Green Spotted Puffer Question

[tennis4you]

I made the recent mistake of listening to the lady at the LFS and not doing my research.

I was at the store and saw (3) baby Green Spotted Puffers. I bought 2 of them, they are way too cute. The lady at the LFS said they were not really aggressive and should get along fine with my ghost knife and my bala sharks in my 120g tank. I have some tetras in there too but they can be moved to my 55g tank need be. I also have 6 giant danios.

I am now reading online that these little buggers can be aggressive and even deadly aggressive.

Anyone have any advise for these little guys? They are way to small to put in the large tank, I fear they would not get any food yet, especially with the giant danios zipping around getting the food. Right now I have them in a pre-cycled 10g tank I had set up for emergencies. They seem happy and are eating well.

As they get bigger, I would like to move them to the 120g tank. Am I going to have issues with them with the likes of the ghost knife and the bala sharks? If anything tries to tear up my ghost knife I am going to be one unhappy camper. Smile

I have also read that the Green Spotted Puffers like salt in their water and also like even more salt as they get older.

Moral of the story... Do your friggin research first and never listen to the LFS people. (Well, unless that store sells only fish and have a good reputation, this place was more of a pet store).

Note: I am also thinking of getting some rope fish in due time for the 120g, I assume the GSP will not be bothering them though.

Thanks for any help!!!

 

[Fella]

Green spotted puffers are a brackish fish. That means that throughout their lifetime they travel between freshwater, water with a little salt in, and water with a lot of salt in. Some brackish fish move through a lot of varying salinities, some don't. GSP's are believed to go as far as the sea and back (if not regularly).


Salt in water is something a lot of fish won't tolerate. Bala sharks and a ghost knife make incompatible companions for the green spotted puffers, as the GSP's really need salt, while the other fish are intolerant of it.

2 GSP's would be fine in a 55g size tank for probably their entire lives. The good news is, while they won't get on with bala sharks and black ghost knife fish, there are plenty of fish that live in estuaries that could be housed with them. While each puffer has it's own personality (some aggressive, some not so) if yours have a moderate temperament, there are fish you could get that you could maybe keep with them.

So in short

- GSP's cannot be kept with the current fish you have, or the ropefish.
- They require salt in their water. You will need to use marine salt mix. Table salt won't help.
- You will need to buy either a hydrometer or refractometer to measure the sale levels in the water.
- to begin with, you want a salt level of around 1.005. Gradually over time (no specific time really) you could increase that to around 1.002 or even full marine levels if you wanted to.

 

[tennis4you]

Thanks!

The worse news is that the 55g tank has 3 parrot fish in it and 5 tiger barbs. I am guessing the GSP need the salt to live and will not do well without it. Dang LFS people. And dang me for not doing research first, I know better! Or thought I did... Will they get along with the Parrot fish, and can the Parrot fish take some salt?

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

You miss the piont!!!!!!!!! Green spotted puffers need strongly brackish water! Parrot fish are saltwater. You do not have parrot fish! You have parrot cichlids. Parrot cichlids are not brackish. Green Spotted Puffers need nearly saltwater. Also you need to feed your puffers meaty food like shrimp and clam. They wont survive on flakes or those stupid pellets the lfs employees tell you to use. You have no bussiness having 3 of them in one tank. 3 gsps would need like at least 100 gallons! The best tank for you would be 1 green spotted puffer and a few brackish fish. Also aviod morays. Freshwater Morays are a commonly sold brackish fish that your puffer will rip apart.There are a lot of other good options such as monos, scats, shark cats, ect.

 

[tennis4you]

Well, I semi miss the point and semi are desperate because I have no tank to house these 2 buggers in and I think I just need to take them back.

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

Ya that is probably best. Dont be too hard on yourself Green Spotted Puffers are difficult. Why disturb all of your other fish. If you really want a puffer consider a Figure Eight. They require very little or no salt.

 

[Fella]

You miss the piont!!!!!!!!! Green spotted puffers need strongly brackish water! Parrot fish are saltwater. You do not have parrot fish! You have parrot cichlids. Parrot cichlids are not brackish. Green Spotted Puffers need nearly saltwater. Also you need to feed your puffers meaty food like shrimp and clam. They wont survive on flakes or those stupid pellets the lfs employees tell you to use. You have no bussiness having 3 of them in one tank. 3 gsps would need like at least 100 gallons! The best tank for you would be 1 green spotted puffer and a few brackish fish. Also aviod morays. Freshwater Morays are a commonly sold brackish fish that your puffer will rip apart.There are a lot of other good options such as monos, scats, shark cats, ect.

