The Puffer Forum

I saw one at American Aquarium in Orefield, PA. It was gorgeous. I already have 7 FW puffers and one brackish that are all doing well. So I think it is time to try a SW species. Does anyone own one and what have you found out about them (temperament, feeding, etc)?

Well i owned some valentini puffers and they were a very entertaining puffer. He was really cool. He seemed to have lost his interest in invertebraets after a while though.

Just picked one up today from a fellow reefer. It's pretty skinny but I'm sure I can fatten him up. I wouldn't trust him with corals but he seems to be getting along with the other fish, even a coronata puffer.

Pufferpunk wrote:Just picked one up today from a fellow reefer. It's pretty skinny but I'm sure I can fatten him up. I wouldn't trust him with corals but he seems to be getting along with the other fish, even a coronata puffer.

Do they go all rigid when they get close to each other? I had a C. valentini and a C. papua that lived together that would do that when they got close. They would swim in a circle all rigid...kinda flatten out vertically. It was interesting, they never got into it though. They did pretty well together. Fun fish.

Nah, he's just really skinny.

LinearChaos thats what my two valentinis sorta did to eachother. My littles one would do that to the crabs in hte tank tow.

My puffs used to do that too when i introduced the 2nd one.

NEWAYS

Most Canthigaster spp. puffers (toby, sharpnose puffers, the little sw) have the same needs and require the same care tecniques. Some, like individuals just need more attention. Just get your sw tank set up, get the water to pristine conditions, cause, as you know cause you have fw puffs, they are messy fish, get some foods that can keep their teeth worn, and get the puffer. But it wil probably take at minimum a month for the tank to be ready for fish, and that's if you have live rock, etc.

I have a Solandri. He gets along well with his other tank mates. (clownfish, tang, other puffers, mandarin) He DOES eat anything he can get though, including corals. Most of the time I see him cruising along eating pods keeping to himself. Not a bully like other tobies I have owned and pretty easy to take care of.

It's fun to watch em go after pods. Whenever I would mess around in the tank, rearranging and stuff the pods would jump out and the puffer was on em!

My fellow is fattening up quickly! And the guy I bought him from seemed insulted when I said the puffer was skinny...

I did get a Solandri. I've had him for about a month now. He shares his tank with 1 bullet goby, 1 chili cactus coral (soft) and 1 yellow deepsea gorgonian coral . So far he leaves the corals alone (well fed). The goby actually pushed him around at times- perticularly when feeding. When I get a better camera, I'll post pics. I got him and the chili cactus from Pet Solutions- came in in nice shape.

Very nice. I am excited to see pictures.