Puffer

[seffieuk]

Hi all

Well, have decided to buy a puffer - i have a mature tank of 180 litres to give one a home.

My question: my lfs has some tiny, wee puffer fish in a tank. they are bright eyed, moving around a lot and in brakish water. They seem to vary in colour from being very light creamy colour to dark grey, they seem to have a few very faint marks, (but not all of them and it difficult to know if they will be spots or lines) with yellow tails -They have them labeled as opal puffers ? they say that they will grow to about six inches? Have looked up opal puffers but can't find them anywhere, so am assuming it is a made up name? Any ideas on what they might be and how they should be kept?


Seffie

 

[demonmagus]

do they have green spots or figures of eight patterns? (you can see where that's going lol)

 

[seffieuk]

do they have green spots or figures of eight patterns? (you can see where that's going lol)

lol - no, but they had pretty blue eyes. R puffer fish like babies and they all start off with blue eyes?

 

[pica_nuttalli]

not that i'm aware of... try looking up "topaz puffer"

 

[DarkEntity]

Its unlikely to be a Cylon as that looks remarkably similar to a Fig8 other than it grows larger. He does mention its got a yellow tail. The Tetraodon fluviatilis (Cylon Puffer/Topaz Puffer) has a yelloish/brown tail though.....so i spose its a possibility.

You sure its a brackish Puffer and not just another stupid LFS putting puffers in the wrong conditions?

You should get a picture and post back, from that itll be far easier to get a positive ID. A vast majority of Puffers all look very similar when juvi's

Have a look at "the puffer forum" in their pufferpedia, they are a specialist bunch of Puffer fans.

 

[pica_nuttalli]

bleh, common names. i could've sworn that "topaz" was common for A. modestus.

 

[DarkEntity]

Naa lol.

Honestly, ignore common names. 90% of all shops get them wrong.

When looking for Puffers id say you have to have the scientific name, its essential.

Also Auriglobus modestus is a freshwater Puffer

 

[seffieuk]

Have a look at "the puffer forum" in their pufferpedia, they are a specialist bunch of Puffer fans.
[/quote]

thanks, that is an interesting site. However, have looked at their photos of a topaz baby, doesnt look like the ones in the lfs they didn't have such pronounced markings and the yellow colouration on the tail was fairly bright

 

[DarkEntity]

Ok, then dont buy it until you can get photos and a positive ID.

Did you look at the freshwater puffers and see if it was in there? Could be that its a freshwater in the wrong conditions.

 

[DiscusAngel]

sounds a little impossible to id as i was on fishbase and i looked at all the puffers and couldnt find one to your description apart from the mbu puffer. which is freshwater. i really think youshould visit again and get a pic

 

[seffieuk]

sounds a little impossible to id as i was on fishbase and i looked at all the puffers and couldnt find one to your description apart from the mbu puffer. which is freshwater. i really think youshould visit again and get a pic

thanks everyone, that is exactly what i will do tomorrow. Had thought of going over to Wildwoods in Enfield, i'm told they have some nice puffers and better knowledge, does anyone know of the shop?

 

[DarkEntity]

I know of someone on the puffer forum who has just picked up some very rare puffers from the very same shop.

 

[seffieuk]

I know of someone on the puffer forum who has just picked up some very rare puffers from the very same shop.

Sounds like the place to go then - it will take me about forty five minutes, but worth it me thinks. rare puffer fish wow - will be lovely to see

 

[Fella]

Be sure to ID the puffer before you buy it. Not all stores keep the fish in the right water (brackish in fresh and vice versa), and not all fish are given the correct common names. be sure to get the right ID before you buy it, some puffers grow to 2", some grow to 2 feet.

 

[fishfishfish]

i believe you should research first on a few species u can work with.not worth traveling and getting a fish u cant handle or that needs a different form of water.get a few ideas then maybe call and ask if they have them in.will be best for u and fish.