Can anyone help Id this puffer

[stardrop]

This puffer was sent to our store as a "Golden Head Papua Puffer". When I contacted the supplier he said he didn't have a latin name and that it was "new".

Also told us it was freshwater, but I'm not buying it. So, after losing one in the store, I took the 2nd little one home and have him set up in a tropic brackish tank.

Can anyone tell me what type he is and requirements? He's very shy and hard to get pics of so far.

Thanks

[edmlfc1]

I believe you have a Tetraodon erythrotaenia. This is a brackish puffer. Click on the link below to learn more about this puffer.


ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Erythrotaenia/

[Myaj]

Yes, and its very, very unhappy.

There's been a sudden flooding of these guys in stores lately, which is exciting for those of us addicted to puffers of course, but pretty sad for the fish themselves and there's not a ton of knowledge about them yet. If you do a search on their scientific name several threads from recent weeks will show up from other people stumbling across this species as well. You are not alone!!

[stardrop]

Thank you both for your information. I"m just trying to make the little guy happy. I have a full marine tank that's in quarantine right now. Perhaps after he's feeling a bit better he can go swim in there. He'd be the only fish.

[Martin Hi.]

hi,
no saltwater plaese!
even brackish water seems to harm them. the best until now was freshwater with just a little salt in it. please read the other threads here!
martin

[edmlfc1]

hi,
no saltwater plaese!
even brackish water seems to harm them. the best until now was freshwater with just a little salt in it. please read the other threads here!
martin

The puffer in the picture is high brackish to full marine. I know at least 4 people that had one in the last four months, they were all in freshwater and they are all dead now. Are you sure you are thinking of the right puffer?

[stardrop]

Wow..now I"m confused. He's currently in 1.010 brackish. From what I read on the links edmlfc1 posted, it said high brackish to full marine too.

Anyone?

[riggers]

I'd say go for the high end brackish. That's what everyone else who's had one has done and that seems to be what works best for them.

[stardrop]

What salinity counts as "high end brackish"

[Myaj]

Generally 1.015 and higher

[edmlfc1]

I still say high brackish to full marine. I have seen too many die within weeks while in freshwater.

Generally 1.015 and higher

+1

[Myaj]

Just remember to not raise the salinity more than .002 per week, to avoid crashing the biofilter.

Martin Hi is usually pretty dang familiar with the more unusual species, so I'm surprised he's having different results as far as the water. Keep an eye on your guy, and if he seems more stressed than usual it may be the salt levels.

His color is bad (stressed), and he's pretty bitten up, but other than that he doesn't look TOO unhealthy.

Hmm, I just searched the forums, and I don't see anyone keeping them in higher salinities, everyone seems to report bad results with freshwater, much better with "just a little" salt.. I'm not seeing anything on high salinites other than the Pufferpedia (and I'm not sure where that info came from).

We may have to edit that to show we are not sure at this point, especially with so many people showing up asking about them recently.

[Jase]

I'd keep him at 1.010 for a little bit. it's not FW, but not high brackish either. I know Martin Hi. has this species and it might be valuable to hear why he says low sg...

[crazedpuffer]

This site says they are found mostly in full marine ?(it also says they get to be 90 cm!? maybe they are missing the decimal...)
http://zipcodezoo.com/Animals/T/Tetraod ... hrotaenia/

Fishbase however says 8.5cm, and demersal, fresh and brackish water, which would lead me to believe a lower sg is better.

Perhaps it'd be best to treat these guys like F8's and keep them in an sg of 1.005-1.008?

[Christemo]

I'd try between an F8 and a GSP SG.