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FAQs about Green Spotted Puffer Systems

1) Know your species

2) Know its requirements

3) Provide them

A sweet picture of a sweet puffer 6/2/08
Dear Wet Web Media (and most especially Pufferpunk, whose unflagging knowledge leaves me awed),
<Awww... shucks, thanks Micah. What a wonderful compliment!>
I'm just writing to send you a picture of the GSP whose life PP saved. He now happily patrols his sectioned-off 15 gallons (the other 30 gallons of the tank are shared by a few Malawi cichlids) and he readily partakes of common pond snails, thawed frozen blood worms, gut-loaded ghost shrimp and Spirulina-enriched brine shrimp. Next, we're going to try to introduce some cichlid pellets, though it's much harder to make those look even sort of lifelike... =)
<I'm so glad he's doing well. Be sure to feed your puffer lots of meaty foods.
Here are more ideas on foods for your puffer: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
How are the plans for his own tank? I'm sure the cichlids would like to have their tank back soon. For some reason, I can't download pics from this site but I'm hoping it will come out on our FAQs. An update on his happiness & health is a fantastic end to the wonderful birthday I'm having today! Thanks for keeping in touch. ~PP>

Re: A sweet picture of a sweet puffer 6/10/08
Pufferpunk,
<Hi Micah>
Today I transferred the puffer to his own tank (now detoxed of all the ammonia caused by the dead snails and bacteria... I changed out 90% of the water and vacuumed the gravel, though I didn't wash any of the gravel or decorations because I've had the filter running on that tank the whole time my puffer has been in the cichlid tank). I tested the levels in the tank, and they read: ammonia 0 ppm, nitrites 0 ppm, nitrates 40 ppm,
<Best kept below 20.>
pH 8.2. Temperature is between 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Specific gravity is negligible -- at least, it doesn't
even register on my hygrometer.
<Hydrometer>
In a week I'll add a small amount of marine salt so I can start introducing him to the brackish water he should be living in.
<Yes, I’d give him & the biological bacteria some time to settle in.>
I do have one question, about feeding him. He's turned out to be an incredibly picky eater, though not in terms of frozen vs. live food. He readily accepts Spirulina-enriched brine shrimp and blood worms (both thawed shortly before being offered to him), but he hates more or less everything else. He won't eat ghost shrimp (I put a few in his tank, and a week later they were still all alive), he doesn't like
plankton (he'll take a bite and then spit it out), he doesn't like krill (he seems to really enjoy tearing them up but not swallowing them), he won't accept cichlid pellets (those don't even make it into his mouth), and he's hit or miss when it comes to pond snails. I know he needs a more varied diet than he's getting, but he doesn't seem to
want anything else I've been offering. Any ideas? I've heard soaking food in a garlic solution beforehand can whet the appetite.
<Garlic should enhance his appetite. I don’t know of any healthy puffer that would ever turn down live worms. ~PP>
Cheers, Micah

Puffer help Please 5/29/08
I'm wanting to start an aquarium for some puffer fish (they're just so cute!) My boyfriend brought one home, I've been cooing over them for about 6 months now. But I didn't have anything to put him in but a *tiny* one gal tank. I hatched Triops a few times. One gal was fine for them, but not for little Vlad.
<Indeed.>
So I found a tank on Craigslist for $175. Huge 75 gal tank with all kinds of stuff... and fish. I've always wanted an aquarium, but my boyfriend freaked out. That was a good price for what I would get, I thought, so I went and got it.
<Sounds a good deal to me!>
So poor little Vlad went into the big tank with all these other big fish... It came with a kissing Gourami, a Columbian shark, and two frogs, African clawed I think.
<Hmm... the frogs are a definite no-no with puffers; even putting aside differences in water chemistry requirements, sooner or later the puffer will nip at them.>
I was worried about that but he didn't look to happy in the tiny one. I was sure to watch to make sure no one would eat him. They all seem to get along fine but I'm trying to find new homes for these other guys. Vlad is going to have a lot of room to himself for awhile until I get everything set up. Also I didn't want to take him back, all the fish at Wal-mart are sick.
<!>
I've read a lot but I'm having a hard time trying to integrate the info I've learned. I'd like some personal experience help if anyone doesn't mind...
<Come to the right place for that...>
First Vlad is very stressed out, I'm really worried about him but I just don't know how to correctly take care of him. Poor little guy looks like he has some kind of fungus growing on him. He has little dots on his back and a whitish grey puffy cottony ball on his eye. I moved him back to the tiny tank hoping to rehome the other fish and not wanting them to get sick as well.
<Fungus looks like cotton wool. Very common when brackish water fish are kept in freshwater tanks. Since you've got a Kissing Gourami and some frogs, you clearly aren't maintaining this as a brackish water system. If you were adding enough salt for the Puffer to be happy (SG 1.005, about one-fifth normal seawater salinity; 9 grammes marine salt mix per litres, or 1.2 oz/US gal.) -- the Gourami and the frogs would be dead, or at least very, very unhappy!>
I got some medicine for him and added it too the water (CopperSafe and Malachite (sp) green the only thing available to buy at 1 am).
<The medication of choice here would be eSHa 2000 (in the UK) or Maracyn (in the US) or some equivalent drug that treats both Finrot and Fungus, just to be on the safe side. There's some reports Pufferfish react badly to some medications. I can't say I've experienced this myself, but I use eSHa 2000, a European product, and have never had problems with any of the puffers I keep.>
I added some aquarium salt to the water (both tanks) also, not as much because of the frogs but I thought they would be okay for a bit until I found them a new home (I have a prospective new mommy already).
<Good; long term this won't work.>
Maybe 1/3 of what it says on the box for the big tank. I think the shark is BW too?
<Yes. In fact Sciades seemanni, the catfish you have, is only a freshwater fish when young, and occurs in both brackish water and saltwater habitats once mature. For long term success, it should be kept in a group (ideally, a trio or more) at SG 1.005-1.015. The Puffer could be one of three species: Tetraodon biocellatus (the Figure-8 Puffer), Tetraodon fluviatilis or Tetraodon nigroviridis (this last two both traded as Green Spotted Puffers). Tetraodon biocellatus is happy at SG 1.005 to 1.010; Tetraodon fluviatilis or Tetraodon nigroviridis really need around SG 1.010 to do well once mature. All three puffers are extremely hardy and robust fish, but their success in *community tank* systems is variable, so I'd recommend you take a moment to confirm which species you have (doing a Google search using these Latin names should help). Tetraodon biocellatus is small (~8 cm) and *usually* tolerant of tankmates. Tetraodon fluviatilis or Tetraodon nigroviridis can be feisty and often end up being kept in single-species set-ups. By no means do they always turn "mean", but some, perhaps the males, do and both species have been observed to eat the fins/scales of large fish in the wild. Colombian Sharks are extremely docile (though predatory) fish that are utter pussy cats when it comes to temperament, so I like to keep them with midwater, schooling species that will leave them alone.>
Did I do okay?
<In terms of upgrading the tank? Yes. I suspect you will need to try alternate medications if the Fungus doesn't clear or the fish shows signs of being stressed by the medication you're using.>
When I put Vlad in the little tank he seemed to be doing okay but today he just looks very sad and his poor belly is dark. And he's not eating anything. I've been feeding him bloodworms, he seems to like them.
<Do treat the Fungus promptly. That's your first issue. Forget about food for now. Do also remove the Gourami and frogs ASAP; you *will* need to raise the salinity soon, certainly to at least SG 1.005.>
Second, What is the difference between regular aquarium salt and marine salt like instant ocean? Shouldn't they be essentially the same, sodium chloride?
<Very different things. Marine Salt Mix contains sodium chloride PLUS a bunch of chemicals that replicate seawater, including crucial carbonate hardness salts. Brackish water fish rely on these chemicals so that the water has a very steady, basic (alkaline) pH around 8.0. In addition, marine salt mix provides trace elements of various kinds. While we don't really know how fish use these, they do seem to be important. In the short term, brackish water fish will get buy with livebearer salt, so there's no need to chuck the stuff out. But once the box is done, upgrade. In fact large tubs of Marine Salt Mix should work out relatively inexpensive. Do yourself a favour and avoid overfeeding your fish, and that way you will keep the Nitrate level down and minimise water changes. In a lightly stocked aquarium that isn't overfed, a 25% water change weekly, or perhaps every other week, should be ample.>
all the tests I have are coming back 'normal'. no nitrites, or ammonia and Ph around 7.
<This pH is too low.>
How do I test hardness?
<With a hardness test kit! By preference, I'd recommend a carbonate hardness test kit, but there are some nice cheap-and-cheerful "dip strip" test kits out there that do nitrite, nitrate, pH, general hardness, carbonate hardness all at once. Slice 'em down the middle to double the number of tests per box.>
I know the water in the area is about 8 though. I'm not sure what I should be doing to help that.
<The marine salt mix will take of all this automatically.>
Third, Oh, and my tank needs a serious makeover. All those poor guys had to look at was some rocks. Can I make my own decorations with fake flowers I bought from the store?
<Unless sold expressly as aquarium safe, no. Salty water especially destroys stuff, and the chemicals in paints and dyes can be toxic to fish.>
Aquarium decorations are a bit pricey for me and I would like to give these guys a lot.
<I feel your pain. Here's my tip: visit a garden centre. Look for rocks and sand designed for use in ponds. These will be aquarium safe, too. Load the car with big boulders of granite or slate, and then create your very own "rocky reef" in the tank. Use some silica sand (silver sand) to create the substrate. Grab some seashells, give them a decent clean with hot water, and then decorate the tank. Mussels and oysters -- easily available from big food stores -- work great, being classic brackish water animals. Don't like seafood? No problem: shuck the meat out the shells, chop up small, arrange onto tin foil, and save in the freezer to feed your fish! Natural decor and cheap fish food, all from the food store.>
And finally, I've read that Green Spotted Puffers are brackish water fish, so after I find new homes for the ones I have how do I make the switch from FW to BW without giving them a shock?
<No shock at all. GSPs can be acclimated between freshwater and brackish water virtually instantly. In the wild they don't get much choice... when the tide is coming in, it's coming in! To be nice though, stick them in a half-filled bucket, and then over the next 30 minutes or so, add a cup of salt water every 5 minutes until the bucket is filled. Then life the puffer out and put them in their new home.>
Thanks you so much for your help in advance!
Jaz
<Do review the Brackish Water section here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/BrackishSubWebIndex.htm
Lots of beginners articles as well as detailed species reports and such. Your local bookstore or library may have my Brackish-Water Fishes book too, and that's something you'd doubtless find useful. Cheers, Neale.>

