GSP or dwarf

[Aster]

So just wondering if its possible i got sold a gsp as a dwarf puffer . My puffer dosent look anything like the ones listed in the dwarf puffer pics in the puffrpedia here, but he looks exactly like the GSP he is only about an inch and a quarter or so long. He actually looks just like the picture in the support the puffer forum add at the top of this page . If anyone could help answer this question that would be awesome thanks i will try to get a pic of him and post it but my camera kinda sucks though i am going try to find a setting that was mentioned to me on another thread about my fish

Thanks again

[purplecandle]

an inch and a quarter??? probably a gsp..gsp's are sold under many false IDs..

But if it is a GSP the requirements are very different..did you get it at walmart?

Does it have a florescent green spot on its head?

[Ohyouknow]

I think, honestly that Yes. It could have happened.... DP's also can have spots, but don't get over about 1". If he's bigger than that, it's not a DP.
I had a 10 gallon tank, and wanted a DP (or two, if I could. Possibly 3 heavily planted.) I got all excited and went to the LFS to get a DP; and the guy told me he had only one true freshwater puffer - and got it bagged up for me. It was in a tank with a tag that said 'Leopard Spotted Puffer' (GSP) but he said it was a DP! He rang it up for the same price as the GSP's tag, cuz he had no clue how much to charge. I found out later that in reality; I had bought a Fahaka Puffer.

1" vs 17+"

So yes, look for similarities between both species compared to your puff - and post a pic, I'm sure one way or another you'll get it all sorted out!
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Freshwater/C_Travancoricus/ (dwarf puff)
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Nigroviridis/ (GSP)

[mrgreen]

Well let us know- take a pic n post it! What size tank do you have? A5 gallin won't do for a GSP - even fir a dat. (BTDT)

[Aster]

i got some good pics of him coming soon uploading to my newly created potobucket account now . atm he is in a 20 gal but i am cycling a 55 gallon atm that has nothing in it was gonna put ciclids in it but i could move him to it once its cycled ( about 2 weeks )

[Aster]

ok if this works here are pics ( my first time tryign to load them hehe )

http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae67 ... 0_2880.jpg
http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae67 ... 0_2898.jpg
http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae67 ... 0_2890.jpg
http://i958.photobucket.com/albums/ae67 ... 0_2893.jpg

top 2 are best but bottom 2 show his best color when he is being bright .

he changes to all various hues of color sometimes .

[autophotos]

GSP id say

[purplecandle]

GSP!!!!

Do you have a tank big enough for him/her-gonna get much bigger than a dwarf!

[Aster]

i have a 55 cycling right now with nothing in it that he/she can move to can i house anything else with it though ? So i take it its pretty common to buy dwarfs and get some other variety this one cost me 3.99 $

[purplecandle]

well you have a few problems when trying to get tankmates..

First problem is that you will need to get a gsp into brackish water so that limits what you can put in there..

You could just go to full marine...I know some people have had success with GSPs and clownfish...

but if it were me and the GSP was a juvenile..I might would go get another gsp (of the same size) you could get away with that in a 55 gallon but please make your decor interesting for the puffs to help curve boredom and aggression....But aggression may just stay anyway...they are nasty boogers sometimes!

[Aster]

Ideally i suppose i could get another GSP here is the thing though both my local walmart ( were i got this one ) and my local petco only stock dwarf puffers though i suppose i could just watch for another inch and a half long spotted one like him to come in and buy it hehe . And as for marine can they be housed with some corals and anemones id be just as happy housing him with stuff like that if its possible .

[briguy44]

If they are coming from wal-mart then they are going to be GSPs. That is the only puffer species that they sell....

[Aster]

Please those of you that helped me ID him can you look at my thread in the hospital im afraid little bumblebee ( his new name ) is dying =( . Im very very sad atm i got back into fish because when i was a kid my parents raised many varieties of live bearers and cichlids and angle fish but my own foray into the world of fish has been rough so far. although in the mid 80s when my parents were raising fish they had no idea about cycling tanks ext they always just assumed the fish that died when you first setup a tank were weak not that they were being poisoned . Fast forward to the internet age and now the information is widely known on what to do and not to do but yet they still dotn give you good info at the lfs ext ( told us to let the tank sit for 3 days and it would be good sigh . I know now the error of my ways and am diligently working to fix the mistakes ive made but i feel terrible atm for what ive done to this poor little fish he is so awesome and ive put him into a hell =(.

Currently his tank is at
AM 0.5
Nitrite 1.0
Nitrate 5
All in ppm
And i am doing 2 50 % water changes daily one when i get up and 1 after i get home from work .
My well has no chlorine but i am putting TetraAqua Aquasafe in each new batch of water it says it neutralizes heavy metal enhances natural slime coat and is supposed to have some bio extract in it for healthier cleaner water ( im sure all just marketing BS ) My well water is very very hard registers 300 pp alkalinity and a PH of 8.4 if that helps but the water has been like that since the get go for him in all 3 tanks he has been in ( he started out in my 55 gallon till he was killing fish , moved to a 10 then we bought and moved him to a 20 to make the 10 a QT tank for newcomers once i finally cycle all these tanks , we have not brought home a new fish in over 2 and a half weeks since i have learned about fish less cycling and the harm that cycling with fish does to my little friends ) .

Please help me i feel like a terrible person right now .