The Puffer Forum

Tihsho wrote:Low brackish, yes. Not the brackish/marine GSPs need.

man, these are FOOD not tank mates. If this fails the guppie gets the hose.

perek wrote:I always net my GSPs but I am very quick with the net. My gsps always spit out the air no problem.

Very poor practice. They will not always be so lucky. It's so easy to keep them under water, why be so reckless?

lisalisa wrote:

perek wrote:I always net my GSPs but I am very quick with the net. My gsps always spit out the air no problem.

Very poor practice. They will not always be so lucky. It's so easy to keep them under water, why be so reckless?

I never really thought about it before!!! I will from now on I promise

One of the local LFS nets their puffers. I nearly took the guy's head-off when he tried to net my GSP when I bought him. They still do it though, and can't seem to learn. The other day they sold a bunch of frat boys a 29g tank and 5 small gsps. It was sickening. A couple of them puffed with air when he was bagging them. He just held out the net so they could all take a good long look. I was so choked with rage that I didn't know what to do. If I tried to say anything I would have lost it on them.

anyway, story time is over.

It all depends on the process and stress put on the puff that causes puffs to inflate. At work I 'net' the puffs to catch the one someone wants then I lower a specimin container in the tank and nudge the puff from the net into it. Coworkers thought I was crazy when I began doing that, now they all started doing it after a lengthy explanation.

Phaedrus wrote:One of the local LFS nets their puffers. I nearly took the guy's head-off when he tried to net my GSP when I bought him. They still do it though, and can't seem to learn. The other day they sold a bunch of frat boys a 29g tank and 5 small gsps. It was sickening. A couple of them puffed with air when he was bagging them. He just held out the net so they could all take a good long look. I was so choked with rage that I didn't know what to do. If I tried to say anything I would have lost it on them.

anyway, story time is over.

Yikes. Friggin frat guys

Not the frat guys fault. All they did was buy fish without research (only flaw on their part.) LFS are the ones at fault.

Agreed. The frat boys just wanted some "Aggressive" fish, it should have been the job of the LFS employee to educate them about their purchase choice and not just to sell them the fish. Too bad he didn't have a clue.

My biggest worry was how they were going to cycle this brand new 29g high tank.... I fear 5 dead puffers by now. A real shame too, they were the healthiest batch I'd seen them get in a long time.

It's the only LFS that sells puffers, and they know NOTHING about them. Next time I go there I'm going to bring some print offs and hopefully they listen.

Tihsho wrote:It all depends on the process and stress put on the puff that causes puffs to inflate. At work I 'net' the puffs to catch the one someone wants then I lower a specimin container in the tank and nudge the puff from the net into it. Coworkers thought I was crazy when I began doing that, now they all started doing it after a lengthy explanation.

I agree! Netting underwater is very different then exposing them to air. This is how my guy at the lfs does it. None of the puffs I've bought from him ever puffed.

Using a net to corale my GSP into a container is the only way I can think of catching him.

IME when I've caught puffs at work its only the diodon (burr fish and porcs) that seem to puff. More or less its due to being captured from the wild at such a young age is what I believe.

I specially ordered a tiny porc which will be held till I can get my other tanks up and running. Hope they little fella comes in healthy (size was listed at 1-3 inches.)