Raising SG for Green Spotted Puffers 5/28/08
Good evening,
<Hi Keith, Pufferpunk here>
I just purchased 2 peanut sized /small olive pit sized GSP's at my local Wal-mart a few days ago. They of course were in freshwater. I was wondering a few things in regards to the speed in which the salinity should be brought up in my tank at home. I had read at that size they really should be in SG of more like 1.005 and right now it's closer to 1.002. The tank (40 long) has been set up for quite some time housing some low end brackish tolerant fish (glass fish, X-ray tetras,) and a few mollies and a knight goby. I have since given the glassfish and the tetras a new tank.
<Tetras are strictly FW fish.>
Also at what age does the SG raise to mid-brackish and then again at what age to marine? Temp is 80F, Ph is 8.0
4" SW (SG 1.018-22).
For more info: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
& www.thepufferforum.com ~PP>
Keith

Ammonia and nitrite problems, with a GSP 4/16/08
Hello,
<Hi Eric, Pufferpunk here>
I started a 10 gallon tank about six months ago. I bought a spotted puffer and every thing went well. Two and half months ago I decided to buy a 50 gallon tank with a whisper power filter 300 gallons per hour, a submersible 200w heater.
<Good move--adult GSPs need a minimum of 30g. He should be very happy in that large tank.>
I made the mistake of putting my fish in before the tank cycled. Luckily he made it.
<A single, young GSP in a 50g tank shouldn't prove to be too much of a problem, as his wastes will be diluted & will cycle within a month or two. As long as you do proper water changes, the puffer should be fine.>
Three weeks ago I took my water and had it tested.
<Best to have your own test kits: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH & a hydrometer to check the specific gravity for your brackish puffer.>
My ammonia nitrate and nitrite levels had all dropped. I bought two more fish. What they called leaf fish and a wild card.
<Hmmm... never heard of a fish called, "wild card".>
I was going to get another fish so I had my water tested first. My pH had dropped to 6.2 and my ammonia level was up.
<Good thing you didn't get another fish!>
They suggested I buy pH test, pH up and Amquel. I treated the
tank with the Amquel and the pH up. My pH didn't go up. I went to a different local fish store that had been around for a long time. I brought them some tank water. My ammonia was still up pH was down. They sold me some pH up buffer. My pH has gone back up. I also bought a freshwater test kit.
My ammonia is still up. This was the point when I started doing the thing I should of done first research the web. <Definitely! While Amquel may put a Band-Aid on the problem, it is only a temporary fix & actually will hinder the cycle. pH buffers again, are only temporary & will cause the pH to fluctuate, which is more stressful than a low pH. The best way to solve your problem is with large, frequent water changes.>
I was only changing 5 gallons of water a week. 5 days ago I changed 5 gallons of water. 3 days ago I changed
10 gallons. I'm still not testing good. My pH is 7.5. My ammonia is 1.5ppm.
<Anything over 0 is very toxic to your fish, same with nitrite.>
My nitrate is 15ppm. And now my nitrite is at 0.25ppm. I used a API liquid test kit. I was thinking about changing more water but afraid if I change to much I might mess up the biological filter. What should I do?
<The biological bacteria necessary to establish a balanced system does not live in the water column. It is on surfaces: glass, decor, substrate, filter media. You can change as much water as necessary to keep the levels from being toxic. (I change 90% weekly on my discus tank.) You may want to start with 25%, 2x/day & then do 50% or more daily, until the water parameters are good.>
Upon researching WWM I realized that my puffer should be in a brackish tank.
<Correct>
Had a couple of questions. My tank is a glass tank, will the salt corrode the silicone seals?
Not at all. These are the same tanks used for keeping marine fish.>
I have had my puffer for 6 months he is still doing fine. Do I need to change my tank to brackish soon to save my puffer?
<The answer is yes. 6 months is a very short time for a fish that can live into it's teens. If not kept in brackish water (high-end BW as an adult), it will develop a stressed immune system, causing problems with disease & shortened lifespan.>
I do realize that the other two fish will have to go into another tank.
<You are right. They will not appreciate any salt at all (well, I can't say anything about the "wild card" fish...)> Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.
<In case you didn't see this article on GSPs: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
Another good site on puffers: www.thepufferforum.com.
Enjoy your puffer! If fed & cared for correctly (eats crustaceans) you should have a darling pet for years to come. ~PP>
WWM site has been helpful.
Thanks Eric

Green Spotted Puffer.. Too small environment: 3-23-08
Good Day!
<Hello. Yunachin here.>
I have some questions about my green spotted puffer. I should have read your site long ago, but I read other sites first...alas. I bought this little guy about a week ago and I've been keeping him in a small 1.8 gallon hexagonal tank (I know! way too small!).
<You are right. These fish need a 30 gallon minimum. I hope you plan on moving him soon.>
I put in about 1tbs per gallon (I did the math) and thought it would be fine.
<Marine salt I hope.>
I realize now that it's not and yesterday I started to notice what appeared to be molting (?) skin on him/her. They looked like little nubs and they were clear, so he/she may have had it longer than I noticed.
<Possibly burns from ammonia. Puffers put off incredible bio-loads and can suffer in their own waste quite quickly.>
Anyway, this morning, I noticed that he/she was way worse off. It looked like one of his eyes had like a contact lens over it or something.
<Definitely too much wastes. A thorough water change will help aid this.>
So, I researched more and found your site (alas, I hope it’s not too late!) and I brought out a 30 gallon with some good filters.
<Excellent!>
I have some sand that I have put in and I've also gone out and bought some aragonite...is it ok to mix the two?
<Yes that would be just fine.>
When I came back, it looked like it was too late; I thought he/she was dead. But then when I looked back, I noticed that the little guy had moved from one end of the tank to the other (still in the 1.8 gallon!!).
<Probably very uncomfortable. The move to the new tank should be okay.>
I am filling the big tank now and plan to put salt in it (I bought the hydrometer...to measure salinity) and I hope I am not too late.
<Depending on how high you are making the specific gravity, you are going to have to acclimate him into the salinity. Just dropping him in will make him very sick. Check out this link: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/acclimat.htm; >
My brother is bringing me some fish de-stress from his house...is that okay to use?
<Don’t use any other chemicals as it will to make the situation any better and puffers are very sensitive to medications.>
I can only hope I am not too late! What is this sickness that my puffer has and what causes it? How can I fix it? Thanks in advance!
<This is caused by a very small environment, too much food in, not enough water out, etc. Get him into the 30 gallon as soon as possible and make sure to do frequent water changes until he gets himself back to normal. I would do at least 20% every week. Read more on the Green Spotted Puffer in the Brackish Section of the site here. Good Luck. –Yunachin>

Green Spotted Puffer Sickness Re: 3-26-08
Thank you for your reply!
<You’re welcome. Sorry I haven’t replied faster, I have been a tad ill.>
I did a water change the same day I emailed you after reading some more on the site. The puffer is still alive, but I've run into problems with the 30 gallon tank. Today, I am acclimating him to the tank. To answer your question, yes, I used marine salt.
<Good to know.>
I've run brackish tanks before, just never any puffers and not to 100% success. The puffer looks worse today, but still showing interest in food. I will be acclimating the puffer through most of the day, very slowly. I'm not sure what salinity the tank is at now, the hydrometer I bought is telling me there is NO salt in the water, yet I can see the salt "waves" in the water and I can see that some has dried along the top.
<Hmm..I would consider getting a refractometer. They are more accurate than hydrometers, just make sure they are cleaned properly after each use.>
Anyways, this is just to thank you for your help. I hope the little guy pulls through, I am doing my best to ensure that. I don't think the puffer can wait any longer, the tank is still kind of milky looking from the aragonite but I figure that the 30 gallon is better than a 1.8 gallon, so I will slowly acclimate and hope for the best. Thanks again, sorry for the rambling...it is Monday morning.
<I understand. Is this tank a cycled tank? Is there any media in there from the old tank? Filter? Substrate? If the tank has not gone through a cycle then your little puffer will not be strong enough to make it through the spike and everything you do will be in vain. There is an article on fishless cycling at www.thepufferforum.com ; it will help you cycle the tank much faster but you will not be able to keep your puffer in the tank at the same time. I wish you good luck for you and your puffer. Keep me posted if you will. –Yunachin>

