The Puffer Forum

I recently purchased two GSP's. After 3 hours of driving from store to store and being told by all that they no longer carry puffers, I ended up at Walmart.. granted, this particular Walmart actually has healthy looking fish, and someone hand wrote care info and posted it on the tanks. I don't want to encourage Walmart, but really, spend $20+ for a GSP at the one store that was carrying them, or $3.99 at Walmart where they looked even more healthy than the higher end fish store?

It started out well.. the guy made sure I knew they were very aggressive, and got big (surprised he knew that!). He was thrilled that I was putting them in a 75, though he looked a little confused about it being saltwater. He was happy I knew they liked shrimp and snails, but told me "you know what they REALLY like? Goldfish!" At that point I told him to just shut up and bag the fish please LOL

It would be nice if Walmart stopped carrying fish in general, and it seems most of them have, thank goodness!

LilGreenPuffer wrote:If I could press a button and immediately kill every abused, neglected, and homeless animal in the world, I would. I understand how you feel. It also sucks that fish don't have legal protection. But I figured Jeni wouldn't want anyone to openly suggest anything illegal on her site.

What was illegal? Protesting isn't illegal even though I was being facetious about it to begin with. I really didn't seriously think everyone was going to go get their picket signs for the puffers at walmart. I think killing every abused, neglected and homeless animal with a press of a button sounds more illegal than anything I said... just saying.

sarina23 wrote:

LilGreenPuffer wrote:If I could press a button and immediately kill every abused, neglected, and homeless animal in the world, I would. I understand how you feel. It also sucks that fish don't have legal protection. But I figured Jeni wouldn't want anyone to openly suggest anything illegal on her site.

What was illegal? Protesting isn't illegal even though I was being facetious about it to begin with. I really didn't seriously think everyone was going to go get their picket signs for the puffers at walmart. I think killing every abused, neglected and homeless animal with a press of a button sounds more illegal than anything I said... just saying.

She was talking to me i removed post, it was nothing you said.

Oh okay, good.

The post he removed DEFINITELY described illegal activities!

LilGreenPuffer wrote:The post he removed DEFINITELY described illegal activities!

LoL and here I thought you were talking about the punching in the face comment. Erp derp haha.

Hey guys, I just hit the same wall that I'm sure you've all dealt with plenty of times. I was cruising through the fish section and saw a tiny tank FULL of gsp's and went "hmm, these guys look cool, I'll toss one in my tank!". For the first 2 days he was fine, happy as could be swimming up, down, this way and that and on the third day I noticed something. Nothing was wrong with him, it was everyone else that had a problem. A few big chunks of fins missing! I guess he was just a little nervous and finally became acclimated enough to defend some territory. He only went after the big guys, a few 4" long goldfish

I swapped him into a little vase (holdover from a betta that now resides in the main tank with no problems) as a temporary solution. He spent a night in there, quickly becoming bored and deciding to sit on the bottom. It was less than 24 hours later that he got his own tank, right next to the main tank which he likes to defend anytime anyone else swims close to "his side" of the glass. There was nothing about what he eats at walmart, I had to google everything and ended up here. I picked him up a mollusk to chew on and some frozen shrimp that should last him quite awhile. He went NUTS on that first piece of shrimp that fell in his water, had it gone quickly and started on a second until his belly was full.

The checkout girl looked at us oddly when we bought only one mollusk, didn't even know what it was. Then the bagger girl picked it up and looked at it oddly when the cashier girl tells her "don't look at it weird, they'll feel bad". Got a laugh out of me and an odd stare until I told the it was for my puffer fish. I gave him 1/4 of the shell to chomp on, the mollusk was boiled and chopped up, he enjoyed a piece of that and the goldfish enjoyed the rest.

wi_gsb wrote:Hey guys, I just hit the same wall that I'm sure you've all dealt with plenty of times. I was cruising through the fish section and saw a tiny tank FULL of gsp's and went "hmm, these guys look cool, I'll toss one in my tank!". For the first 2 days he was fine, happy as could be swimming up, down, this way and that and on the third day I noticed something. Nothing was wrong with him, it was everyone else that had a problem. A few big chunks of fins missing! I guess he was just a little nervous and finally became acclimated enough to defend some territory. He only went after the big guys, a few 4" long goldfish

I swapped him into a little vase (holdover from a betta that now resides in the main tank with no problems) as a temporary solution. He spent a night in there, quickly becoming bored and deciding to sit on the bottom. It was less than 24 hours later that he got his own tank, right next to the main tank which he likes to defend anytime anyone else swims close to "his side" of the glass. There was nothing about what he eats at walmart, I had to google everything and ended up here. I picked him up a mollusk to chew on and some frozen shrimp that should last him quite awhile. He went NUTS on that first piece of shrimp that fell in his water, had it gone quickly and started on a second until his belly was full.

