Black Saddled Toby

[smokinjoe2122]

I was wondering if anyone has or had ever owned a black saddled toby... They are intriguing fish and I think I'd like to add it to my tank in the future.. I am slightly confused about their diet and where I would buy the food they would need... Anyone have any advice?

 

[cuticom]

I take it you mean canthigaster valentini, generally known as the valentini puffer?

I make food for mine, from a selection of seaweed (nori), prawns, mussels, clam, octopus, brine shrimp, krill, mysis and whatever else I might ahve around which is all blended until it's a mixture of bite size pieces and frozen. I'm also starting an apple snail breeding tank so he can have a supply of live baby snails. He gets pippis as well which help keep his teeth in check.

Most of the food just comes from the petstore and the supermarket...

 

[fishwatcher]

I have a val puffer - cute little guy!
So far he's been very easy to care for. He eats pretty much whatever I put in there, including flake and dried baby shrimp, spirulina pellets, frozen bloodworms, frozen mysis, frozen brine shrimp. He also ate a few small snails that were in there, but hasn't bothered the hermit crabs at all. I've recently bought some raw frozen shrimp, but am unsure how to go about serving them to him, so I haven't tried it yet.
He's a very active fish and quite personable. If you don't mind not having shrimp and brittle stars and some small snails, then go for it.

 

[cuticom]

Fishwatcher, just defrost a shrimp in a cup of water and drop it in whole, they love to pull them to pieces and eat em, takes em like 10 minutes max to totally demolish the shrimp.

 

[fishwatcher]

Awesome - thanks!!

 

[Lynden]

Yup. Puffers = excellent fish. In my case, totally reef safe too!

 

[Zawiha]

Yup. Puffers = excellent fish. In my case, totally reef safe too!

not totally reef safe.
My Val gets a good variety off food,
Now she doesnt touch the corals or most of
my inverts, BUT she's crazy for cleaner shrimps.
Hasnt touched my blood red or hermits.
Just the cleaners

 

[fishwatcher]

Mine took out my brittle star, my (1) cleaner shrimp and one peppermint shrimp.
Has done nothing to my $1 hermits, though. She must have a high-standard of dining!