Green Spotted Puffer Mom Seeks Answers on Tank Size/Cycling 3/2/08
Hey guys, me again.
<Hey, Micah>
So, I'm utterly baffled. I was keeping my two juvenile (under 2") green spotted puffers in a 10 gallon tank. I tried to instant-cycle the tank with Bio-Spira but I think I messed it up by pouring it directly into the tank instead of into the filter.
<If kept properly refrigerated from it’s manufacturing to your tank, either way should work. The problem is, I’ve seen some shops keeping it out on their shelf & even at some warehouses, leaving it out in cases for weeks, unrefrigerated. Unfortunately, I am hearing of more & more cases of Bio-Spira not working & I blame it on that.>
As such, the levels in the tank are higher than I'd like to be but I do daily 20% water changes to keep the levels down while I wait for the aquarium to finish cycling.
<20% may not be enough in an overstocked/uncycled system. Please post exact, most recent ammonia, nitrite, nitrate & pH, whenever posting a question about this.>
While the tank is freshwater, I have 1/2 tsp of freshwater aquarium salt for every gallon in there.
<I would not suggest adding any salt at all, until the tank is totally cycled & parameters steady, for at least a week. Then you may use marine salt to raise the specific gravity, no more than .002/week. Less is fine too. You need to measure it with a hydrometer or refractometer.>
The puffers are the only ones in the tank obviously and I thought that one was harassing the other (the slightly smaller one harassing the slightly larger one).
<Very possible with puffers in too small a tank & not enough décor, blocking their lines of sight.>
Nothing too intense but I did notice what looked like a
nip on the end of his tail. The two puffers were very different in color--one the bright green with black spots and white belly that I see in all the online pictures (though he does have the beginnings of
dark grey stress lines at the sides of his mouth) and the other so dark green that he was almost brown, though his belly was still a nice white.
I thought maybe it was best to separate the two fish, so with my currently limited budget, I bought a 10 gallon tank, put three gallons of water from his old tank into the new one and treated the water new water, added salt and set it up with a heater and power filter (hoping that it would provide enough aeration).
<There is nothing you have added that will cycle that tank. Even using water from a fully established tank has none of the beneficial bacteria needed to cycle your tank. It lives on surfaces; like the substrate, filtration media, plants, etc. Maybe a divider to keep the aggression down, until you can fishless cycle a much larger tank for them?>
I scooped the darker-looking puffer out with a 3 cup measuring cup (never again will I let anyone use a net around my puffers) and put him into the new tank.
<Great job, not using a net!>
I fed him a ghost shrimp but he didn't seem interested in the other ones after he ate that one. I've noticed his appetite hasn't been very good lately, which is particularly evident in comparison to his fat buddy. About 30 minutes later I stopped by his tank and found him floating on the roots of an unanchored java fern, looking so dark brown he barely had spots (but oddly, still with a white belly). I
panicked and removed him back to his former cramped quarters, and he
perked up substantially, though he's still fairly listless and not
nearly as brightly colored as his friend.
<The fact that he perked up immediately after moving into another tank, is a sign that there is something wrong with the water in his tank.>
I feed them a decently varied diet...cooked shrimp,
<Raw is much more nutritious.>
small pond snails, thawed blood worms and pellets (though only the brightly colored one will actually eat the pellets...the listless dark one spits them out and loses interest quickly) and I generally try not to feed them too much (never more than once per day and I always take out whatever they haven't eaten that I can find).
<Lots of other good suggestions for feeding here & an article on how to get a picky puffer to eat: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/category/feeding/ >
I don't know what's wrong with my puff...I know that he (okay, gender could be either, but I think of it as a him) is stressed but I just don't know how to unstress him. The other fish doesn't antagonize him extensively and he seems to be happier around him than alone. Could he be constipated? I can't find anything that seems like it would describe the problem...
<If he was constipated, he would be bloated & not pooping.>
Any ideas?
The best I can do is as I suggested before. These puffers need a minimum of a 30g cycled tank together, for now or try to find a place that can take one of them but you’ll eventually need a 30g for one adult. You now have 2 uncycled tanks & neither puffer will fare well in them together. ~PP>
Micah

Re: green spotted puffer mom seeks answers... 3/2/08
Thanks Pufferpunk,
<I’m trying…>
In a last ditch attempt, last night I switched the filter cartridge from one of my established tanks to the puffer tank in the hopes that a "seeded" cartridge might make a bit of difference.
<It should help.>
This morning I tested the water again and using the API Freshwater test kit, my results are as follows:
The pH reading is 7.4, Nitrite is 5.0 (good. lord.), Ammonia is .25 (not great but better than it was) and Nitrate is 10 (below 20, at least...). Temperature remains steady at 78 degrees Fahrenheit.
<Just not enough bacteria in that filter to support 2 messy puffers.>
What percentage water change would you suggest on a daily basis while the tank finishes cycling?

I'm deducing from the fact that the ammonia levels are dropping that one of the two kinds (I get nitrosomer and Nitrobacter confused) of bacteria are beginning to establish themselves but the second kind has yet to really make a dent.
I wish I had an available fully cycled tank to put them into but I fear disastrous consequences of putting them in my molly/dwarf Gourami tank (20 gallons, with 3 balloon body mollies, 3 Danios, and 5 dwarf Gouramis) or my guppy/Hatchetfish tank (10 gallons, 3 guppies, 2 Hatchetfish and 2 Otos)...
<Can you possibly rearrange the fish so the puffers can go into the 20g alone?>
The harassment does appear to have been all in my head and I think it's just the water conditions that are troubling the one puffer.
<Possibly… ammonia/nitrite isn’t fun for a puffer to live in.>
They do have several broken lines of sight, with 2 decent sized hole-riddled faux vases that I've seen them play in and around and a solid
amount of live plant cover (4 java ferns, some water sprite and some micro sword grass--the first and last being plants that originate in brackish waters), so right now I'm more focused on how to best fix my water problems.
Is the answer water changes, water changes and more water changes?
<LOL, have you seen my signature somewhere?>
I'm happy to do 90% water changes every day if you think it'll help...
<Do as much as you can possibly do (even 2x/day, if necessary), to keep the ammonia & nitrite as close to 0 as possible at all times. Feed sparingly. ~PP>
-Micah

Re: Green Spotted Puffer Mom Seeks Answers 3/5/08
Hey Pufferpunk...just an update.
<Micah>
With consistent water changes, I've gotten the ammonia to somewhere between 0 and .25 (my color match doesn't distinguish any further) and nitrite down to .50.
<That will do it!>
I'm not feeding them, though there are a couple of ghost shrimp wandering around the tank in case they do decide to eat (they've been there since Saturday).
<Unless the ghost shrimp have eaten (gut-loaded), they are basically not nutritious--mostly water.>
In a few days (i.e. Wednesday) I'll be getting the larger tank. Should I try to cycle it first or move the puffers into the new tank right away?

I'm trying, really. I'm sure my constant queries are tiring, but I do appreciate all the help you've given.
<What gets tiring, are the countless letters after folks' puffers are already dead. What is refreshing, is people that send letters of research, before purchasing. Not actually a scolding to you, just something good to do next time. ~PP>
-Micah

Green Spotted Puffer Mom Learns, Finally. 3/6/08
Hey Pufferpunk!
<Micah>
Some good news and some sad news. I came home today with a 55 gallon tank (complete with hood and fluorescent light), ready to move my guys into their new home. Sadly, the puffer that hadn't been flourishing passed away between when I left for school this morning and when I came home from my LFS.
<Awww... sorry for your loss. The single puffer will be thrilled with his nice big home.>
On the up side, his compadre is still doing fairly well. I can tell by his coloring that he's still a little stressed but he's swimming around and exploring, as per usual. Nitrite and ammonia levels are down to .25 or less. I'll be transferring him to his new home, along with the substrate, plants and decor from his current tank, tonight. In addition, I'll be adding a large bag of crushed coral to the substrate.
<Sounds good.>
The filter I have on his current tank is for 20 gallons or less, so I don't know about transferring that to the larger tank (I bought a Penguin bio-wheel designed for 55 gallon tanks)...would you recommend transferring the BioWheel from his old tank to help with the bacteria development in the new one? It appears that the bio-wheels are similarly sized...
<I'd hang both filters on the tank for at least a month. Puffers need a lot of filtration anyway.>
Is there anything I'm missing that I should run out and get? I bought some instant ocean and Prime (the former obviously being for once the bacteria colonies get themselves established so that I can start killing them off and increasing the salinity). I did pick up a hydrometer. And I heard that puffers like playing in bubble walls, so
I picked up one of those, as well (attached to an air pump, obviously). You've been so wonderful, coaching me through this. I can't thank you enough. In the future, I'll limit species occupying my small tanks to guppies and other bitsy fish.
<Good luck to you & I hope your puffer lives a happy, healthy, long life! ~PP>
Best, Micah

