The Puffer Forum

Okay i have decided to get a valentini puffer for my 34 gallon tank.

What tankmates can i have and how many?

Can a valentini go with a blue spotted puffer?

What clean up crew goes with a puffer?

Check the minimum recommended tank sizes for those 2 puffer. I think your tank may be too small for both. Mine don't bother snails or crabs but love those tiny mini-brittle stars.

I will just do 1 just to be safe

Thanks pufferpunk...=)

Oh yeah what other fish can go with a puffer (clowns, blennys, wasse?)

i've kept tangs, large and pigmy angelfish, clownfish, wrasses, damselfish, triggers with my puffers.

ya, each puffer is an individual, but so is every fish. There is a whole spectrum of stories.

My puffers did not bother my hermit crabs, snails, or my coral banded shrimp. The blue spotted puffer ate zoanthids, but not my valentini. The valentini never bothered anything, it wasn't aggressive at all.

I have seen a Valentini wth a Blue Spotted puffer BUT they were in a much larger tank (70+).
The puffers seemed to get along well although they were on opposite sides of the tank and only seemed to cross pathes as they swam past one another.
So I agree with everyone else and thus have only one of those puffers in your 34g tank!

i have heard that these puffers will eat your CUC but the snails in the CUC seem way to large for them to even nibble on. I have (3) SAPs and they will not eat ramshorn snails unless i break it up for them...go figure!

My Val is in my main reef tank with about 20 other fish.

I have my valentini with a female clown, 4 chromis, two blue damsels, a gigantic black molly, and a yellow tail damsel. All pretty strong fish. They all leave each other alone.

I am going with this then:

1 Valentini Puffer
2 False percula clowns

CUC: hermits, snails, shrimp? About how many?

I would say about 10-15 snails. Be aware that the puffer will go after your snails but that is the same with all puffers.

I would add the False Percs and the puffer at the end. this type puffer has a tendency to be slightly aggressive and territorial so best to add him last.

Will hermits or shrimp be okay?

I have not personally dealth with either one BUT my LFS keeps Hermits with the valentini puffers and there have not been any issues.

i think this is because the hermits are about half the size (if not more) than the puffers!!

I will tell you one creature who isn't safe with my Valentini--those tiny brittle starfish. He loves them! I think that' why he's so fat all the time. He also picks off an awfull lot of mysis shrimp breeding in his tank.

Valentinis arent aggressive?!

Not uless you are a micro-brittle starfish.