Hello and a few questions

[Pixiepup]

Hey everyone!

I've been lurking here for about a year and a half now reading voraciously as I got back in the aquarium hobby after most of a decade off when I saw a GSP in a store and just had to have him. The last time I was doing this, the internet was a lot less of a thing with regards to researching animal care, and I was in the military so I had little time to research anyhow, but I knew enough to do a preliminary search before pulling the trigger, so a quick search later I was cycling a 30 gallon freshwater and impatiently calculating that I would have to wait until winter before my tank would be considered truly "mature" enough to house them. After cycling, I sadly bought a little school of tetras and a bristlenose pleco after the cycle was finished and began my impatient wait.

I began running my own business a couple months after (since gave up, I can work a lot less hours and be a lot less stressed if I work for someone else in my industry for about the same take home, and to be honest, I really really missed my family/home time.) so research wasn't a huge priority. Suddenly, my 6 months was up and with my tank parameters perfect and my plants creating a jungle, I happily purchased my cheap little Scooter (Exhibit 1) and went home to read. Oops, wrong order! I know better, but what's done is done.

I bought got my 55 gallon tank and stand fully intending a slow transition to a brackish tank as I've always been very intimidated by salt water, but doing his own reading, my husband determined in the long run it would be cheaper to go full marine even if the initial cost was higher. Alright, live sand, live rock, powerhead, skimmer and we strapped in for the cycle.

I don't want this to be a novel, so I'll just add that I had an adventure with a brown puffer my roommate kindly but not thoughtfully brought home without asking as a "surprise" because I was talking about puffers and "It's already big!" which resulted in a very beat up gsp and a missing pleco tail. I can always give details later if anyone cares to hear about it. I didn't know a fish could hate people instensely, but she sure does. At some point my husband flatly said "no more puffers, I hate them, the little guy can stay in the little tank, and I'm doing a reef in the big one." Conceding his points, we got a tiny pair of juvenile black clowns, a cleaning shrimp, and a goby while waiting for the tank to mature enough to start our coral adventures.

My husband and I were on the far side of the county and came across a fish store we'd never visited before where I made my next mistake (Exhibit 2). Salt water tank was fully cycled with a clean up crew in place taking care of our noob algae problems and I simply could not help myself. The water was murky, the puffer was sadly following me as mucch as he could in his little 8 inch cube acrylic box within a bigger tank, and I just gave in. I have a 3.5 inch Narrow Line Puffer in my saltwater tank because I am irresponsible and don't reasearch before I buy. OK, tbh, he was being sold as a "striped dog face puffer" which actually makes it even worse because I knew they are expected to be almost twice the size of the one I actually ended up with. In my defense, I felt an instant connection I've only ever had with my one dog and one rat who remain the favorites in my heart out of 30+ years of pet keeping. I shrugged when my husband asked if I wanted to have spent $40 on a couple of feeders (our clowns). I am terrible I know, but I've worked in vetreinary clinics and on farms and I just can't help thinking "food chain" sometimes.

Despite the self flaggellation, I really do feel I rescued both fish. I know both tanks are about half the minimum tank size recommended and I doubt they could cohabitate. The narrow line puffer is actually very mild mannerered. He chased the clowns around the tank as soon as he was released. He was fast, but they were faster. I tried and failed to catch him, sadly realizing I would have to take him back.

He was zooming so fast, I gave up on catching him and grabbed a cannister of dried shrimp. As soon as they hit the water, he began saying and hasn't seemed to recognize any of his tank mates as possible food since. Seriously, if the goby tries to come into a cave he's lying in, he'll just move along to another one. He even appears to be slightly afraid of the cleaner shrimp. Research indicates he's one of the mildest mannered puffers, and even my husband is becoming attached.

TL;DR I impulse bought a gsp and narrow lined puffer and I humbly throw myself up on the mercy of the forum in helping me decide the best way going forward. I cannot fit a larger aquarium anywhere in the house unless I kick out our son, which society and the government seem to frown upon. Is it ethical to keep my little striped puffer till he grows a few more inches before seeking a proper home for him? Is there any possibility the two puffers could cohabitate nicely if I were to upgradde to one large tank, which could be possibly doable if I get rid of both the current ones? Do I immediately rehome the narrow line and go with the orignal plan to acclimate the GSP to marine?Am I just a selfish person with no business trying to take care of other creatures?

Inquiring minds want to know.

[pufferjw]

First of all, you're not a bad person; we all make mistakes. Anyways, this was a pretty long post, so forgive me if I miss a few details.

From what I've gathered, you have a juvenile narrow lined puffer and some nano fish in a 55 gallon, as well as an adult green spotted puffer in an 8 gallon brackish. You can't get a larger tank without getting rid of both of your current tanks, and if you did that you would need the puffers to coexist.

I would suggest rehoming your narrow lined puffer, since you need a tank that's at least 120 gallons and it seems like you don't have the space for a tank of that size. I would then either:
Transition the green spotted puffer to marine, and put it in the 55 gallon.
OR
Move the green spotted puffer to a 30 gallon and buy a puffer in the Canthigaster group for the 55 gallon.