Green Spotted Puffer Questions, sys. mostly 2/24/08
Hi guys!
<Hey Micah, Pufferpunk here.>
Once again, I wanted to thank Merritt for his amazing advice. I added a thin layer (maybe a centimeter thick) of regular gravel on top of the fluorite to keep the dust out of the water column. It's made quite a difference (though, perfectionist that I am, it does still bug me that the water is a little dusty.
<Glad to hear that is working out for you. I'm sure Merritt will read this.>
Well, yesterday (after letting my tank run for about a week with a tiny amount of bacteria introduced from an established tank),
<Sorry to say, that bacteria will probably have been dead in 24 hours, without any food source (ammonia).>
my local fish store finally got some Marineland Bio-Spira in stock, so I went to the store and picked up the Bio-Spira and two puffers. Neither of them is longer than my thumb, so I'm guesstimating them at 2" or less.
<What species?>
One of them seems quite content and is swimming about, investigating. The other, I can't tell if he's sleeping or what. Sometimes he'll swim around but often he just lies on the bottom.
<Did you observe his behavior in the store? I always try to pick puffers that are actively buzzing around & greet me at the glass. It's also good to ask the shop to feed them so you can be sure they are eating well.>
When I come over and press my face near the glass, he'll perk up (I imagine he gets excited because he thinks I'm about to feed him) but before too long he goes back to lying on the bottom. I'm just a little worried because his buddy (no signs of aggression yet, fingers crossed...I tried to get two approximately the same size) is substantially more active.
<If you buy them as juveniles at the same time, there is a good chance they will get along through adulthood, bearing they have a large enough tank with lots of broken lines of sight. Puffers are sensitive fish & they do not take to being moved easily into a new environment. He may just be sulking & need time to get used to his new surrounding. How big is the tank? 2 2" puffers should be in a minimum of a 30g tank.>
Am I worrying for nothing? They both seem to be eating fine (last night I gleefully fed them some of the stupid pesky common pond snails that have been breeding like mad in my guppy tank). Really my concern is that their color seems off. The one is a darkish brown-green (think olive) with a neon green patch on the top of his head, with
large spots all over. The other is much less spotted, very dark brown-green (much more brown than green). Both of their tummies are white as white can be, but I do worry about that dark coloring...
<It’s really hard to tell without knowing the species. I’m guessing, green spotted puffer (Tetraodon nigroviridis)?>
Tonight they happily ate thawed blood worms just until I could see their bellies were nice and rounded. I also have some small "Cichlid Gold" pellets recommended by the guys at my fish store that I'm going to try tomorrow. Is this a varied enough diet or more variety if I can? I'm a vegetarian, so I don't have too much seafood around but I don't mind picking up some crab legs or something if they need more nutrition.
<I’m glad to hear they have such a good appetite! Excellent feeding article here: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
Finally, the guys at the fish store told me to use API's aquarium salt, to salt my water. I've been following the directions (half a rounded teaspoon per gallon) but from what I've seen in the forums, this salt simply won't provide enough minerals for my puffers and I'd be better off using Instant Ocean or something similar. Any thoughts on this?
I don't want to be causing my puffer to get ill from lack of minerals.
<If you indeed do have a couple of GSPs, then you need to make their water brackish, by using marine salt & measuring the salt content (specific gravity) with a hydrometer or refractometer. You should not raise the SG more than .002/weekly water change & you must be sure your tank is completely cycled before even considering messing with salt. Ammonia & nitrite should remain 0 & nitrate should be kept below 20. You mention in the beginning of your letter that you are using a substrate for live plants. I’m afraid you will find very few plants that will survive the levels of salt required to keep these fish happy. More info on the green spotted puffer can be found here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm>
I know the moving and fish store experiences were probably super traumatic for them (one started puffing up in the fish net after he'd been pulled from the tank!), so should I just give them time to adjust?
<Absolutely, they need some time. Puffers should never be lifted out of the water in a net & if they puff with air, it can prove deadly for them if they cannot expel the air. The puffer should be corralled into a container & lifted out of the water, when transferring it to a bag or other tank.>
Also, how long can I wait before I need to transfer them to a larger tank?
<I have no idea what size tank they are in now. The bigger the tank, the better for your puffers. Although a 55g will suffice for 2 adult 6” football-shaped puffers, I recommend a minimum of 30g for each fish. They are intelligent creatures & need a lot of décor to keep them busy investigating, which takes up a fair amount of swimming room. They are also messy eaters & high waste producers & they need the water volume to dilute the waste. Mine would have been happy to be a singleton in a 55g tank.>
I'm planning on getting them a 55 gallon one in a few months and letting them grow into it. I'm too much of a softie to put mollies in there with them when I know they'll eventually bite the mollies’ heads off.
<You’ve got that one right!>
Thank you all so much. You've been wonderful to hold my hand through this experience. If you'd like specific water parameters on the tank, I tested the ammonia levels this morning (I'd been adding a bit of food every day to the empty tank to help promote bacteria growth)
<OK, good to hear. Did you do a good-sized water change, before adding the puffers & Bio-Spira?>
and it read at .25 ppm. Nitrite is reading at .25 ppm as well,
<Bad—both of those are toxic to fish & must remain 0 at all times—time to do water changes, until you fix that.>
pH is 7.2,
<Should remain steady around 8, for brackish fish. Best done with a substrate of crushed coral or aragonite. You can wait until the move to the larger tank, if you wish.>
nitrate looks like it is reading somewhere between 5 and 10 ppm (though it's always confused me as to why the scale on my test strip goes from 0-160 ppm).
<I’ve heard of nitrite testing as high as 200. Forget the test strips, they are not very accurate & get yourself a liquid test kit like the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater Master Test Kit. As your salt level goes up, you will have to use the SW test for ammonia.>
I'll be doing a 20% water change tomorrow morning when I do my water changes for my other tanks, which should help with the levels of chemicals.
<I’d bump it up to 50% weekly for puffers (I actually do a minimum of 50% weekly on all my tanks).>
Any feedback you have is always welcome. The puffers are absolutely as adorable as I thought they'd be and even though I know they’ll probably get more aggressive later, watching them swim around together is pretty darn cute.

Thanks again! Micah

Re: Green Spotted Puffer Questions 2/25/08
Thanks Pufferpunk,
<Micah>
I thought the species reference in the title of the e-mail would be informative enough but my puffers are GSPs.
<Of course—I really must stop answering questions at 2am…>
They are (for now) living in a 10 gallon tank, which I've planted densely with java ferns and micro sword grass.

I did my research beforehand and read that these species of plants tend to tolerate brackish water well.
<For a while… but not at the high salinity GSPs require. I don’t suggest investing in a lot of plant-keeping products for them in the future. Eventually, you will want to think in terms of a marine environment for them, like live rock & a protein skimmer.>
I plan on moving the plants and puffers to a 75 gallon tank in a few months (2 at most) -- this small tank is only going to be their home for a short period of time and I'll up the weekly water changes from 20 to 50%.
<You may need to do those 2x/week. Keep a very close eye on the parameters & do water changes accordingly, keeping the nitrate below 20.>
They do have a Penguin Bio-wheel filter designed for 20 gallon tanks, since I know that over filtration is beneficial here as they are such messy guys. Perhaps I missed it but I'm not sure you answered my question about API's Aquarium Salt vs. Instant Ocean...which is the one I want to increase the specific gravity of my aquarium? My LFS said the former was fine but then again, they also sell painted fish (booooooo), so I'm skeptical as to their knowledge base. I'll take your advice and hold off on messing with the salinity until the bacteria has gotten settled in doing its job.
<Good choice. I did miss that question (again blaming the time of night, errr…morning). You must use marine salt to make water brackish & measure it with a hydrometer or refractometer. (That info was in my GSP article, though.)>
Also, an update: the puffers both seem to be doing well (I even think one is getting to be a more neon shade of green, though I may be hallucinating) and even the one I was worried about (who was absolutely not as enticed by the pellets as by the blood worms or the snails) seems to be doing all right, though he's for sure not as active as his buddy. He's more of a lurker, swimming in and out of caves I've set up for them.
I read in your article that you feed your guys gut-loaded shrimp. I have sinking algae wafers around that I feed to the Otocinclus I have in my guppy tank and I'm very interested in how to go about raising ghost shrimp and at what age I should start feeding my puffers the ghost shrimp. Can you recommend a good site on that? Or are ghost shrimp something I buy weekly and feed before putting in the puffer tank?
<I don’t see why you couldn’t feed your puffers ghost shrimp right now. As far as gut-loading them—just let them sit in a bowl for a few hours with some food & then offer them to your puffers. Here is an article on ghost shrimp, by Robert T Ricketts (my puffer mentor): http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1201559
As in the feeding article I linked to you earlier, there are many foods you can use to very the dies of your puffers. ~PP>>
Thanks so much! Micah

Keeping a Brackish GSP in Freshwater 1/12/08
Hi,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I wanted to know if it was okay to keep 2 green spotted puffers with a couple a cichlids? I know they are brackish fishes. But can they still tolerate the freshwater?
<Why would you want a fish to just "tolerate" it's living conditions?>
I really want to get one and I don't want to buy another tank. Any suggestions?
<Yes, wait until you can set up the proper environment for these high-end brackish fish, that do quite well in marine conditions as adults.>
I also know they are messy eaters, so I will do 50 percent water changes every week.
<That's a good thing.>
Do you think it will be okay to keep it with freshwater fishes and aquarium?
<Absolutely not. Keeping any fish in conditions other than what is best for it will lower it's immune system, causing stunted growth, disease & shorter lifespan.
See: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm ~PP>
Please write back. Thanks.

GSP Not Well (improper feeding, no heater)... Sys., hlth., fdg.... 11/26/07
Hi,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I have had my leopard skin puffer for about a year and a half now and just recently he is not doing so well. It started out as him not eating frozen brine shrimp after a year of eating them.
<Very poor choice of food, especially if using as a staple. Adult brine shrimp are not nutritious, being made up of mostly water. Puffers need crunchy, meaty foods.
See: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/ >
So I switched to feeding him snails for most of the time and he loved them.
<Much better choice.>
Because I was leaving for the holidays I decided to leave a couple of feeder fish in his tank to see if he would eat them. The next day I found he ate three of them! I bought more and left for the holidays, after returning I found that he had eaten only one and was laying on the bottom of the tank.
<Ooooh, even worse choice than before. Feeders are not only an unnatural food source for a puffer but they are a fatty food that lives in poor conditions, passing all kinds of pathogens onto your puffer.
See: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/feeding/feeders/ >
I also found that I mistakenly left the window open that was right next to his tank so I figured that is why he was not doing so well. I filled his tank with warmer water and he seemed to be doing much better but the next day I found him laying on the tank bottom again. I rushed out and bought a heater and put it in the tank but after two hours his state has not changed. Is there anything more that I can do?!
<All tropical fish need heaters to keep their tank temp steady, around 78. You don't mention the tank's water parameters--a must to list, whenever asking a query about a fish that is not well.
You should always be aware of the ammonia, nitrite, nitrate pH & specific gravity levels of your tank.
How much salt is in there? Are you using marine salt?
What is your water change schedule (how often/how much)?
What size tank is it?
Tank mates?
Knowing all of these factors can keep your puffer healthy & long-lived. My first suggestion to you would be to do a 25% water change right away & do another 25% later in the day, after removing the dead carcasses of the goldfish. Dechlorinate with Prime. Never feed them to your puffer again! Follow the suggestions in the feeding article linked above, after your puffer seems to be feeling better (an ill fish will not eat).
Please write back when you have answers to my questions & I can help your puffer further. ~PP>

Re: leopard skin puffer
Stunting a Puffer/Cleaning Tank 11/27/07
Thank you so much for your help.
<I'm trying...>
Ever since I bought him I have been feeding him the wrong thing and have never known it.

