Little Shop of Coral
Smith’s Toby Puffer (Canthigaster smithae)
Smith’s Toby Puffer (Canthigaster smithae)
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The Smith’s Toby is a compact, personality-packed puffer with a sharpnose “toby” profile and bold patterning that looks great under reef lighting. Like other Canthigaster puffers, it is curious, alert, and always inspecting rockwork for snacks. It can be a fantastic centerpiece for smaller marine setups, but it is best kept in systems where ornamental invertebrates are not the main focus.
Why we love it
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Big personality in a smaller, manageable size
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Constantly active and interactive, always “checking things out”
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Hardy once settled and eating well
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Great centerpiece fish for smaller fish-only or carefully planned mixed tanks
Care and Compatibility
Care Level: Moderate
Temperament: Semi-aggressive
Reef Safe: With caution
Diet: Carnivore
Adult Size: ~4 to 5"
Minimum Tank Size: 30 gallons recommended (40g+ ideal)
Feeding
Smith’s Tobies do best with a varied meaty diet and consistent feeding.
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Frozen mysis, brine shrimp, krill
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Chopped seafood like shrimp, clam, squid
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High-quality carnivore pellets once established
Offering occasional harder foods like clam on the half shell can help support natural tooth wear.
Tank and Setup Notes
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Provide rockwork and caves for exploring and resting
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Strong filtration is important since puffers can be messy eaters
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Moderate flow with calmer areas is ideal
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Stable parameters and good oxygenation support long-term health
Compatibility Tips
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Best with confident tank mates that are not fin nippers
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Can nip at slow or long-finned fish in smaller tanks
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Not safe with most ornamental invertebrates. Snails, crabs, and shrimp are often viewed as food
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In reef tanks, some individuals ignore corals, but many will pick at the cleanup crew and may sample certain soft corals
Acclimation and Health
Slow acclimation is recommended. This species usually adapts well once feeding, but it is important to confirm it is eating confidently during the first week. Quarantine is ideal when possible.
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LIGHT
LOW: Place coral at the bottom of the tank. Depending on the type, coral may need to be placed off sand and therefore mounted on a ceramic disc of piece of rock.
MEDIUM: Place coral at mid-range of the tank. Best placed/glued on top of a rock scape at mid-range height.
HIGH: Place coral from mid range to just below water level. SPS coral are shallow growing so they require and are able to tolerate intense light.
FLOW
LOW: Most soft coral do well with a small, gentle pulse. There are certain corals that can even be placed in areas of indirect flow, meaning places aside a rock structure or set into a entrance to a cave style space.
MEDIUM: Many LPS types of coral prefer medium pulse current. Most Euphyllia or corals that have more tissue structure connected to their skeleton, don’t like to be in a high flow area like the direct flow of the wave pump.
HIGH: Similar to high light, SPS enjoy being in some heavy current. Most LPS and SPS that branch encrust or plate prefer high flow that simulates the top water waves.
SKILL
ENTRY: While some may say beginner level, "Entry" is a good term to be used when starting out in the world of corals and marine life. Prior to adding livestock, you want to ensure that your reef has the proper parameters including zero levels of ammonia and nitrite. Seeing traces of nitrate in your waters is a good sign - just keep them at a lower level of 2ppm to 10ppm. Maintaining correct temperature and salinity are a huge factor to stable parameters. Starting to monitor your PH, alkalinity, calcium and magnesium is a great habit to get into to keep a successful reef.
While some soft coral don’t require too much light, having a proper reef light that puts out the proper pars is very important. You'll also want to have a good amount of flow and protected rock areas, as placing corals in their happy spot is ideal for success.
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