KarenM Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 After talking with someone at Aquatek (didn't get his name), I bought a Valenti Toby. When I first set up the tank they had one and my daughter and I fell in love with it, but I was too afraid to try it then. The man I talked with said they had customers with these in their reef tanks with no problem, and he felt if I had any problems it would be the fish picking at my clam. Of course I can return him if it doesn't work out, and I'm going to watch in very closely. After acclimating for about 2 hours, he's finally in the tank. So far he's just hanging in one corner area. He's afraid of my cleaner shrimp, which I guess is a good thing. The Coral Beauty went over to make friends, but Toby just turned his back and ignored him. Anyone have one of these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted September 12, 2007 Share Posted September 12, 2007 Confuse--- is it Toby or Goby? If it's goby then it is also referred too as a neon goby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 It's this little guy. I guess he's called both valenti puffer and valenti toby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 12, 2007 Author Share Posted September 12, 2007 It's this little guy. I guess he's called both valenti puffer and valenti toby.http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Canthigaster_valentini.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 It's this little guy. I guess he's called both valenti puffer and valenti toby.http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Canthigaster_valentini.jpg Ooohhhh...Valentini---Saddled Toby. Cute little guy....good luck and I hope you enjoy (him or her). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 13, 2007 Author Share Posted September 13, 2007 Have you ever had one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 No never had one.....passed by them...and yeah... they are cute, even some of them have beautiful colors and patterns. I just couldn't keep one with the corals that I have there and alot of the inverts that I've kept for about 4 yrs. or so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 13, 2007 Author Share Posted September 13, 2007 That's why I passed on it at first, but we'll see how it goes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Entropy Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Awesome little fish. I have never been able to keep one because of the other stuff in my tank but they are super cute. Just don't eat them... Poisonous you know? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GKarshens Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 Some useful info: http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_displa...tid=250&N=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 I kept one in a 120g fowlr for three years and never saw him/her puff up. He/she lived with some triggers, a large wrasse and a huge lion. He/she had the most personality, especially around feeding time! you will love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 13, 2007 Author Share Posted September 13, 2007 Mine puffed up this morning. As usual, I turned on the living room light and went to check on the tank. He was kind of floating up against the side of the tank. So I took the net and kind of poked at him and nothing happened. So I dipped him out and was headed to the bathroom to flush him. I got about 3' way from the tank and I heard him making that chirping sound so I quickly put him back in the tank but he was already puffed up. About an hour later I checked again as I was leaving and he was resting on the rocks, but watching me really closely. So I don't know if he's not feeling well or just sleeping. But last night he was just as friendly as could be. When you stand by the tank he'll eventually swim over to check you out. So far he hasn't nibbled at anything yet, he kind of kept to himself and checked out the rocks for some leftover live brine. The man at Aquatek said he'd eat frozen mysis so that's what I fed them last night. The Toby was chasing it and eating it, but every time he'd spit it back out. I'll try something else tonight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 13, 2007 Author Share Posted September 13, 2007 Some useful info:http://liveaquaria.com/product/prod_displa...tid=250&N=0 Thanks, Gabriel. He's just adorable, but the more I read about him the more I wonder if he's going to be OK in my tank. The man at Aquatek said to watch him closely around my clam, but I didn't know he'd go after my snails or my cleaner shrimp. We'll just have to see. I'll be disappointed if I have to take him back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xcreonx Posted September 13, 2007 Share Posted September 13, 2007 This is a good example of why it's so important to research BEFORE buying. Puffers eat shrimp, crabs, etc. alot of what we want to keep alive. Also they are aggressive and will nip and potentially kill tankmates. Also it's important to remember alot of aquarium store employees don't know what they're talking about. Sorry, but it's true. Most stores are guilty of it. Any store that says a Puffer can live in a 40g with corals and inverts and eats frozen mysis is dead wrong! It is SO important to do your homework, as it's up to you to decide whether the selection is appropriate. The only one who suffers here is the poor fish. Puffers need to be fed big meaty foods. Shrimp, Krill and Squid are vital. