Figure 8 size/growth

[lilacamy931]

Hey peeps, so I know from reading in the library and pedia these pups get to around 3 inches and they have lengthy lives at 15 years. How quickly do they grow on average, given the right tank conditions and food? For instance the fahaka is well known for growing an inch a month for the first year. Any guidance appreciated

[purplecandle]

I think growth rate in puffs are difficult to predict. For Fahaka's their growth rate is predictable if they are housed in an appropriate tank right away...

But for puffs like GSPs (not terribly different from F8s) I think the growth rate can sometimes depend on the genetics of the fish itself...I think PP had two GSPs get to 6in in about 2 years..But, I have heard that some GSPs grow much slower, in fact their owners "think" the fish is not growing when they probably are (if they are being housed properly).

I have two GSPs that have an extremely fast growth rate, gaining almost 3/4 an inch in very short time (months)...then I have others that are slow pokes..and seem to just get fat LOL.

I think to some extent you can somewhat predict a growth rate, but with puffs I think individual growth rates are a genetic predisposition from their family line and not necessarily from their species. Does that make sense? Just my opinion, I could be wrong

[lilacamy931]

Thanks for that Purplecandle that does make sense as you pretty much apply it to all creatures. With the fahaka I know the healthy growth rate and it was more curiosity with these, thanks for the reply x

[purplecandle]

Sometimes I think in general massive big animals have a more predictable growth rate than smaller ones

Plus puffs are just so much evolution and adaption at work, naturally there should be differences between animals in the same species depending upon bloodline and natural environment.

[jus85411]

i agree it differs from fish to fish. i had two GSP, first one i bought was between 1 - 1 and a half inches, the second one i bought was about 2 inches . over a little bit of time the 2 incher got to about 2 and a half while the first one was staying the size at which i bought him at least without any noticeable growth to me since i saw him everyday. tank started turning brackish, then all of a sudden in a matter of a month or two the smaller of the two became the bigger one! he had a major growth spurt and now outgrew the originally bigger one by an inch! i since then got rid of the originally bigger one and kept my first GSP i bought. he has pretty much stayed the same size over the past few months, maybe reaching 4 inches. i havent really tried to measure him but i would approximate without the tail hes 4 inches, if not just under. i also had two figure 8's for a year or so before giving them to a friend who liked all my puffers. they didnt seem to grow much at all, but i did notice after taking a good look at them before i gave them to him that they did seem a little bigger than when i first got them. i would say in the year i owned them my F8's grew about a half inch, three quarters of an inch tops.

[pufferpuggirl]

I agree with what's already been said. I've bought GSP's at roughly the same time and have some that are much larger than others. I personally think genetics has a role here, just like some people grow tall and some don't, well I think it's very much the same with puffers, and not just GSP's, but all puffers, that's why some Fahakas don't get as large as others, and why some Mbu's aren't as large as others. Of course, stunting plays a part here too sometimes.