anyone with a hawaiian spotted puffer

[mbrands]

I wanted a puffer, but only have a 55 tank. I did some research and found that the hawaiian spotted puffer only gets to about 5", so I got one. He is probably my favorite fish due to his coloring and personality. I've also got him eating from my hand now!
Here comes the problem . . . I got the puffer figuring that I could never talk my wife into letting me purchase metal hallide lighting and costly corals. Well today, she says, "We need to get more coloring for your tank (to her, meaning corals)." She is actually approving me purchasing metal hallide lighting!!
I'm sure this is a stupid question, but has anyone had any luck keeping a small puffer with corals? I'll keep my fingers crossed.

 

[pufferman]

I wouldn't get Hawaiian Spotted puffer. They're the worst nippers of all tobies (I'm not just talking about corals, but other puffers, too). All the sharpnose puffers are pretty much pickers. Unlike their Arothron counterparts, they wouldn't leave small corals alone. Overall not recommended....

 

[mbrands]

Thats what I was afraid of.

Now the dilemma . . . do I keep him for a while, only to trade him later (to convert to reef) or do I trade him away now before I get more attached.
Thanks for the response pufferman!

 

[ross]

trade him in now before your too attached.
or just set up another tank for him. I set up a 29g just for mine.

 

[mbrands]

If I talked her into metal hallides, talking her into a 29 shouldn't be too tough, right?
Thanks for offering another suggestion!

 

[promisetbg]

You could make the other tank a refugium for the tank you have..that would be even cheaper than setting up a seperate tank....and keep the puffer there.

 

[mbrands]

Wouldn't a puffer destroy all the macroalgae in a refugium from picking at it?
I'm leaning towards another tank and had thought previously about setting up a refugium if I converted to a reef system.

 

[big boy69]

Would a hawaiian puffer be able to be put in with a yellow tang and a Scopas tang?
Would it mess with a Sea Hare or a brittle star?

 

[pufferman]

Wouldn't a puffer destroy all the macroalgae in a refugium from picking at it?
It wouldn't destory the entire population of macroalgae. Your puffer will occassionally pick at them for sure, but I doubt it'll do much damage (For some reason, my tobies would eat algae sheet eagerly, but ignore actual living macroalgae attached to the rocks). If their population is stable in your refugium, I wouldn't worry too much. The only concern is invertebrates. Hope this helps.

 

[mbrands]

Mine hasn't shown any interest in my snails or hermits . . . at least not yet.
I think I've actually talked the 'ol lady into setting up a 29 just for the puffer AND upgrading my lighting to convert to reef. Yes, folks, miracles can happen!
bigboy69 - My tank is too small (55) for tangs, so I can't tell you from experience how they'd do. My hawaiian spotted has left my other fish alone so far. He was the last added to the tank. One other thing to consider is that from my research I found the puffer prefers a tank with a lot of rock (places to hide, explore, etc) whereas tangs prefer more of an open tank with room to swim.