There's no need to be quite so aggressive. I've seen always seen the parrot cichlids referred to as "Parrot fish" because there is in fact another kind of fish, totally seperate called a parrot cichlid, or "true" parrot fish. Confusing, and why scientific names should always be used.

I've seen GSP's happily co-habit with morays.

3 GSP's need 100 gallons? Where would your evidence be for that? Verging on ludicrous there, 2 in a 55 would be fine, and the OP has already stated they only have 2...

As for tiger barbs and parrot fish, neither will appreciate salt sadly, and GSP's really need it for the best lifestyle.

Ya that is probably best. Dont be too hard on yourself Green Spotted Puffers are difficult. Why disturb all of your other fish. If you really want a puffer consider a Figure Eight. They require very little or no salt.

Figure 8 puffers are freshwater in the wild, but in captivity do better in brackish water, around 1.005. Keeping them in freshwater would be bad practice. I don't mean to discount what you're saying, I just think it's worth using evidence and experience rather than knocking certain methods of maintenance.

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

While I would never dare keep a Figure Eight in freshwater I have seen it done. Also Puffers+Morray= cruel. Morays don't have fins that grow back. Also it is foolhardy to put a Green Spotted Puffer with a moray, a moray would eat the puffer and die. A moray will easily outgrow a GSP. Mixing them is very risky, why put a moray on the cutting room floor? It seems really irresponsible. Also morays and puffers are very very very jealous. One will get really pissed when you are feeding the other one. Have you ever looked closely at a Freshwater Moray, mine bears scars that are indicitive of a battle with a puffer. No other fish does that distinctive "flesh crimping" thing a puffer's mouth does.

 

[piranha_trader]

Can someone please tell me what the green spot on the top of a GSP's head means?

Does it really mean the puffer is happy?

Somehow I find it hard to believe.

 

[Fella]

Can someone please tell me what the green spot on the top of a GSP's head means?

Does it really mean the puffer is happy?

Somehow I find it hard to believe.

It has no relevance to health at all. Just a unique mark.

 

[Lynden]

Also Puffers+Morray= cruel

I disagree. Many people (me included) keep muraenids with puffers or triggers. If they have suitable hiding places the puffer physically cannot reach them, and feeding times are likewise not a problem as my puffer, who is much thicker than the morays, is scared senseless when they charge out for food, or is simply busy eating his own.

So yes, keeping a moray with a puffer, when one of them is much larger, in a tank devoid of hiding places, is perhaps cruel. But in a proper tank setup, with suitably sized moray/puffer, neither will be in danger.

Also morays and puffers are very very very jealous. One will get really pissed when you are feeding the other one

Even if this was true (can the moray even see the puffer on the other end of the tank being fed?) it could easily be remedied by feeding them both at the same time.

 

[Marine/Freshwater?]

A Green Spotted Puffer wiil peel a Freshwater Moray's face off. If any one is foolhardy enough to put a puffer with a moray then they are in a for a rough ride. In a saltwater setup with more robust puffers it works, but in a 55 gallon tank it is not feasible. Morays are not jerks, puffers are. As soon as you leave the room your puffers do things they know they are not supposed to be doing. It really pisses me off anyone would put a pet as precious as a moray in harms way. It would be great if everyone had safe opinions but why tell someone it is a good idea to put a highly agressive non-predatory fish with a peaceful preadatory moray. Morays are docile however they have poor eyesight and are easily excitable. Green Spotted Puffers are some of the most agressive puffers out there. They do not belong with morays. Also what pea brain came up with the idea that a moray could not swallow a 4 inch puffer? :stupid:. Duh! I feel very strongly about people not mixing puffers with morays. Puffers are wonderful fish and deserve due respect. It is very immature to put a poisonis bite size morsel with a moray. A freshwater moray is the last thing that belongs in this persons hands. I mention against it and what happens a bunch of people sign several fish's death sentences all for the sake of an argument. There is no way 2 Green Spotted Puffers could coexist with a Gymnothorax tile in a 55 gallon setup. Both species require someone with expierince to thrive. Niether of these fish are for beginers.

 

[Lynden]

To the original poster... will post a good link here ([URL="http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_puffer1.php"]http/www.aquahobby.com/gallery/e_puffer1.php[/URL]), and continue this discussion within PM's.

 

[eschaton]

If the OP wants a puffer, I'd suggest South American Puffers. Widely considered the only puffers acceptable for community tanks.

 

[ac106]

If the OP wants a puffer, I'd suggest South American Puffers. Widely considered the only puffers acceptable for community tanks.

untrue