Help!

[Pufferpunk]

IDK that Petco is the best place for him either. How about keeping him & bringing in the others?

[Srkoe]

Agree with PP. I'm not even sure if a Petco would take him. He will require his own tank....that is some prime real estate for one fish that I doubt they will use. I once bought a Molly from a Petsmart in one town and took it back to the Petsmart here the next day...I had to raise he'll with them to take it back because they didn't want to put it in their tanks. If I were you I would call some mom and pop shops and find one to take him. Chain stores ate not the best choice.

[Srkoe]

It is possible that your tank is cycled but you will never know without testing the water. Take a sample of your water to Petco and have them check it. Tell them you need exact numbers ad sometimes they like to look at you and say "it's good"...that answer is not good enough. Come back here and post those numbers and we can tell you what they mean. We will need ammonia, nitrIte and nitrAte readings. If you are going to continue to keep fish in fresh or brackish you will need your own liquid master test kit. Petsmart sells API brand fir around $35. Petco sells another brand I am not familiar with. Dip strips are not accurate enough and difficult to read. Any water condition will be okay for a CYCLED tank as long as it removes both chlorine AND cloromines. If your tank is not fully cycled Prime will actually detoxify ammonia nitrite and nitrate....these things burn the fishes skin, adding prime will make the water comfortable. It will probably be easier to regime the other fish if that is an option for you...they are stapels in chain stores and people "know them" and buy them. Taking a puffer to a chain store might result in it's fate as most employees can't give proper info on these fish.