Leopard Toby Puffer Tank Mates

[JustTheGirlfriend]

I Really dig Leopard Toby Puffers. I've researched thus far that they're potentially the friendliest and smallest, double plus in my book! (of course I realize each puffer has its own personality and this species isn't universally friendly)

Wondering if anyone out there has experience with the Leopard Toby Puffer and tank mates such as:
- other small fish (B&W chromis, pygmy hawkfish, or green banded goby for example)
- a sea slug/nudibranch
- a nano red brittle star fish
- and/or a short spine urchine?

 

[Hegles]

Hey!

I have a leopard Toby puff with a pair of clowns and a clown goby. Everyone gets along. My puff really only picks on snails and likes to knock them off the glass. He leaves corals alone unless there is food and he’ll go take a bite. Leaves my urchin alone. Overall a very personable and interesting little guy.

 

[JustTheGirlfriend]

Hey!

I have a leopard Toby puff with a pair of clowns and a clown goby. Everyone gets along. My puff really only picks on snails and likes to knock them off the glass. He leaves corals alone unless there is food and he’ll go take a bite. Leaves my urchin alone. Overall a very personable and interesting little guy.

Nice! What size tank do you have him in? I've read that the Leopard Toby only needs 30g, but have read some people keeping 'em happy in a 20g.. ;Bookworm

 

[Hegles]

I have him in a fluval m90 Aio. I think it’s 36 gallon front but has the blueprint of a 40 gallon breeder

 

[mort]

Leopard tobie's are great fish and the only thing on your list that I'd be concerned about is the brittlestar (don't have any experience with sea slugs though). Fish wise they are generally fine as they are the most timid puffers I know of but you might see the legs nipped off your brittlestar (this gives you time to act).
They are deeper water puffers than most of the others so like darkened areas and good cover. If you provide that they settle in quite well but give them only bright open areas and they won't be happy. As they like the more gloomy areas they tend to be more coral safe simply because most corals we keep like different conditions to them.

If I was putting a peaceful tank together, one of these would be high up on the list.

 

[JustTheGirlfriend]

Leopard tobie's are great fish and the only thing on your list that I'd be concerned about is the brittlestar (don't have any experience with sea slugs though). Fish wise they are generally fine as they are the most timid puffers I know of but you might see the legs nipped off your brittlestar (this gives you time to act).
They are deeper water puffers than most of the others so like darkened areas and good cover. If you provide that they settle in quite well but give them only bright open areas and they won't be happy. As they like the more gloomy areas they tend to be more coral safe simply because most corals we keep like different conditions to them.

If I was putting a peaceful tank together, one of these would be high up on the list.

Awesome info, thanks! I just ordered a Nuvo 20g dropoff tank (didn't last as "just the girlfriend to a reefer" for very long, ha). I hope to find one small enough to start it out in my tank, then if it starts looking cramped and outgrows the 20g we'd transfer it to my boyfriend's 110g. I don't even have my tank yet, but I'm addicted to planning everything... and love these little puffers from what I've seen! I figure since they do like steep drop-offs and caves the Nuvo 20g dropoff concept may be a good first home with proper aquascaping? Thoughts?

 

[mort]

I think you'd probably be fine for quite some time, if not forever in that tank. They are a slow moving fish and gently explore the tank rather than flash about like a wrasse. I'd wager it would prefer a smaller peaceful tank as opposed to a much larger but busier tank, so I'd just monitor how fast it grows and decide if you need to move it.

 

[JustTheGirlfriend]

I think you'd probably be fine for quite some time, if not forever in that tank. They are a slow moving fish and gently explore the tank rather than flash about like a wrasse. I'd wager it would prefer a smaller peaceful tank as opposed to a much larger but busier tank, so I'd just monitor how fast it grows and decide if you need to move it.

Right on, thanks! I'd prefer to keep it in my tank for its lifespan of course, just glad to have a back-up plan in case it does seem to "outgrow" it..

Would you wager it should be the only fish in the small 20g tank then? Or think the puffer would be fine with a b/w chromis, green banded goby, and/or a pygmy hawkfish? Per some online research all of those fish, including the puffer, would equate to around 10" fully grown.

 

[mort]

Your black and white chromis is the only thing that might be a problem. It's more because they are quite active, the others would be fine together ime. The chromis would be a good dither fish howrver that would make the others feel more secure and bolder.
Stocking is hard to advise because we all look after our tanks a little differently. All those fish could probably work for some if they were always on top of maintenance and filtration but for others might be pushing it.
The goby will not really add anything to the bioload and the pygmy hawk (to me that's a plectranthias, an anthias and a great nano fish, if you mean a small true hawkfish than some can be very aggressive) don't need much feeding so again the chromis is the limiting factor as they have a high metabolism so need decent amounts of food. Again you will probably be fine and you have a back up plan anyway so I'd stock it how you want and work out any wrinkles later.

 

[JustTheGirlfriend]

Your black and white chromis is the only thing that might be a problem. It's more because they are quite active, the others would be fine together ime. The chromis would be a good dither fish howrver that would make the others feel more secure and bolder.
Stocking is hard to advise because we all look after our tanks a little differently. All those fish could probably work for some if they were always on top of maintenance and filtration but for others might be pushing it.
The goby will not really add anything to the bioload and the pygmy hawk (to me that's a plectranthias, an anthias and a great nano fish, if you mean a small true hawkfish than some can be very aggressive) don't need much feeding so again the chromis is the limiting factor as they have a high metabolism so need decent amounts of food. Again you will probably be fine and you have a back up plan anyway so I'd stock it how you want and work out any wrinkles later.

Awesome, thanks so much for your input!!