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bleeguitar · Post by **bleeguitar** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 1:29 pm

[Hey everyone, i just bought my first puffer today. I had some questions.

What kind of puffer do i have? It is green with black spots.

I was told they eat tropic flake fish food, is that right?

What else can my fish eat?

I bought an algae eater to keep the tank clean. The two won't bother each other will they?

It wont eat the plastic plant will it?

Is there anything i should know?

Sorry if these questions are stupid. Thanks for the help.

BLeeguitar

rainmaker69 · Post by **rainmaker69** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 2:08 pm

Welcome to the forum and pufferkeeping.

What kind of puffer do i have? It is green with black spots.
It could be several, but probably a Green Spotted as they are quite common.

I was told they eat tropic flake fish food, is that right?
Very seldom, basically no.

What else can my fish eat?
He needs hard shelled foods to keep his teeth wore down. Snails, shrimp, mollusks are good. Also bloodworms, earthworms, and crickets.

I bought an algae eater to keep the tank clean. The two won't bother each other will they?
That is hard to say, some will allow tankmates, others have to be kept solitary.

It wont eat the plastic plant will it?
No.

Is there anything i should know?
Firstly, get an accurate identification of your fish, then you will know if it is freshwater or brackish water. Check out the pufferlist for identification. Read all the stickies on the forum for some great information and then read the posts.

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 2:18 pm

http://www.pufferlist.com

bleeguitar · Post by **bleeguitar** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 3:28 pm

Well i have a Tetraodon nigroviridis
According to pufferlist.com it is a saltwater fish, when i bought it i was told it was a freshwater. Kind of confused. If it is a salt water fish what should i do to switch the tank from fresh to salt? Tell me exactly what do i do? please.

Post by **Pufferpunk** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 3:55 pm

Now that we have determined what species this fish is, I'm moving the thread to the proper forum. This actually is a BW fish that will prefer SW as an adult. Read the info on them in The Library.

crazyforpuffs · Post by **crazyforpuffs** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 7:31 pm

To make a brackish tank - you must add marine salt (not aquarium salt) to the tank. You will also need a hydrometer to measure the SG of the water after you have added the salt.

Raise it in small amounts, though, so as to not shock your biological filter. Usually .002 per week up to the desired level.

Algae eaters are not brackish water fish and your new puffer will likely not tolerate him anyhow. You need to return the algae eater to the store, or move him to an aquarium that will be FW only.

Your Green Spotted puffer will eventually need 30 gallons...so plan accordingly. As an adult he would prefer to be in full SW - but that is a few years down the line.

Welcome to The Puffer Forum. You came to the right place for information.

Also, just a note - most fish stores don't know diddly about proper puffer care.

rainmaker69 · Post by **rainmaker69** » Sun Jul 17, 2005 9:51 pm

Just take it slow and learn as much as you can in the meantime.

Bronwyn · Post by **Bronwyn** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 7:24 am

Hi There, I sooooo know how you feel like. Its all a bit overwhelming isn't it. I did exactly the same thing the other day and ended up having to take the other fish back to the LFS and am now left with a tank that is far too small and 3 puffers in FW (fresh water) which I am gradually changing to BW (brackish water). I am going to have to change their tank to a bigger one soon but for now they seem to be okay, thank goodness. I have learnt an unbelievable amount from the guys here and from different websites. Don't listen to the LFS as they don't seem to know much about the subject. I tried to get a hydrometer and salt from mine and they insisted I didn't need either and that my spotted puffer was definitely a fresh water fish not a salt water or brackish water fish. I don't want my fish to die or be hurt but I've been told that setting up a salt water tank is very expensive so for now the brackish water will have to do. Will my fish be okay for till September in the tank they are in?

Post by **Myaj** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:54 pm

Hi Bronwyn,

What size is your tank right now? The sooner you can get them a larger tank, the better. In the mean time, do lots of water changes to keep the water clean. This means more expense as far as buying salt, but its really not that bad. BTW, you dont' have to tell the store why you are buying what you are buying

, just buy it. Just remember, when adding marine salt, don't raise the salinity more than .002 each week.

Keep an eye on the little guys for aggression too, if they get too cramped and can't get away from each other they may start bickering.

Its chancy if they can make it in a small tank for what, 2 more months? But it will depend on just how small you mean, how religious you are on changing the water (probably every few days you'll want to change 25% or so) and if they decide to get along.

rainmaker69 · Post by **rainmaker69** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 8:17 pm

Also try to put in some plastic plants or other decor to break up the lines of sight. That way they will have a little privecy. sp?

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