I took out the fish immediately and he seems to be doing a lot better. He is swimming on his own now. When I do clean out his tank I put aquarium salt (about 1 tbsp for 5 gallons) along with dechlorinator.
<That is not nearly enough salt for a year-old puffer & you must use marine salt to make brackish water. Have you read the GSP article I wrote? http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm >
He is in a 5 gallon hexagon tank and seems to have plenty of room since he is by himself.
<How large is he? If he has been living in a 5g all this time, I'm afraid he may be stunted. I don't like starting even a juvie in a tank smaller than 10g & eventually a 6" adult will require a minimum of 30g.>
I clean out his tank about every two weeks, since it is by the window & seems to develop lots of algae. When I do clean out his tank I take out all the water (I know your not suppose to but I've been doing it ever since I have gotten him and it hasn't affected him) and replace it. Everything else in his tank seems to be correct (nitrate, nitrite levels, pH etc.)
<"Correct" means nothing to me. I did inquire as to what those levels are & hoped for exact numbers. This manner if cleaning is extremely stressful for your fish. I recommend either moving your tank away from the window, covering the sides exposed to the window & doing your cleaning weekly, by doing a 50% water change, rather than the 100% bi-weekly you are doing now. Good luck with your puffer & his very soon upgrade to a larger, brackish water tank. ~PP>

Leopard Puffers: Brown algae problems and eating my plants 11/15/07
<Hi Gary, Pufferpunk here>
I have 2 leopard puffers, which I have had for four years. They are 2+ inches long.
<What size tank are they in? At 4 years they should be full grown--6" without their tail.>
My problem is brown algae on the walls of my tank.
<Brown "algae" is usually not algae at all but diatoms. What is your nitrate level?>
I went to our local aquatic store and was told to put live plants in my tank and that would steal oxygen from the algae and they would not be able to grow. Is this true?
<Are your puffers in brackish water? At 4 years old, they are actually best kept in high-end BW or even marine conditions.>
However my puffers are now eating the plants. I read your suggestion about Pleco algae wafers and I have put a couple of pellets in. The puffers seem to like them. Will my puffers still eat the plants?
<Since your puffers should be in brackish water by now & in at least a 60g tank (30g recommended for each adult "leopard" or green spotted puffer [Tetraodon nigroviridis]) I'd not really worry about plants at this time.
For more info: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm & www.thepufferforum.com. ~PP>
Thank you, Gary Canter (Bend, Oregon)

Re: Leopard Puffers: Brown algae problems and eating my plants
Stunted Puffers & Diatoms 11/16/07
Hi Pufferpunk,
<Gary>
My tank is 30g they used to be in a 10g for almost 3 years. I just measured them and they are 3 inches each to the tail.
<Your puffers are severely stunted. I'd get them into at least a 55g ASAP.>
They are in 1.009 BW.
<Should be closer to 1.018+ by now.>
The nitrite is good, but I haven't tested for nitrate. I can have it tested today at the local store.
<Let me know what that is please. It should be under 20.>
Can the diatom be stopped, it is so annoying?
<Not until you upgrade, I'm afraid. The dilution of wastes should help with that.>
Both my puffers get along very well. I bought them at the same time. They are the greatest little yellow submarines I have ever seen, with great personalities. They are a joy to own.
<I'm glad to hear you care so much for them! ~PP>
Thanks, Gary

Green Spotted Puffer/Brackish water 7/21/07
Hi,
I apologize if this has been asked and answered on this site before but I searched and could not find anything regarding what I should do!
I bought a Green Spotted Puffer about a month and a half ago not knowing anything about him except that he was cute. This was obviously REALLY bad but then I started to research what he needed. The store had him in a freshwater tank and said to feed him goldfish flakes. Obviously, through my research I found that one, he does not eat goldfish flakes and that two, he can survive in freshwater but his lifespan will be cut short. Rather then taking him back to the store where he would surely die I have done my best to keep him happy and healthy. I bought him a bigger tank and food that he will actually eat and he seems to be doing very well. I would like to transition my tank to BW but have read that it needs to be done slowly however I can't find out what that means exactly. How do I begin this process without throwing him into some kind of shock or possibly killing him?
I've got aquarium salt and a hydrometer but I don't know where to start. I've really grown attached to Ralph and would appreciate any help!!
Thanks.
<Greetings. First things first. Buying an unusual fish before researching them is almost always an invitation for disaster. In this case, you either have Tetraodon fluviatilis or Tetraodon nigroviridis, both fairly large (~15 cm) species that tend to be somewhat difficult to keep. Not impossible to keep by any means, but certainly more difficult than, say, guppies. Now, in terms of water chemistry, you are indeed correct that these fish need brackish water. In the wild they seem to move freely between freshwater and brackish water parts of rivers, showing no particular preference for either. But in the aquarium, they do not do well kept in freshwater permanently. From the aquarists point of view, what they seem to need is hard (at least 20 degrees dH), alkaline (pH 7.5 upwards), salty (specific gravity 1.005-1.015) water. Now, here's where things get critical: aquarium salt isn't acceptable. You have to use marine salt mix (that's the stuff like Instant Ocean, Reef Crystals, etc. used in marine aquaria). Only marine salt mix will raise the pH and hardness along with the salinity. If you have a box of aquarium salt, then using it in the short term won't do any harm. But certainly within a few months you should graduate to marine salt mix. Aquarium salt by itself is very much a "half a loaf" sort of option; better than nothing, but not really suitable in the long term. As far as raising the salinity in your aquarium goes, the fish couldn't care less. Most brackish water fish are extremely tolerant of rapid changes in salinity: they have to be! If they weren't, they'd die every time the tide changed! No, your problem here is not stressing the filter bacteria. As a very broad rule, raising the salinity from freshwater to SG 1.005 usually causes no problems, especially if done gradually over two or three weeks. For example, you could do a 25% water change, each time adding new water at SG 1.005. After a few weeks, the tank would have reached about SG 1.005 without any stress on the filter or fish. You could happily keep a juvenile pufferfish at SG 1.005 for six months to a year. Towards the end of that time, once the puffer has grown a bit and reached around 8 cm or so in length, you might want to raise the salinity a bit more. Again, you'd do this by doing water changes each week, adding higher salinity water. The problem here is that the filter bacteria need to adapt to this mid-strength brackish water. The process is very hazy, and it isn't at all clear (to me at least) whether the same bacteria become acclimatised to high salinity water, or whether marine filter bacteria start to colonise the filter, replacing freshwater bacteria that are dying off. Regardless, you need to go slowly, checking for nitrites each week to make sure the filter has adjusted properly. Usually, everything is fine. Just make sure the salinity only goes up less than two points on SG scale per week (i.e., SG 1.008 -> 1.010, then 1.010 -> 1.012, and so on). Going too slowly won't cause any harm to the pufferfish, so be cautious. Yes, being kept in freshwater is bad for GSPs, but so long as they're in some sort of brackish water, the salinity itself isn't critical, so you have literally years to make the adjustments if you want. In other words, go at your own pace, and don't feel obliged to make big, rapid changes simply because you have "heard" that these fish prefer some specific salinity. Brackish water fishkeeping simply doesn't work like that. Finally: how to use a hydrometer. There are many different kinds. The two most common are 'floating glass' and 'swing arm' types. The floating glass ones are cheap and sufficiently accurate for brackish water fishkeeping if used properly. The main thing is that you understand you can't put them in the aquarium and expect to get a good reading. Instead, put some aquarium (or water from the bucket) into a large jar, like a pickle jar. Then put the hydrometer in there. When everything goes still (which may take a minute) read off the specific gravity. Make sure you read the level of the water, and not the meniscus that "climbs up" the stem of the hydrometer. The floating arm type of hydrometer is perhaps the more favoured among marine aquarists because they are easier to use. All you do is pour water into the chamber, wait for the arm to stop moving, and read off the value. With brackish water you don't need to be too anally-retentive about being exactly spot-on with salinity because the fish actually prefer some variation. (In some cases, they will only breed when exposed to quite sudden salinity changes.) But still, you want to minimise variation to some degree because of the filter bacteria. Going from 1.010 to 1.012 is harmless, but going from 1.005 to 1.010 in one step would be a very bad idea. Just to give you a ball-park estimate of how much salt you need to use, water at 25C, SG 1.005 contains about 8.9 grammes of salt per litre, and at SG 1.010 about 15.5 grammes per litre. So you can make up these solutions in the kitchen easily enough, and then test out your hydrometer to see how it works. You can't rely on weights of salt per litre in the long term because an open box of salt absorbs water from the air, and so over time each apparent weight of salt actually contains a certain amount of water, making estimates of salinity obviously unreliable. Hope this helps, Neale>

Green Spotted Puffer Tank Size 9/12/07
Hello,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I am planning to get two Green Spotted Puffers. They are about two-three inches. I would want to know if a 10 gallon tank be okay for them? Would a 20 gallon long tank be better for them instead?
<No to both. Puffers are messy eaters & high waste producers. This means they need a lot of water to dilute the waste or they will be constantly sick. At that size, I suggest a minimum of 30g each. Bigger is better. They also like a lot of swimming room.>
How fast do GSPs grow?
<From the size they are now, I'd expect them to be full grown (6+") within 1-1 1/2 years.
Please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
~PP>
Thanks

Green Spotted Puffers are Brackish Fish 8/26/07
Dear WWM Crew,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
I recently purchased two small green spotted puffers. I was wondering if it was okay if we kept them in a tank with a catfish and a sucker fish. The catfish usually hides in a rock and the sucker fish is non-aggressive so I didn't know if they would nip at the sucker fishes fins or the catfishes whiskers. Thanks!
<Green spotted puffers are brackish water fish. Neither of your catfish fish will fair well at all, in brackish conditions. Just because a fish is not aggressive, doesn't mean it won't get picked on--quite the opposite.
Please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
~PP>

Stunted GSPs 8/16/16
<Hi Samantha, Pufferpunk here>
I have 6 GSPs. 2 of them are huge, about 5 in or more, the others grew a bit but they are tiny and never grew anymore! I have had them for almost 4 years now (I rescued them all from neglectful pet stores around here).
<Rescuing fish is not always the best idea. They'll just see how well they are selling & take more of them from the wild to restock & kill. Sometimes it's better to have a few die in a shop, so they realize it isn't a profitable fish to sell & they will discontinue stocking them.>
Do you think the lack of proper care stunted there growth that much?
<Possibly but I'd need to know the size tank they are in, what you have been feeding them, what are the water parameters (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH & SG), what is their water change schedule?>
The largest of the 4 small ones is 2 1/2in. He has been that size for 2 years. The others are smaller and have also not grown, while the other 2 continue to grow still. They all look like GSPs. Could they be different, not GSPs?
<If they all look the same, then they are all, most likely, GSPs.>
Let me know when you get a chance. I know you are probly bombed with questions all the time.
<No problem! Please answer all the above questions & look here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm ~PP>
Ty Samantha

