was literally eating the coral he kept at my dendros and kept going back to it.

[Pufferpunk]

Oh no, not the dendros!!! Better give them to me to watch...