Just bought a Green Spotted Puffer last night... help? :)

[magikwok]

So, my boyfriend has been wanting a Green Spotted Puffer for many months now, and last night we came across one at Walmart. It was the last one there, it had Ich and a clamped fin. However, we figured that as long as we do our research and try our best, whatever we do will be better than what Walmart does. We've seen so many of them get killed off there before. I do have a little experience with fish because I used to work at a pet store, but I only worked with fresh water and I've never set up my own tank before.

So, to the two questions that I have:

1. I noticed that with some of these puffers, they have two little horns sticking out on the top of their heads. Some of them are either much much more prominent than others, or the other ones don't have them at all. I was wondering why this was, because mine's seems to be really prominent. I was comparing him to the other fish when there were others in the tank with him and most of them weren't as big as his. Example:



Not my fish, but I didn't know what those little horns were called.

2. Should I mix the marine salt in with the filter, or is this a bad idea? How gradually should I put the salt water in before putting in the preferred amount?

Thank you for helping, he is kind of sick, yet happy. Bright green with nice looking gills and swimming around fast.

[busybones]

Welcome to the forum!

How did you cycle your tank and what is the tanks size? The stalks on their noses are for smelling purposes I've added an article on how to switch your tank over to brackish. I'd wait until you get the puffer comfortable and healthy before switching.

I have a bunch of reading for you that will help you out a lot.
GSPs
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Nigroviridis/

Feeding
library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

Internal Parasites- treating and preventing
library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/

Treating Ich in puffers (FW)
library/hospital/fwich/

Switching your tank over to brackish
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19348

[LilGreenPuffer]

Yep, do all of the reading that busybones gave you. It's great advice. Let us know if you have questions, especially about cycling. Don't do anything with salt until you're sure you know what you're doing!

[Pufferpunk]

You found the right place! I hope you can save him.

[LilGreenPuffer]

By the by, is he having trouble eating? It looks like he might need some dentistry later. Don't worry about it right away, but once you've got the brackish stuff underway, be sure to come back and ask about this.

[Pufferpunk]

That pic isn't hers.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Oh.