saddle valentini puffer suitability

[Moonstream]

I'd really love one of these guys; from the fairly sizable amount of research I've done, it seems like these guys are feitsy, personable little fish who can sometimes turn on corals and will often eat snails and hermits. I'd love to include one in the dedicated soft coral dominated tank Im planning to setup, mostly softies and mushrooms, nothing especially tasty. probably include a few brittle/serpent stars, might try a coral banded shrimp. I'd like to have my rather large (2"+) electric blue hermit in here as well. piscine tankmates would include my longnose hawk, yellowtail damsel, and YWG to be paired with a tiger pistol before the addition of the puffer.

my questions,
are these suitable tankmates? I figure they should be able to hold their own?

how likely are these guys to nip at leathers and mushrooms? in my reading their nipping seemed to be focused more on hard corals and ocasionally zoas, but I dont want to lose any of my softies to one.

how likely would it be for one to take on my 2"+ electric blue hermit? Ive become fairly attached to him, I'd rather not lose him

any help is greatly appreciated! if not the puffer, im considering a fuzzy dwarf lion

 

[prattreef]

A Valentini would probably do alright in the system you describe, but a totally safe alternative is the mimic filefish Paraluteres prionurus which mimics the Valentini puffer and looks almost identical and is total reef safe. I have a pair in my full blown reef and they bother nothing. Great fish.

 

[OOtzie]

yea I had opened a thread like this last year and I end up buying one and returning him after he went after my ricordea.

 

[Moonstream]

I'm thinking I will do the mimic filefish after all, apparently the puffers often nip at perching fish like hawks, so they're out. from what I've heard the mimics are most likely to nip at SPS, and even though they may sample softies they usually learn quickly that they dont taste very good.

 

[prattreef]

I'm thinking I will do the mimic filefish after all, apparently the puffers often nip at perching fish like hawks, so they're out. from what I've heard the mimics are most likely to nip at SPS, and even though they may sample softies they usually learn quickly that they dont taste very good.

The mimics don't nip at anything. At night they will grab onto the end of a branch of coral and hold on while they sleep, but they don't do any damage. IME they are a bit finicky at first, so it pays to make sure you get one that is well acclimated and eating. If you are serious about getting one, I'd contact Dom at Diamonds of the Reef who get them from time to time and knows more about filefish than most.

 

[Moonstream]

I looked into diamonds of the reef, but cant find anything on how one actually gets the livestock- are they shipped out? or you pick them up?