The checkout girl looked at us oddly when we bought only one mollusk, didn't even know what it was. Then the bagger girl picked it up and looked at it oddly when the cashier girl tells her "don't look at it weird, they'll feel bad". Got a laugh out of me and an odd stare until I told the it was for my puffer fish. I gave him 1/4 of the shell to chomp on, the mollusk was boiled and chopped up, he enjoyed a piece of that and the goldfish enjoyed the rest.

Welcome to the forum , What size is the GSPs new tank? I hope you read about green spotted puffers and what water conditions they need because freshwater, which you have will not last him for ever. You shouldn't keep any puffers with other fish. Please read as ask questions before your fish gets sick.

Hi there! Here's some great info on puffers to get you started. Let us know if you have any questions, and be sure to share some pictures of your new water-babies!

viewforum.php?f=65

P.S. Here's a nice starter article on goldfish. http://www.ultimatebettas.com/index.php?showtopic=45531

Glad you found us!
Here's the direct link to the GSP article: viewtopic.php?f=68&t=28469

Get Tetra's Safestart & add it to the filter or that puffer won't last long in an uncycled tank.

What other fish are in with your GF?

wi_gsb wrote:the mollusk was boiled and chopped up, he enjoyed a piece of that and the goldfish enjoyed the rest.

whenever you feed you want the food to be raw, cooking their foods or buying pre cooked foods have nutrients missing from cooking that the puffer needs

otherise welcome!

My main tank is a 29 gallon and consists of 2 4" goldfish, 3 3" goldfish, 2 clear somethings with red neon on the top, 4 small mollys, a pleco, a chinese algae eater, a clown goby bottom feeder, a frog, and a male betta who's tame enough to not bother anyone else. All the goldfish started out as tiny feeder fish from the 23c tank at walmart and have grown to this size over the past 9 months. It's a little overcrowded but the algae eaters/bottom feeders keep the gravel clean and the penguin 350 (for a 70 gallon tank) keeps the water crystal clear.

While my main tank seems to be a good example of what not to do according to guides, I can assure you that everyone gets along fine, nobody fights, everybody is growing and enjoying themselves. The big guys like the bottom of the tank while the little guys enjoy the upper level. I do plan on splitting the goldfish up though, either to another tank or find someone in the area that might want two or three.

I did have a beautiful aqua green/blue female betta that loved to chase fingers and swim everywhere but the glue/etc that held the filter strainer on fell off one night and sucked her in. Still not happy about that.

My gsb's tank has water from my already cycled main tank, he seems a little bored but healthy. He's in a 1 gallon tank but I'm going to pick up a 10 gallon for him soon with plenty of plants and nooks and crannies. Can someone recommend a good ''marine'' salt? I've dissolved a little regular aquarium salt in there for him but I know that's only a stopgap.

jus85411 wrote:

wi_gsb wrote:the mollusk was boiled and chopped up, he enjoyed a piece of that and the goldfish enjoyed the rest.

whenever you feed you want the food to be raw, cooking their foods or buying pre cooked foods have nutrients missing from cooking that the puffer needs

otherise welcome!

I was worried about any bacteria/etc that the mollusk might carry.

A one gallon tank is way to small....he will need a minimum of 30 gallons preferrably more. Save yourself the money and hassle and just get him the biggest tank you can for him.

As far as bacteria in the foodstuffs for him....if you freeze it then thaw it in tank water (or preferrably vitamin water) before feeding the bacterias will all be killed.

zookey wrote:A one gallon tank is way to small....he will need a minimum of 30 gallons preferrably more. Save yourself the money and hassle and just get him the biggest tank you can for him.

As far as bacteria in the foodstuffs for him....if you freeze it then thaw it in tank water (or preferrably vitamin water) before feeding the bacterias will all be killed.

+1 just freeze anything you buy that is fresh to kill any bad stuff inside it