Green Spotted Puffers, how to set up water? – 07/18/07
Hello,
<Hi Nicole , Pufferpunk here>
About a week ago I bought four green spotted puffers from Wal-Mart. Unaware that they are brackish fish I put them in a FW tank, which is what they had been living in at Wal-Mart.
<With 4 of those puffers, you're going to need quite a large tank. Did you cycle the tank?>
I purchased the salt to put in their water but I am not sure how much to put in and how to go about doing so. Do I just
start putting the salt in or do I gradually add it to the water?
<You need marine salt & a hydrometer to measure the salinity. Find one that starts at 1.000. You can raise the specific gravity as much as .002/week or less. For a rough estimate, it will take about a cup of salt/5gallons of water to raise the SG by .005. You'll have to do some math here.>
Also, while my puffers are eating well and appear to be healthy, they are developing a case of ick.
<Are you sure it's ich? Are there spots on their fins or just their body. Many folks think their tiny spines look like ich.>
I know that they are scaleless and the normal medication I would use to treat ick says do not use on scaleless species, so would it be okay for me to use Metranidazole?
<See: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/hospital/fwich/ >
The tank that they are kept in is 10 gallons and
they range from about 1 inch or less.
<I would only put 1 of those puffers into a 10g tank, so you'll need a 40g tank for them now. Eventually, when they grow over 2" & into quite large-bodied 6" fish, they will require 30g each. You might want to rethink this...>
I put some Melafix in the water and I am hoping that this will help, but I don't think that Melafix is a cure for
ick.
<No, it's not but it will sooth their skin, where the parasites are attacking them.>
If you could give me some advise on what to do with them, it would be greatly appreciated.
<Start by reading: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm More info can be found at www.thepufferforum.com .
Please, please, please do your research before your purchase! These are wild-caught fish & their species is being depleted in the wild. ~PP>
Thanks, Nicole

My Two Green Spotted Puffers... sys., fdg.... gen. 7/14/07
Hi, I have a few questions I hope you can answer me about my two GSP's.
<Hello. Will certainly try!>
I bought them yesterday and they are living in a 2.5 gallon tank. Is this to small for them?
<Yes. Far too small. Even a tank 10 times that size would be too small for two GSPs. These are mutually antagonistic fish that will reach around 12-15 cm in length. A single specimen works well enough in a 30 gallon tank, but when you add a second specimen, life becomes a bit less predictable because some (perhaps males?) are rather aggressive. A 55 gallon tank is often recommended as a good size for two GSPs, and I don't see any reason to argue with that.>
The lady at the store said that the tank should be a gallon a fish so that is why I bought a 2.5 gallon tank, but I am not sure if she is right.
<No, she's wronger than a wrong thing on the wrongest day of the year. Use some logic. Why would a "gallon per fish" even be possible? A Great White Shark is "a" fish, and yet it obviously wouldn't even fit in one gallon of anything.>
I was also wondering if one day one of the fish will eventually eat the other, since I would not want this to happen because I already love them dearly.
<GSPs do not eat fish. They eat shelled invertebrates in the wild and should receive same in captivity. Shrimps, snails, clams, etc. are all good.>
Is it also possible that one fish is more intelligent than the other and eat all the food?
<Doesn't seem likely that intelligence would be the issue. But a *dominant* fish can certainly bully another fish and steal all the food. This is quite common among animals generally (ever seen dogs "share" food?).>
About how many bloodworms should they eat a day?
<Ideally, none. They need *shelled* food or their teeth become overgrown. Visit your local supermarket and check out the seafood counter to see what's there. Unshelled prawns are often good for the smaller specimens. Otherwise, pond snails are excellent and you can also buy frozen mini clams and krill from the tropical fish store. Really anything crunchy will do.>
They look constantly hungry and looking for food and they eat when I feed them, but I don't want to give them more than they're supposed to eat.
<They are hungry because pufferfish have evolved to fill themselves with low quality food. Most of what they eat in the wild is indigestible, so they eat a lot of it, passing out all the "ash" as its called (broken shells, mainly). If you give them just soft food, there's no bulk so they don't feel full. Just like humans when they eat candy bars and cakes. We don't feel full after eating them even if we've had plenty. But if its something we're meant to eat, like salad and grains, we feel more full because of the bulk.>
Also one has blue eyes and the other has green. Does this differentiate them of being a male or female?
<Nope.>
Or how do I know if they are a male or female?
<Only another GSP can tell...>
Is there anything very important I should know?
<Are you keeping them in brackish water yet? They do not do well in freshwater. And brackish water isn't "add a teaspoon of salt per gallon" or anything like that. You need marine salt mix and a hydrometer to measure a specific gravity around 1.010. Be sure and read this -- http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm >
Thank You for your time and consideration.
<No problems. Enjoy your new pets. Cheers, Neale>

New Puffer Owner... GSP... beh., sys 6/17/07
Hi,
<Hi Maria, Pufferpunk here>
I'm a beginning aquarist (freshwater) and I just bought a Green Spotted Puffer (from Wal-Mart, unfortunately). He's been acting curious and just exploring the tank for the last few days, but he's just started sort of resting on one of the rocks.
<Are you aware he isn't a freshwater puffer? I hope you didn't add him in with your other fish! They can be quite aggressive, nipping fins & ripping flesh off the bodies of it's tank mates.>
The tank was jolted yesterday and he became lodged in a cave. I gently freed him but he does seem to have a scrape near his tail. If anything gets near him, he does swim around but mostly stays on top of the rock. Is it normal for him to rest that way? He seems healthy otherwise.
<GSPs are fairly active fish, although they do rest at times too. It would help to know the stats of the tank. Size, tank mates, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, pH & if there is any salt in there, how much & what kind.>
Thank you, and I hope the news isn't too bad. (He's adorable and I love him.)
<Aren't puffers the cutest?!
Check out this article on them for more info: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
Also, check out www.thepufferfourm.com. ~PP>
Maria

Caring for a Green Spotted Puffer 6/4/07
Hello,
<Hi Zach, Pufferpunk here>
Let me explain my situation to you guys. I had just purchased
a GSP about two weeks ago and I am in a dilemma. I don't think that I'm in over my head but I do know that I need help. I have been endlessly searching the internet for the information that I need for the past week but the info that I have been acquiring is varied. You guys seem to know what you are talking about.
<Thanks for your confidence!>
So I come to you guys with many questions. For one, my puffer is almost 2" and I have him in a 10 gallon aquarium with brackish water of 1.004. Is this setup alright for now?
<Time to upgrade to a larger (more permanent) home. 30g minimum. Also, I'd start raising the SG to around 1.010.>
I am aware that the puffer can grow up to six inches, so I plan to get a 36 gallon aquarium to accommodate him in his
maturity.
<Good>
Is there any way to tell if is male or female?
<Nope, only the puffers know for sure.>
Which, if any, corals or live plants can thrive along with my puffer?
<Once your puffer is an adult living in marine conditions, you can add (cured) live rock & try some of the nastier-tasting corals, like mushrooms, leathers & xenia. Don't be surprised if the puffer picks at it anyway though. I'd forget about live plants for now. There really aren't any that will survive the transfer from high-brackish to SW.>
My tank conditions are: nitrate 40,
<Should be below 20>
nitrite 0.8,
<Keep 0 at all times>
alkalinity 100, pH 7.6.
<Should be closer to 8>
Are these settings alright or healthy? If not, what are ideal conditions for my GSP?
<No, they are not. Larger, more frequent water changes are necessary. I do 50% weekly. Crushed coral or aragonite sand is best for substrate. This will keep the pH steady, around 8.>
I understand that I must feed my puffer snails to keep his beak worn down. How many must be fed per week?
Is there a specific type of snail which would be best for feeding? Will I have to feed him these snails throughout his whole life? Would I be able to just feed him typical garden snails?
<Here are several articles to read about feeding puffers: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/category/feeding/ >
How often should I clean his water?
<Answered above. Be sure to clean the substrate weekly too.>
I have heard that puffers need very good quality water to thrive. His current diet consists of freeze-dried krill and blood worms that I reconstitute in some water that I get from his tank, is this diet adequate or should I change it?
<See link above.>
Do GSPs prefer sand, pebbles or gravel? If my puffer swims up and down the sides of his tank, does that mean he wants more room?
<Yes. Also could be bored with it's surroundings.>
Are there any crustaceans that will co-exist with my GSP without being eaten by him?
<No>
Will clams, krill, or ghost shrimp wear down his "beak?"
<Yes, see above.>
Well, that about sums it up. Thank you so much and I hope to hear from you guys soon with your advice. Sorry about the long letter and again, thank you.
<Sorry this response took so long to reply to, I had trouble sending it. For more info on your GSP, please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm
More info at the other website I linked you to above, too. ~PP>

Re: Caring for a Green Spotted Puffer 6/10/07
Well Pufferpunk, thank you for your answers.
<No problem. Sorry this is so long getting back to you—busy week. >
I have continued my research and learned a little more over the time that you have taken to e-mail me. For one, I am getting the Emperor 280 filter, which should filter up to 50 Gallons. Will this be enough overfiltration for my soon-to-be 36-gallon?

