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
<I suggest keeping GSPs at low-end BW when juvenile <2" (in a specific gravity,
or SG of 1.005-08), at 2-4" medium BW (SG 1.010-15) and adult >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 recommend at least 80% at this point, using Prime as a dechlorinator.>
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 would move the puffers, substrate, decor & filtration over to the
larger tank, ASAP. How large?>
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.
<I certainly can’t argue with that! Good luck with your little friends. ~PP>
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 do suggest upgrading them ASAP. IMO, 10g isn’t even large enough for a single
2” GSP.>
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 hope you have read the article on feeding your puffer & will improve his
diet.>
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?
<I am not familiar with that brand of filter. I prefer the Aquaclear filter,
so I can stack it with what I want. I also don’t like using that bio-wheel
on brackish tanks, as they can spray salt—messy. >
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?
<I prefer crushed coral for ease of cleaning & keeping the pH steady, around
8.>
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:
