Porcupine puffer in a......reef tank??

[hybridazn]

So after 5 or 6 years (I can't remember exactly lol) my coral banded shrimp has finally gone off to shrimpy heaven. My wife, who enjoyed him the most was sad. Well for about 45 seconds anyway lol. She got a gleam in her eye and she looked at me and asked, "does this mean we can get a puffer in here now?" Lol

So what do you all think? A porcupine puffer in a 180 gallon display sps reef? Good idea or bad? No inverts other than a few snails. Smallest fish I have is my clownfish and target Mandarin, but he shouldn't bother them.

I think it would be ok, but wanted some other opinions/experiences to go with.

 

[hybridazn]

 

[Dsnakes]

I would like to know your answer as well! I would love to have a puffer in a larger mixed reef. I've got to build it first though ;Facepalm

 

[HB AL]

Years back I had some corals, zoas, mushrooms, etc... I sold most as I was changing to a fish only tank. There were some colonies of zoas left in the tank when I added a dogface puffer. Took him a day to realize it but once he saw them I would watch him lunge mouth open and take chunks out. I would think the porcupine might do the same.

 

[SDReefer]

I once had a baby porcupine puffer in a frag tank. It didn't touch the corals, even softies like Kenya Trees. If you decide to try it, feed a lot so that it never thinks about eating coral. From what I hear, it can be hit or miss with them.

 

[hybridazn]

I once had a baby porcupine puffer in a frag tank. It didn't touch the corals, even softies like Kenya Trees. If you decide to try it, feed a lot so that it never thinks about eating coral. From what I hear, it can be hit or miss with them.

I tend to feed my fish heavy so this won't be a problem, but I'd be plenty upset if I saw the puffer munching on any of my sps lol

 

[SDReefer]

I tend to feed my fish heavy so this won't be a problem, but I'd be plenty upset if I saw the puffer munching on any of my sps lol

I'd say that softies like zoas and leathers are the most likely target, so it would probably not eat SPS as long as it is well-fed. You may want to experiment before placing it in your display by putting it in a frag tank or refugium with a few softies, lps, and sps frags.

Also, one of the things that made vacation feeding a lot easier was the use of freeze-dried shrimp. I was able to get it to eat them by using tweezers to imitate a live shrimp. Once it realized that it was food, it would go after it once it hit the water.

 

[hybridazn]

I'd say that softies like zoas and leathers are the most likely target, so it would probably not eat SPS as long as it is well-fed. You may want to experiment before placing it in your display by putting it in a frag tank or refugium with a few softies, lps, and sps frags.

Also, one of the things that made vacation feeding a lot easier was the use of freeze-dried shrimp. I was able to get it to eat them by using tweezers to imitate a live shrimp. Once it realized that it was food, it would go after it once it hit the water.

My wife had a porcupine puffer in the past, we fed it fresh uncooked shrimp soaked in selcon. I avoided any freeze dried foods because it's been known to cause lock jaw with puffers. I'd also occasionally feed him live crabs, but I would only do that when the wife wasn't home lol. I would remove the pinchers before feeding. Mean I know, but I didn't want to risk any injuries to the puffer.