Also, I understand that it has a cartridge in which you can put your own
media in. Which media would you recommend?
<In my AquaClears, I use the sponge that comes with it (mechanical filtration), 1” of filter floss (to polish the water crystal clear and Bio-Max on top (for biological filtration). >
Also, for clarity, would my GSP live a happy life in the 36-gallon bow front at a full 6" or would I need bigger aquarium?
<As long as you don’t add any tank mates, that tank should suffice. Bigger is always better though. >
As for water changes, I do a 20% a week, so I'm assuming that I need to up it to 50%.
<That’s what I do. >
Also, I was thinking that a java fern would do nicely in his tank, is this correct?
<That should work, until you have the SG closer to marine. >
I will be keeping him alone, I know that they are aggressive little guys but I can't help but think that he might get lonesome. Do you think he will?
<Here’s a great article on that subject:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/puffer-care/alone-but-not-lonely-the-importance-of-keeping-puffers-solo/
Well, that's it thanks for your time.
<Good luck with your puffer. It sounds like it’s in great care! ~PP>

Overcrowding a Puffer 5/31/07
<Hi Natalie, Pufferpunk here>
I have spent hours on this website, thank you so much for your expertise in the matter of brackish water info.
<We try our best!>
I had a 33 g brackish aquarium that had 2 mono's, 1 F8 and a GSP.
<Wow, that's a lot of fish! At adult size, your GSP will be happy in that tank alone. Have you researched the adult sizes of these fish? How about their requirements as far as whether they are schooling fish, like the mono? F8s prefer low-end brackish water, while the other species you have listed prefer high-end BW to marine conditions as adults.>
After reading the FAQs, I realized that I was most likely keeping everyone content by pure chance.
<Agreed>
I moved countries, left them behind and they passed away.
<So sad... Didn' you leave them in the care of someone responsible?>
My question is this: I'm currently in the process of cycling a 46g and doing research on the GSP.
1. I was going to use normal aquarium gravel (since its' what I used before with success) but I'm reading from many sources that sand is better and even as far as play sand found at Home Depot-type stores. Is this correct? If not, what type of sand do you use? Crushed coral?

This would present a problem, since I was going to use the gravel used from a previous aquarium to help with the cycling process.
<Unless the gravel is in a tank that has fish in it now, it will be useless. You can "seed" the new tank by putting a bag of gravel from a well-established tank, onto your sandbed & fishless cycle the tank (lots of good info on that subject at WWM).>
I was also thinking that the sand would show much of the waste and since GSP don't like much current it would be difficult for the filter to pick it up without a power jet, which is the reasoning behind my going with simple aquarium gravel. Is this bad?
<This is why I prefer crushed coral.>
2. I really want to focus on the GSP. However, in a 46g I think it would look kind of weird and empty only having one guy in there.
<Not really, if you add the ton of decor they prefer, so they are kept busy investigating everything. Otherwise they get bored. I think mine would have been happy by itself in a 55g tank. You'd be surprised how much room these football-shaped fish can take up in a tank. They swim a lot. They are messy eaters & high waste producers & require a lot of dilution to that waste.>
I know, I know, GSPs are best kept alone, however I was thinking of maybe putting him with a Silver Tipped Shark
<Grows to 18". Much too large for your tank. Also they are a schooling species.>
or two mono's (since they tend to be a quick and aggressive)
<Grows to a foot & is also schooling.>
or even a bumblebee that was suggested on some other website
<Will be eaten.>
as well as maybe a dragon fish.
<Too sedentary & will be chewed up by the puffer.>
Something to fill up the space aside from decorations.
<Your puffer will be thrilled to be in that tank alone.>
I know this must get monotonous but I really want to do this right and not go on my previous experience since apparently were completely wrong and apparently only managed to give me confidence that I could do this again, LOL. Thank you in advance for your help, time and most of all patience.
<Please research adult sizes of fish you are interested in. Also Compatibility, tank size, salinity, etc. All the info is at your fingertips.>
Yours, Natalie.
PS: I hope the English is better this around.
<Your English is perfect. I have corrected your punctuation & capitalization. ~PP>

Lighting for GSPs – 05/21/07
I have a GSP who I've had for about a week now. I got my tank set-up for my birthday, and it came with a light. I wanted to know if I need to get a special light for her or will the standard aquarium light that came with the tank be sufficient?
<Yes, most standard lights should be.>
She doesn't seem to like the light, her colors go from bright green to a pale yellow and she begins to swim up and down for hours in the corner of the tank after I've turned the light on.
<This could also be related to something else. Be sure to read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/cav1i1/green_spotted_puppies.htm >
She does have a cave to go into, but rarely uses it. Also, how many hours of "daylight" and "night time" should I give her? <About 10-12 hours daylight.>
Also... Vacation feeding. Is there anyway to vacation feed her if I go away for the weekend? I was thinking of putting like 5 ghost shrimp in and let her eat as she needs to while we're gone, but I'm not sure if this is good to do, or there was another way to do this.
<Sounds fine. They do not starve in 2 or 3 days, but if you leave for longer, ask someone to feed them.>
Please help :). <Hope I did. Cheers, Marco.>

Green Spotted Puffer Going Marine? 4/27/07
Ladies/Gentlemen,
<Hi, Pufferpunk here today>
Thank you all for your time, expertise and advice!
<You're very welcome!>
In the past I had a tank with a Green Spotted Puffer and absolutely loved this fish. As time went on, I exchanged my brackish water tank for a saltwater reef tank and then also accumulated a FOWLR tank. I was wondering if and how I might acclimate a Green Spotted Puffer in to this FOWLR tank. The tank is 75 gallons, with 90lbs LR, Aqua C EV200 Protein Skimmer, 30gal sump/refugium. Current livestock include: (1) 5" Magnificent Foxface Rabbitfish, (1) 5" Bullet Goby, (1) 5" Harlequin Wrasse and (1) 4" Yellow Tang. ( I am considering transferring my Magnificent Foxface to my Reef tank though.
<You can drip-acclimate the GSP, raising the SG in the bucket, no more than .002/hour, so it has time to adjust. If it is going to take a long time, you might want to add a small heater to the bucket. Keep your eye out for aggressiveness towards his tank mates, on the puffer's part (fin-nipping). ~PP>
Thanks again, Dustin

Red Dots... Over-cleaning a Puffer's Tank 2/28/07
<Hi, Pufferpunk here>
On Feb 25th I wrote to Wet Web Media about a problem I was having in my GSP tank concerning tiny red/brown "dots" swimming in my puffer tank.
<Sorry I didn't see that one.>
I asked if they could be identified as something harmful to my fish or myself but received no answer to this question.
<It may seem so but we are not all knowing. ;) >
All I was told is that it could be a parasite introduced from the ghost shrimp that I had fed and to treat with Clout or Fluke Tabs.
<Were they attacking your puffer? Parasites would actually be on the puffer.>
Having used Clout before, I was upset to know Clout specifically says "not to use on scaleless fish" so this was not an option for my puffer.
<For future reference, here's an article on puffer safe anti-parasite meds:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13
Check out the rest of that site for more puffer info.>
I felt lost and became desperate. I hope my reaction was not
too desperate but I decided after reading the response I was given, that I was on my own. I strained out several gallons of water through a coffee filter into a separate container (hoping to save as much beneficial bacteria as possible) and noticed that numerous amounts of these "swimming dots" accumulated into the coffee filters.
<Beneficial bacteria doesn't live in the water column. Mostly on surfaces, i.e.: substrate, decor & filter material.>
I removed the GSP in a small cup and placed him in this new container and proceeded to pull out all the ornaments and aragonite from the tank. All these were put into a sink of scalding hot
water (hoping to kill as many "dots" as possible). I cleaned the pump and replaced the filter. I put the GSP and filtered water back into the tank, topped off the water level with treated water and added small amounts of marine salt to bring the salinity up to marine conditions hoping the extra salt would kill any dots that may have slipped through my efforts.
<Might have been quite stressful on the puffer, if it wasn't at/near that salinity before. Also, you killed off all the beneficial bacteria & the puffer is now living in an uncycled tank. I suggest you get Bio-Spira & add to the filter ASAP. DO NOT LET THE STORES TALK YOU INTO ANY OTHER PRODUCTS!!! Bio-Spira is the ONLY product that contains the correct, live bacteria to instantly cycle a tank. (I can't tell you how many times I write this & a letter comes back saying they couldn't find Bio-Spira & the shop sold them something else.)>
The tank temp has been raised up to 84.
<Not necessary, IMO.>
It has now been 24 hours. All the "dots" in the sink are motionless and my GSP still seems fine in the cleaned tank. He ate well at feeding time and his color is still beautiful and bright.
<Keep a close eye on ammonia, nitrites & nitrates. Do water changes accordingly, until the B-S is added (ammonia/nitrites should be 0 at all times, nitrates <20).>
I have enjoyed his company for over 3 years now and have always gave him the best I could give. I can only hope that my actions will have benefited his future.
<Hopefully for at least another decade, as this species can live into their teens.>
I can only wait to see if the "dots" come back, since I cannot trust the Clout to cure him. I will no longer feed him ghost shrimp. I have received such fantastic information from your website and will continue to look to your site for valuable info in the future.
<Hopefully we can continue to offer it.>
I feel that this time I had to rely on myself to help my fish but I still hope you can guide me as well as others on how to properly care for our finned companions. I still value your opinion and I'm curious if you think I made the right choice about treating my GSP "naturally" instead of with chemicals?
<I'm all for natural over meds, unless absolutely necessary.>
Is there anything else I can do for my little guy?
<Keep an eye on the water parameters & search far & wide for Bio-Spira. If not found locally, you can order it here: http://fishstoretn.com/bio_spira.html (Hmmm... site seems to be down for the moment...). Unless this is a huge tank (hopefully at least 30g, since that is the minimum recommended size for an adult GSP), expect a system crash soon. Good luck with your puffer! ~PP>

Re: Red Dots Swimming in Puffer Tank 2/27/07
Thank You Puffer Punk!!!
<You're very welcome!>
I wish that you had been the one that had responded to my first e-mail.
<Everyone tries their best here.>
I probably would not have gone to such extremes otherwise. My GSP is in a 20 gal by himself and I will move him to a 30 gal as soon as all the red dot problem is gone. I will research the site you recommended extensively for a good treatment for the "dots". Hopefully I can solve the mystery as to what they are and I will contact you if I find the answer.
<LOL, that's my website, so I'm sure I'll see you there. I'm not really sure what they are but maybe someone at that site can figure it out. I have seen little red bugs swimming in one of my FW tanks, like little mites. Never bothered anything & I never did anything about them.>
It may help someone else out one day. These "dots" do not seem to be affecting my puff at all but they act like new tank inhabitants, swimming around on their own. I'm just hoping I got rid of them by breaking down the tank since I was concerned they may be a larval stage of something worse. I will test the water as you suggested and will try to avoid a "crash" by using the Bio-Spira. You have truly been a blessing! I cannot thank you enough for your valuable information!
<Happy to be of service. ~PP>
Sincerely, Michelle in N.C.

