Valentini Puffer opinions

[Zionas]

Hi all, for those of you who’ve kept a Valentini (or the similar Solandri puffer) Puffer before, what has your experience been with them? Would you rate them a hardy beginner fish? Do they play well with corals and inverts?

They’re really cute but I heard they need to have their teeth constantly worn down. Is it as big of an issue as websites and books make it out to be? If so, what should be fed to them to have their teeth trimmed?

Are they prone to any diseases or bullying (or being the bully)?


Thanks.

 

[RapidReefer]

they will eat all your inverts. corals should be fine.

Feed them hard shelled clams similar items to grind down there beaks !

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

Mine goes after shrimp and snails but never coral. Love him though

 

[RapidReefer]

dont expect to have a CUC anymore

 

[Zionas]

In terms of hard-shelled items I am thinking some of the frozen and freeze dried preparations from Hikari (Squid, the different kinds of Brine, Krill, Mysis, and Clam On A Half Shell). Would that be enough?

 

[mort]

They can be a nippy fish, taking chunks of other fishes tails but this generally settles down and doesn't cause many problems. I wouldn't keep them with timid species like firefish but your average community tank suites them well.
They aren't cuc safe, snails, shrimps and hermits maybe snacks and they can nip the legs of brittlestars etc. Valentini seem more coral safe than some puffers but can still nip certain corals, it just depends on the puffer. Solandri are less reef safe ime.
It very unusual to have teeth problems with these puffers unless you really feed a poor diet. Krill and larger mysis have exoskeletons that help grind their teeth down, as does clams in the half shell or any other chunky type food. You can even feed paste type foods or pellets mashed into a half shell and this will also help.

 

[Zionas]

That last idea is really smart. For Krill and larger Mysis would the commercially packed frozen food brands work? And where to get the half shells from?

 

[NeonRabbit221B]

I go to the local sea food market and get about 50 little neck clams. After freezing I let it sit in tank water and pop it open a bit and toss it in. My other fish really like clams too

 

[kitpoon0315]

I have had one and it never touched my cleaner shrimps or any of my clean up crew. I never had to shave his/her teeth as there were lots of little snails that he would nip at. Only bad thing was that he would take bites of clam mantles which meant I was not able to keep beautiful clams. Mine was also super hardy and had a great personality.

 

[lion king]

Theyvare hardy fish but are 50/50 at playing well with others, I would never keep one because they are nippy. I would not trust them with inverts and any corals you greatly admire. The leopard and saddle back varieties of the same genus are much less so in these negative traits.

 

[mort]

That last idea is really smart. For Krill and larger Mysis would the commercially packed frozen food brands work? And where to get the half shells from?

Any krill will do and for mysis, pe is a nice large brand but again it doesn't matter if the shrimp is whole. You can also just buy mussels, shrimps/prawn, squid etc from a local seafood section at the supermarket as mentioned above. Clams can be bought in the same way but you only really need a shell, so a beach find could be useful but mushing the food onto a rock has the same results.

I stick large food items in a algae clip and it will browse on it all day.

 

[Zionas]

Ahh nice! What happened to it?

 

[Woodchip]

I know I may be a little late but I’m case anyone rise looks at this thread for info I am putting my experience with them. At first when I got it it never bothered anything no corals or inverts. Add time went on it started snacking on my corals but still left my shrimp alone. I bought some clownfish and it tried to kill the male and it did nibble on the female tail a little bit. But I have also heard of ones that are very model citizens so just be cautious with them.