The Puffer Forum

Hey everyone. I'm new to the forum and have some questions as I'd like to add a puffer to one of my aquariums. It's a well established 180g. It was mixed reef until recently. I knew I wanted some fish that I couldn't keep with coral, so I set up a dedicated coral tank. Now the 180 has some softies, a couple of BTAs, some rock flower nems, some zoas that managed to get off their plug and some monti that was already encrusted on the rock. I'm hoping to leave the softies in the tank but don't care about the montis or zoas. If the nems are in danger of being nipped, I will probably try to relocate them.

I have the following fish: pair of ocellaris, yellow watchman goby, engineer goby, 3 dwarf angels (golden, flame & woodhead), sapphire damsel, matted filefish, purple firefish, harlequin tusk, flame hawkfish, purple tang, blonde naso tang and 4 wrasses (radiant, rhomboid, richmond's and solor).

I run an overrated skimmer and ozone, have 2 large blocks of the marinepure ultra porous meida plus live rock and a ton of algae in my sump, so the bioload is easily handled. I also don't have fish aggression beyond the occasional chase in the tank. I want to add a toby, preferably a leopard. My understanding is they are pretty chill and aren't likely to nip at any of the fish I already have.

Any thoughts on whether or not any of my current fish, nems or leathers would be at risk with a toby? Thanks!

Toby would be your best bet, especially a valentini but you just can't have any guarantees with a puffer.

Second the Valentini. I have a small montipora, 2 hammer coral, a frogspawn, and several zoas/palys. My valentini could really care less about any of the coral in my tank. Model citizen but, then again...you never know with puffers. It also seems to be way less aggressive with my other fish.