Professor Pufferton in a Bowl??? 2/26/07
Mr. Fenner,
<Hi Eric, Pufferpunk here, to answer your puffer questions.>
I purchased a GPS from my local Wal-Mart about 3 days ago. After finding your site i
<Please use a capital I when referring to yourself. We need to have this correct for our FAQs. I will correct in this letter--very time consuming.>
realize I am an idiot for buying this poor fish from them. I had no knowledge.
It looked cute and the Moron... errr employee said it was easy to care for and every question I asked concerning its care she said would be fine.
<Grrrr!!! You wouldn't believe, how many letters I get about Wal-Mart puffers!>
What was I thinking!!
<What you should have been thinking is, "Wow, what a cool fish! I think I'll go home & thoroughly research the care & feeding of this exotic species, before I buy it.">
Anyways Profesor
<Professor>
Pufferton is 1 1/2 inches long, is in a 1 GALLON tank.....
<Oh no, not good at all! Puffers don't belong in bowls. Actually, no fish does. I'm sure it's not cycled either...>
I added some "Start Right" to the water according to the bottle.
<A total waste. Actually, you are adding more dead bacteria to an way too small "container" (I won't even justify calling it a tank) which already contains the puffer's waste.>
Puffington was not happy. I could tell right away!
<No kidding...>
He would not eat the TROPICAL FLAKES the Wal-Mart employee assured me he would like.
<Puffers will rarely eat flakes.
Read: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/ Check out the other feeding articles there too.>
Was either laying on the bottom or swimming up and down the glass, which is how these poor guys act at the store...(4 -5 in a 5 gallon tank that I assume is freshwater). Then about 2 days later he started to get like white bubbles on his sides looks like a fat pimple or something and his belly is getting black...I started to add small amounts of some aquarium salt to the water after I found your site.
<If you read my GSP article or any info on brackish water, it says to use marine salt.>
Bought some freeze dried krill that he is all over and he is much happier and the bumps or bubbles look better but are still there and his stomach is looking better.
<Your puffer is being poisoned by it's own ammonia & waste.>
My girlfriend came home with a 20 gal tank but I am unsure what to do because I have read on your site they need at least 30.
<20g is certainly better than 1 gal. Get him in there ASAP! Cycle the tank with Bio-Spira. If you can't find it locally, order it here: http://fishstoretn.com/bio_spira.html
Read that page, about how it works. You'll ned a good filter (I recommend a Hagen Aquaclear 110, which will work on your larger tank when you upgrade. Use crushed coral for substrate.>
Money is an option. Should i put him in the 20 gal or wait till i can afford a 40 - 50 gal?
<Put him in the 20g & save up for a larger tank, as he grows. Match the water temp of the bowl (you're going to need a heater/thermometer for the larger tank). Dechlorinate the water with Prime. Do not use any other products in there, other than the Bio-Spira. If you need to mail-order it, you should do 50% water changes on the tank daily, until it comes in.>
Will the added stress of moving him be worth it?
<He will be dead in a day or 2 in that bowl.>
Although your site is by FAR the best thing out there, I am still finding a lot of conflicting care instructions from the different people who respond to questions in the FAQ sections.
<Stick with MY responses. Read my GSP article: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm >
I guess my question is: what are those bumps, how do I make them go away and should I go with the 20 gal or try and make it another week till I get a larger one??? Oh and also is "Aquarium salt right or do I need "Marine Salt"? Poor Pufferton... Help me save him please!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
<I'm not sure what those bumps are but they may go away after he is properly housed. Sign up at www.thepufferforum.com, for further help with your puffer. Next time you write, please use proper capitalization or I will have to return your letter, unanswered. ~PP>
Thank you, Eric

Re: Keeping a Puffer in a 1 Gallon Bowl... & I'm a Jerk??? 2/27/07
<Hey there Eric>
I came to you for help (actually it was Bob but I got you instead). Pufferpunk... yea that's about right.
<If you had gotten Bob, he would have sent back your letter for correction, unanswered. It is his rule that these letters be corrected, before sent to our FAQs. Also, Bob knows very little about the brackish puffer species. I am the foremost expert on the web, on this species. My green spotted puffer article is printed in several different languages, world-wide.>
I came here for answers NOT ATTITUDE. I don't need you to correct my spelling and punctuation. I work hard and it was 3 in the morning. I didn't write you for a published response XXXX, just the FACTS.
<No need for vulgarity. I answered your letter at 2am, after all the questions on my pufferfish forum were answered. I spend a great deal of my free time helping folks with their puffers.>
I saw on your site that other people have been offended with your responses to their questions.
<So you were actually aware of our need for correctly capitalized letters & you still had the disrespect to send your letter that way?>
I hope your not getting PAID for this. It would be a shame if you are.
<No, I do not get paid. I do this strictly for the reward of saving people's fish. It is Bob Fenner's site & he wants the letters corrected. You need to take that up with him, not me.> <<Ah, yes. RMF>>
First off, your info is not THAT consistent, so your not exactly as smart as you think you are.
<??? I have repeated the same information on this species so often, I wrote an article on them so I could just link to it. How is that not consistent? I never claimed to be smart--I think I might know a little about the aquarium hobby though. I've been keeping fish successfully for over 28 years. I have several articles published & wrote all the pufferfish profiles for the TFH book, Encyclopedia of Exotic Tropical Fishes.>
Second, anyone with some COMMON SENSE would know that these fish are widely available and it isn't going to do any good to be condescending to people. (Yeah, that's probably spelled wrong too, please correct it for me.) The only thing I got from your response is discouraged.
<I'm just trying to help your puffer. Anyone with common sense would research a living creature, before purchasing it & putting it into a bowl.>
Thanks for nothing JERK! I'm sorry, it's too bad everyone can't be an aquarium NERD like you.
LMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMAOLMA!
<I'm sorry you don't appreciate my help. I spent a lot of time responding to you. I hope your puffer gets into a larger tank soon & lives into it's teens, as most don't, due to lack of research & improper care. I corrected your letter for you. It would really be nice if folks would bother to read their letters & correct themselves before sending, out of respect for the readers. It's just plain laziness. ~PP> <<Militant stupidity ranks near the top of such self-imposed "crimes" IMO/E. BobF>>

GSP out in the Cold 12/4/06
I don't know if I am contacting to right person or anything but I need to talk to some one because all the info I look up on green spotted is different.
<Hi Katie, You definitely got the right person. I wrote THE article on GSPs:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm >
A couple weeks ago I purchased my puffer. At the time I wasn't told that it was a brackish water fish.
<Quite correct.>
When I got it home and had it in the aquarium (with a couple gold fish, because I was told by a friend that it should be large enough to eat them) I looked up info on it to see what kind of environment that it would prefer this is when I learned it was a brackish water fish. I haven't changed from fresh water yet because it seemed to be doing fine.
<"Fine" for now. If he's doing so fine, then why are you writing to me about him? Keeping in FW doesn't ensure it's long-term survival. GSPs can live into their teens. For that matter, goldfish can live into their 20s! GF are extremely poor food for your puffer (or any fish for that matter).
See: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library.php?p=53 Look around that Library for other excellent articles. Read as much as you can!>
But yesterday I got home and one of the gold fish was dead. It looked as though it had gotten a fin caught in the filter so I figured that cause it to die.
<Puffers are known for being mean, aggressive, fin-nippers, that will usually kill most tank mates. I'm afraid the puffer was probably the culprit. A healthy fish won't get caught in a filter strainer.>
Then I noticed that my puffer was acting strange. It had gotten itself in a location where a rock would hold him in place, when he finally came out he moved around very slowly and didn't react to me like he had previously (swimming away in fright). He had always been a calm puffer (he never once puffed up while being moved from tank to tank and even when I tried to just annoy him a little he didn't do much) so I figured he had gotten used to me but he wouldn't eat. So I checked the temp and it was only 66 degrees (Fahrenheit) I don't have a heater so I raised the temp in the room and put a towel over part of the tank to keep some heat from escaping. I read online that the water should be 68 degrees to 75ish I think.
<For goldfish, maybe. Certainly not for tropical fish. They need temps of 78-80 degrees. Get a heater!>
Today when I got home the water was warmer (closer to 70 degrees I'd imagine) but my puffer was still using the landscape to keep him in place. When he finally exposed himself I saw white bumps that look like whiteheads on several locations on his body.
<Goosebumps? Just kidding. Could just be it's tiny spines--all puffers have spines. Could also be a parasite called ich, brought on from the cold.>
Did the dead goldfish infect the water? All the other gold fish seem fine. I haven't had him for long but I've grown attached. Is this going to kill him?
<It could have caught some disease from it's immune system being compromised by the cold temps. I'd get your puffer another tank (it will eventually require at least 30g as an adult) or find the GF another home, if that tank is big enough. Go to the forums at that pufferfish website to talk to other puffer keepers about your new friend. ~PP>
Thank you so much for any help, Katie

GSP--Feeding, Tank Size? 11/23/06
Hey there,
<Hi, Pufferpunk, here>
I've been recently interested in green spotted puffer fish and I
have a few questions. One is how many puffers a 55 gallon could have? I was thinking two or three knowing that they are very territorial and can grow to 6 in+.
<The recommended MINIMUM tank size for these larger brackish puffers is 30 gallons. You can always add fast/moving tough fish like damselfish or a tomato clownfish, when it moves up to marine conditions. I had more than one in a 55g & I think one would have been quite happy in there by itself. Definitely no more than 2 but that is really pushing it & then, no other tank mates.>
Another question is about how they need snails to keep their teeth from overgrowing. How big should the snails be? I read that they should be the size of the puffers eye, is this true?
<Correct--smaller, they ignore them--larger, they just suck the meat out, not benefiting from the "crunch factor" of biting through the shell & keeping trimmed teeth.>
If it is how can I get these and how many should be fed to each puffer?
<You should be able to find pond snails at most aquarium shops on live plants. They are generally considered pests & should be gladly given for free. You can start your own snail breeding tank. Here are some articles on snail breeding & general puffer feeding info:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library.php?cat=7 >
I'm planning on us