The Puffer Forum

That website includes as a list all the names which have been applied to that particular fish in the hobby literature. That is valid, even though the names are in fact those of other puffers and incorrect. The fellow who set that site nowhere says that those are all correct names for the fish.

But in fact, some of the names he uses for particlar puffers are not what we use, including that for the GSP - he uses T. nigrfilis while we use T.nigroviridis. Our usage aligns with that of Fishbase.

it is a GSP. I am sure. I gave one of them to a friend who used to keep a tetraodon. So now I only have the other. The fis store... didn`t want to help. They don`t have space they said. I knoe they have, but I think they just don`t want or care.


PLS some advice ....until i build the fishtank.

would it help to use bio starter...? (the products you find in pet shops,)

Nothing works except bio-spira. It's the only product that contains live bacteria. I personally don't have any experience but this is what I have learned from the veteran fish keepers. The bio-spira should be refrigerated. http://www.marineland.com/products/mlla ... ospira.asp

If you're keeping your GSP in fresh water, what you can do is grab some filter media from your cichlid tank. That should help out with the cycling.

Filter media, decor, substrate, basically any surface from your cichlid tank, assuming its a well-established tank, will help. However, get them into a filtered tank and out of the plastic container ASAP. 50% water changes daily until the tank cycles (its vital for you read up about the nitrification cycle) and use Prime if at all possible to declorinate the water and help detoxify the ammonia and nitrites.

My tap water comes from the ground . (thru some mecanical filter of course .) So it`s natural , it does not have any Cloride in it.

What is Prime? I it a substance that I can Buy that helps with cycling?

50% water changes isn`t too much?


and what about the salt. They said at the store that they had some brackish water but they don`t know how much salt.
like 2 teaspoons in 30 liter ( aprox )

I wouldn't worry about the salt right now. The amount of salt the store was using is probably minimal and not really brackish, and I'd be surprised if they were using marine salt anyway. Aquarium salt does not make brackish water, it needs marine salt.

Prime is a water conditioner you buy in a bottle. Its usually a white bottle with a red label. It does not cycle the tank, nothing will except BioSpira and at the present time, BioSpira isn't available outside of the US unfortunately. Prime will detoxify the ammonia and nitrites from their waste, though, to help keep them from being poisoned with it.

If you haven't done so yet, please, before you do anything else, go read the articles in our library on New Tank Syndrome as well as information on the nitrification cycle that you can find all over the place by Googling. Its very, very important that you understand the cycle and the process that needs to happen.

I read the " NTS".
I have a friend coming next week from the States.
What is the exact name ? BIOSPIRA?

For how many liters a bag will do?



And what about wate changes. 50 is not too much? Are you sure?

50% water changes is not too much. 90% is not too much. It will slow down the cycle but will help keep them from dying.

BioSpira is the exact name, nothing else works. However, BioSpira needs to be kept refrigerated or the live bacteria in it will die if it gets too warm. It cannot be frozen. Its not sold everywhere in the states, usually not in the larger pet stores such as Petco or PetSmart, so its somewhat hard to find. They could possibly order it for delivery to them before they leave, http://www.drsfostersmith.com sells it, as long as they keep it refrigerated and keep it in a cooler on their trip to you and it doesn't get warm.

Edit: I have just been informed that it is a myth that water changes will slow down the cycle, which is good to know. This information comes from a scientist and very long-time puffer keeper, so I consider it extremely reliable. Therefore, it is completely safe for you to do 50% or larger water changes, even when cycling.