Green Spotted Puffer

[GuppyDude]

Iv'e had my GSP for a few months now. He appears happy and healthy, but iv got a few questions that iv accumulated over said few months.

My puffer's belly (underside) is usually a bright white, but every once in awhile it will become very dark, almost black. This typically accurs when i clean the tank, do water changes, or when he thinks there is food coming and gets very excited. Is this normal behavior, or is somthing up?

How often should i feed him? I have been feeding him once a day (at night before bed) on freeze dried baby shrimp and/or frozen blood worms. He eats himself plump, but in the course of 6 hours he becomes very thin again. Should i be feeding him more?

And finally, what can i keep with him? Ive had success keeping the pleco in there with him, he wont bother the plec. But when i introduced my beloved pair of cory catfish, he proceeded to nip and harass them almost immediately. Currently he and the pleco are in a tall 20g tank, and i do plan on buying a larger residence for the both of them, but once i do set up a larger tank, what can i put in there that my GSP wont be able to kill?

 

[Fella]

Iv'e had my GSP for a few months now. He appears happy and healthy, but iv got a few questions that iv accumulated over said few months.

My puffer's belly (underside) is usually a bright white, but every once in awhile it will become very dark, almost black. This typically accurs when i clean the tank, do water changes, or when he thinks there is food coming and gets very excited. Is this normal behavior, or is somthing up?

How often should i feed him? I have been feeding him once a day (at night before bed) on freeze dried baby shrimp and/or frozen blood worms. He eats himself plump, but in the course of 6 hours he becomes very thin again. Should i be feeding him more?

And finally, what can i keep with him? Ive had success keeping the pleco in there with him, he wont bother the plec. But when i introduced my beloved pair of cory catfish, he proceeded to nip and harass them almost immediately. Currently he and the pleco are in a tall 20g tank, and i do plan on buying a larger residence for the both of them, but once i do set up a larger tank, what can i put in there that my GSP wont be able to kill?

A green spotted puffer and a plec aren't compatible in the long run I'm afraid. As the GSP will get older, he'll need salt adding to his water, something your plec will probably not tolerate. Have you read about this before at all? GSP's are brackish water fish.

You should feed a puffer little and often. A bulging tummy isn't as good, as a round tummy all the time, as you've seen.

As for the dark underside, that's just stress. As long as it isn't almost black when you're nowhere near the tank, i wouldn't worry.

 

[GuppyDude]

Thank you.

Yes, i have read a bit on GSP and do know that he'll eventually have to become brackish. At the moment though he is just a little guy, just short of 3 inches, so i figure i can get away with not haveing to set up a brackish tank for a little while, but ill probably save myself the trouble of converting a tropical tank and just make the 75g brackish.

 

[DarkEntity]

Thank you.

Yes, i have read a bit on GSP and do know that he'll eventually have to become brackish. At the moment though he is just a little guy, just short of 3 inches, so i figure i can get away with not haveing to set up a brackish tank for a little while, but ill probably save myself the trouble of converting a tropical tank and just make the 75g brackish.

They are a Brackish fish from birth, they progress to full saltwater at adulthood, so yes you need to make it brackish now.

 

[Fella]

Thank you.

Yes, i have read a bit on GSP and do know that he'll eventually have to become brackish. At the moment though he is just a little guy, just short of 3 inches, so i figure i can get away with not haveing to set up a brackish tank for a little while, but ill probably save myself the trouble of converting a tropical tank and just make the 75g brackish.

They are a Brackish fish from birth, they progress to full saltwater at adulthood, so yes you need to make it brackish now.

They're between light brackish and freshwater as young, and as they get older, they tend to stray more into stronger strength waters. As brackish fish though, they just zip in and out of all kinds of salinities, but they're easiest to maintain in home aquariums as higher salinity as they get older.

 

[GuppyDude]

Im not sure about that DarkEntity, mine has lived in freshwater for quite some time, and he is quite happy. But i will be setting a tank up with brackish water. I have heard that they can adapt to become fully marine, but i dont think becoming marine is essential for their survival.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

mine has lived in freshwater for quite some time

That right there is a bit of a tell-tale sentence. GSPs should only be kept in freshwater while juvenile fish. Just as people are only really children for about 12 out of 72 years, fish are only babies for a relatively short amount of time. Even a long-lived fish such as a puffer should be considered to be at least a sub-adult after a year old; if you've kept yours in freshwater for 6 months, then it's probably time to start upgrading him to at least low-end brackish.

 

[GuppyDude]

Yep, thats what I will be doing Pica.

What i meant by that was that he was kept in fresh water at the pet store, and i have been keeping him in fresh water since, and i have seen no visable signs that he is ill for any reason at all. I understand that he needs a brackish tank, and i am working on it as i type this.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

the need for a brackish environment doesn't show up overnight, just like the damage done by ignoring that need doesn't appear immediately. brackish fish are designed to tolerate great changes in salinity--which is why so many LFS can get away with keeping brackish fish in freshwater in the store.

the results of using an improper salinity generally manifest as a susceptibility to infection, poor metabolic response, discoloration and other generic symptoms of poor life quality. these symptoms will generally emerge over time as a the body functions that enable brackish fish to endure sharp salinity difference are overused. of course, sudden large changes in salinity are equally bad as fish do need time to adjust their bodily functions to the proper response.

hopefully no lasting harm has been done by keeping the puffer in fresh for too long i would anticipate that everything should be fine, but that's not any scientific opinon.

(also, for future reference, further inquiries into GSP keeping should be directed at the Brackish Forum. there are several brackish experts that don't really frequent the oddballs forum but have a wealth of knowledge from which you might benefit.)

 

[GuppyDude]

Thank you Pica.

Im planning to keep this tank set-up fresh water for atleast a little while, and gradually raise the salinity once Mr. Puffer has been introduced. I dont want to shock him or anything. Just setting up the currents and stuff, and letting the thing cycle for a week or so.

If a mod wants to move this to the brackish board that would be great, im bound to show up with more questions.

Thanks all.

 

[DarkEntity]

Yep, thats what I will be doing Pica.

What i meant by that was that he was kept in fresh water at the pet store, and i have been keeping him in fresh water since, and i have seen no visable signs that he is ill for any reason at all. I understand that he needs a brackish tank, and i am working on it as i type this.

Yip most Pet stores dont have a clue, and keep all Puffers in freshwater. Ive lost count how many shops ive told that X and Y are brackish and not freshwater, and got the reply "we always get them in fresh water"

 

[GuppyDude]

Oh im sure they know, most just dont want to set up a special tank and spend that little extra green. Iv seen alot of LFS cutting corners to turn a little more profit and its just wrong. Fish need to start being considered under the same realm as cats and dogs, and not some kind of disposable pet or passing fancy for some child. That would clean the whole mess up. If thye can close down puppy mills, why not bad fish stores?

 

[Lhutch]

ya they should do that