Considering a Toby Puffer

MyMocha · 07/13/2018, 06:11 PM

Hi there.
Has anyone had any experience with these cuties? All my research shows they are unlikely to cause problems (unlike all other puffers!) in a reef and need at least a 30 gal.
I have a 32 gal coralife biocube with DSB up and stable now at 6 months.
Currently:
Some green stripe mushrooms...No other corals to speak of... have been waiting. Will do softies.

1 lawnmower blenny, 1 black cap jawfish, 1 (11 yr old from my 300 gal -RIP) Damsel.
2 hermies, 1 cleaner shrimp and some snails.

Does anyone have experience with them? Attach any inverts or corals?

Thanks so much! Lisa

MyMocha · 07/13/2018, 06:13 PM

Oh... oops and 3 dalmation mollies!!

MyMocha · 07/14/2018, 12:04 PM

Anyone? No... ? Okay. Is that good or bad, hmmm

Smokey Stover · 07/14/2018, 01:00 PM

Puffers have beaks made for eating snails,crabs,shrimp etc...

MyMocha · 07/15/2018, 11:36 AM

Thanks for your reply. I read a detailed article about them. It stated they a are relatively new fish today the hobby(10 years) and have an excellent temperaments. They are also in my reef fishes book. That's why i wanted to see if anybody has tried one in their reef before getting one.. Ha! But after seeing your comment, I've decided it's not worth risking my invertebrates lives. So you helped me decide. ��

Silly clownfish · 07/15/2018, 07:13 PM

I had a Valentini puffer in my 30 g for a couple of years. I suddenly found her dead a couple of months ago. While she was a neat fish, lots of personality. Out of concern that she would nip corals, that tank mostly just had prunings from my main tank. The only coral she ever bothered was the tips of my birds nest. Since I did not want to have to dose that tank, I eventually removed all of the SPS anyhow.

I could not keep ANY invert with her - snails, hermits, etc were all quickly eaten. I used to pull nuisance snails out of my freshwater tank and toss them in as snacks.

The lack of a clean up crew in a 30g with no sump (I do have an HOB skimmer) meant a constant struggle with algae. I have a bicolor blenny in there, but if is not interested in algae. I have decided that I will not be getting another puffer for this reason.

I don’t know if this helps with your decision at all.

MyMocha · 07/16/2018, 07:54 AM

It does help. Thanks so much. I'm not going to get one. They are just so cute... have you seen the leopard toby? And he's supposedly the sweetest little puffer on the planet.
But still a puffer. Ha! I'm not going to risk my inverts and cleanup crew. I did not even think about the consequential algae issue.
Thank you!

MuShu · 07/16/2018, 05:53 PM

I had one until a few days ago. It left my large snails and all the hermit crabs alone, and I didn't even try shrimp. It left the corals alone.

I will be getting another one.

scooter31707 · 07/18/2018, 10:34 AM

I had the blue-spotted toby. IME, they have a cool personality, can get a little aggressive at time with equal too smaller fish. Mine love to eat the crabs and snails. Pretty much ate all food that put into the tank.

falconut · 07/21/2018, 04:18 PM

I had one, think it was called a sharpnose puffer. Was a really cool fish & didn't bother my hermits or snails. But he was nipping the fins of my fish, yellow tang, bluethroat trigger, etc. He just kept doing it, so out he went. Maybe other tobies are better, but I'm not taken the chance again.

MyMocha · 07/23/2018, 12:05 PM

Thanks all. I've pretty much decided against it. Until....

MuShu, did you have the leopard toby or a different kind?
And... how long did you have one for?

07/14/2018, 12:04 PM	#3
MyMocha Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 68	Anyone? No... ? Okay. Is that good or bad, hmmm __________________ New 32gal Coralife Bio future softie reef, with DSB Beloved 300gal softie reef RIP 2016 "OOPS! 🤔 Regroup, seek suggestions, learn, Go! Current Tank Info: 32 Gal coralife biocube DSB for Jawfish