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 This is a good example of why it's so important to research BEFORE buying. Puffers eat shrimp, crabs, etc. alot of what we want to keep alive. Also they are aggressive and will nip and potentially kill tankmates. Also it's important to remember alot of aquarium store employees don't know what they're talking about. Sorry, but it's true. Most stores are guilty of it. Any store that says a Puffer can live in a 40g with corals and inverts and eats frozen mysis is dead wrong! It is SO important to do your homework, as it's up to you to decide whether the selection is appropriate. The only one who suffers here is the poor fish. Puffers need to be fed big meaty foods. Shrimp, Krill and Squid are vital. I have frozen krill. Would that do? Would I put it in there whole? I haven't noticed him nip at anyone yet. And he seems anxious to eat small pieces of food. He passes up the larger pieces. He'll takes the tiny pieces in his mouth, but spits it back out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBob Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 I think the young man who helped you was our new guy Danny, he's still got a lot to learn about salt, but it's never a bad idea to get a second opinion from another worker if one guy doesn't sound too sure of what he's saying. I have seen them do very well in reef tanks without disturbing anything, but by the same token I've also heard of people who have had their favorite corals eaten by a toby who spontaneously manifested a taste for cnidarian prey. They fall into a category between being marginally safe and totally unpredictable, for that reason I avoid them in my own reefs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 One other question - if they eat snails and crabs and shrimp, what do people who have them use as a cleanup crew? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBob Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 razorblades, siphons, and scrubbing pads Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 So should I go ahead and bring the little guy back? is there anything I can feed him that'll keep him from eating my cleanup crew? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainBob Posted September 14, 2007 Share Posted September 14, 2007 he may very well leave most of them alone, just be aware that they may be eaten, and plan on replacing them accordingly, or if that doesn't sound like something you want to deal with, replacing the toby with a more invert-friendly fish wouldn't be a bad idea at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 14, 2007 Author Share Posted September 14, 2007 I'm just going to bring him back, either this evening or tomorrow. Not only will he not eat for me, but I did finally see him nibbling at the snails. He's just so adorable, but not for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 15, 2007 Author Share Posted September 15, 2007 I stopped in another LFS store today and someone asked about Tobi. I decided to give him a few more days. I created a blog, The Tobi Chronicles, for anyone who wants to follow along while I decide if we'll be able to keep him or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 I stopped in another LFS store today and someone asked about Tobi. I decided to give him a few more days. I created a blog, The Tobi Chronicles, for anyone who wants to follow along while I decide if we'll be able to keep him or not. Hey Karen, How is the Toby?.......Any luck w/ the feeding? You know, if you have some flake food, it might try it. A little pinch will be enough to see it will take it in. -Cindy- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenM Posted September 16, 2007 Author Share Posted September 16, 2007 Hey Karen,How is the Toby?.......Any luck w/ the feeding? You know, if you have some flake food, it might try it. A little pinch will be enough to see it will take it in. -Cindy- Not very good, unfortunately. Still not bothering anything (though I think he pecked at my big clam a couple of times yesterday), but still not eating anything that I see. I hatched out some brine and put a bunch in there. He just froze in place, and looked confused. He's till picking at the rocks mostly, though I don't know what he's getting unless there are some pods left in there. I just can't figure out what the little guy eats. I won't have a chance to take him back to the store until Tuesday, and then I will have had him a week and not really seen him eat. If he doesn't start eating, I'll have to take him back, though I don't know what they'll feed him, either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmanning Posted September 16, 2007 Share Posted September 16, 2007 Did you ask if it was eating? and what was it? I learned somethings when fixing to purchase a fish......especially if they've been at the stores for a while, if anyone can feed it right in front of you. You can then assume that at least the fish is eating. Have you notice if it has processed (pooped) anything? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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