Porcupine puffer in a reef aquarium?

[Eagle aquatics315]

I have heard of some people keeping porcupine puffers in reef aquarium. Is this possible or is it a hit or a miss with these guys eating corals?

 

[TerraFerma]

They do not eat coral. But they can get after your shrimp and crabs if they aren't well fed...or occasionally chomp into a coral going after a mysid shrimp or something.

 

[hybridazn]

I asked this question a few weeks ago haha. It shouldn't bother anything but inverts.

 

[AnakinReefWalker]

I'm curious as well, how do these guys do with small fish (chromis, clown gobys, etc?)

 

[rcmike]

I put a devil's hand coral in a tank with a puffer and he took quite a few chunks out of it overnight.

 

[shifty2427]

I’ve had mine for about a year with no issues.

 

[Eagle aquatics315]

I’ve had mine for about a year with no issues.

Do you have any inverts in there?

 

[Eagle aquatics315]

They do not eat coral. But they can get after your shrimp and crabs if they aren't well fed...or occasionally chomp into a coral going after a mysid shrimp or something.

What about dog face puffers?

 

[Reef Stu]

I'm curious as well, how do these guys do with small fish (chromis, clown gobys, etc?)

I had one that ate my Bicolor Blenny.

 

[jda]

They can get quite aggressive if you slow down on feedings once you watch your nitrate and phosphates climb after adding it. Although they are coral safe, they are not usually coral friendly since they eat so much.

Some puffers will start to destroy coral and rock to keep their teeth maintained - they never stop growing and need to be ground down. This is not "eating" coral, but can still destroy it. Hard shelled foods will help.

 

[shifty2427]

Do you have any inverts in there?

 

[Eagle aquatics315]

Has he ever bothered anything or corals and do you have any inverts in there with him?

 

[EastSideBAy]

Had one briefly for a time in my red sea max 250, he never touched a single coral but boy did that fish love his snails and shrimp. But it was worth he trade for how much personality he had. Still remember he would beg for food by shooting water bullet at me when i was in front of the tank. Also read in studies that they have similar intelligence like canines.

 

[shifty2427]

Has he ever bothered anything or corals and do you have any inverts in there with him?

I have hermits, conch, fire shrimp, reef lobster, snapping shrimp, crabs and he doesn’t mess with anything. I do make sure I feed him everyday though.

 

[Saltdaddy]

I have a little Hawaiian white spot puffer. He is been great . They stay small. The only bad thing is he was hard to find when I first got him. His name is Waldo .

 

[MUSBFRANK]

Why bother with something that gets so big so quickly and produces so much waste, these guys are super friendly with great personalities but not worth it imo, very curious as well, if it looks like it might be edible, they'll try it to see if they like it. Best in 400 gallon reefs and up where the filtration will match what the fish will produce and the size that it gets, not worth keeping a baby only have to give it up once that growth spurt happens shortly after purchase (when properly fed).

 

[vetteguy53081]

Although they really have no interest in corals, etc, they do need to sharpen/trim their clamshell like teeth and will chew up rock, etc in the process asking yourself. . . is there enough rock to support their needs and will it be worth it if they do it

 

[alanbetiger]

Tried a porcupine puffer once. At the time I had a 190 gallon reef plumbed with a 100 gallon predator tank with lionfish, eels, and puffers. I only fed frozen foods to the predator tank. Was going to move so sold the 100 gallon but my wife's favorite fish was the Porcupine Puffer. The new house was going to get a 350 gallon tank so I thought nothing too bad could happen in 1 month. Puffer left all my corals and inverts alone. After two weeks it killed 4 occelaris clownfish overnight. Then the next week killed my blue tang. Both the tang and puffer were about 3inches long. Sold the puffer after that.

 

[Cory]

I had a dog faced puffer and porcupine puffer. Super cool fishes. They actually act like dogs. I fed them frozen shrimp. Begged for food. Fearless fish. Kind wish i had them again. Yes some people have had to give them tooth surgery.

 

[Cory]

Not mine but nice