07/15/2018, 11:36 AM	#5
MyMocha Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 68	Thanks for your reply. I read a detailed article about them. It stated they a are relatively new fish today the hobby(10 years) and have an excellent temperaments. They are also in my reef fishes book. That's why i wanted to see if anybody has tried one in their reef before getting one.. Ha! But after seeing your comment, I've decided it's not worth risking my invertebrates lives. So you helped me decide. �� __________________ New 32gal Coralife Bio future softie reef, with DSB Beloved 300gal softie reef RIP 2016 "OOPS! 🤔 Regroup, seek suggestions, learn, Go! Current Tank Info: 32 Gal coralife biocube DSB for Jawfish

07/15/2018, 07:13 PM	#6
Silly clownfish Registered Member Join Date: May 2013 Location: Southeast Pennsylvania Posts: 488	I had a Valentini puffer in my 30 g for a couple of years. I suddenly found her dead a couple of months ago. While she was a neat fish, lots of personality. Out of concern that she would nip corals, that tank mostly just had prunings from my main tank. The only coral she ever bothered was the tips of my birds nest. Since I did not want to have to dose that tank, I eventually removed all of the SPS anyhow. I could not keep ANY invert with her - snails, hermits, etc were all quickly eaten. I used to pull nuisance snails out of my freshwater tank and toss them in as snacks. The lack of a clean up crew in a 30g with no sump (I do have an HOB skimmer) meant a constant struggle with algae. I have a bicolor blenny in there, but if is not interested in algae. I have decided that I will not be getting another puffer for this reason. I don’t know if this helps with your decision at all. __________________ 75g mixed reef, 20g sump, ocelaris clownfish (20+yrs old), flame hawk, one spot foxface rabbitfish, green mandarin, Bicolor Blenny, Coral Beauty;30g sumpless with Spotcinctus pair with RBTA Current Tank Info: 75g mixed reef, 20g sump, ocelaris clownfish (20+yrs old), flame hawk, one spot foxface rabbitfish, green mandarin, Bicolor Blenny, Coral Beauty;30g sumpless with Spotcinctus pair

07/16/2018, 07:54 AM	#7
MyMocha Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 68	It does help. Thanks so much. I'm not going to get one. They are just so cute... have you seen the leopard toby? And he's supposedly the sweetest little puffer on the planet. But still a puffer. Ha! I'm not going to risk my inverts and cleanup crew. I did not even think about the consequential algae issue. Thank you! __________________ New 32gal Coralife Bio future softie reef, with DSB Beloved 300gal softie reef RIP 2016 "OOPS! 🤔 Regroup, seek suggestions, learn, Go! Current Tank Info: 32 Gal coralife biocube DSB for Jawfish

07/21/2018, 04:18 PM	#10
falconut Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Blackwood, NJ Posts: 3,813	I had one, think it was called a sharpnose puffer. Was a really cool fish & didn't bother my hermits or snails. But he was nipping the fins of my fish, yellow tang, bluethroat trigger, etc. He just kept doing it, so out he went. Maybe other tobies are better, but I'm not taken the chance again. __________________ 180 Gallon FOWLR, 40 Gallon Sump and 10 Gallon Refuge. (2) OceanRevive S026 LEDs, ASM G2 Skimmer & SCA-302 Skimmer. Setup since July 2017.

07/13/2018, 06:13 PM	#2
MyMocha Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 68	Oh... oops and 3 dalmation mollies!!

07/14/2018, 01:00 PM	#4
Smokey Stover Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: Largo, Florida Posts: 361	Puffers have beaks made for eating snails,crabs,shrimp etc...

07/16/2018, 05:53 PM	#8
MuShu Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2016 Location: Georgia Posts: 322	I had one until a few days ago. It left my large snails and all the hermit crabs alone, and I didn't even try shrimp. It left the corals alone. I will be getting another one.

07/18/2018, 10:34 AM	#9
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	I had the blue-spotted toby. IME, they have a cool personality, can get a little aggressive at time with equal too smaller fish. Mine love to eat the crabs and snails. Pretty much ate all food that put into the tank.

07/23/2018, 12:05 PM	#11
MyMocha Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2018 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 68	Thanks all. I've pretty much decided against it. Until.... MuShu, did you have the leopard toby or a different kind? And... how long did you have one for? __________________ New 32gal Coralife Bio future softie reef, with DSB Beloved 300gal softie reef RIP 2016 "OOPS! 🤔 Regroup, seek suggestions, learn, Go! Current Tank Info: 32 Gal coralife biocube DSB for Jawfish