The Puffer Forum

We got a new Walmart Super center that opened a few weeks ago. (this make four for our small town) and there was rumor that they had a very decent fish section with some great fish. Well of course I think thats crap but them my buddy tells me they have puffers, big ones. I go and check it out today and low and behold they have eight Green Spotted Puffers, they are about 3" -5". The tanks at this NEW walmart are surprisingly nice but not surprisingly they are feeding these GSPs flake! Also they are in fresh water. I wanted to save these doomed guys but I don't have a brackish tank. If I did get them all, they would die in my tanks huh? I have freshwater tanks but I was thinking at least they would eat well.... It would be no use huh, they are doomed?

Not doomed, just tell the people about there care requirements. Maybe they will tell customers and the customers will do the right thing.

If you "save" them, it will just look as though they are good sellers & be sure to stock more. These puffers are doomed either way (unless you set up 30g ea for them in a fully cycled system) & so are your other fish, if you put the puffers in with them.

Hummmm.... the puffers I have I saved from wal-mart. They were babies and very malnourished. Chances are, your puffs are still in fresh water - I doubt wal-mart would go to the trouble of a brackish tank. And the people who work the pet section aren't usually qualified pet/fish specialists.... and from my experience - you're lucky if they even care. These puffs are probably stocked in a tank with 5 other puffs and some plecos. Thats how I usually find them. You could go on a rescue mission but you first would need to make provision for each one. They might be ok in a tank together for a short time because thats where they are now - but they would need proper care soon after. Once they start eating right and getting healthier, they'll probably get more agressive toward one another. I know mine did.

Pufferpunk wrote:If you "save" them, it will just look as though they are good sellers & be sure to stock more. These puffers are doomed either way (unless you set up 30g ea for them in a fully cycled system) & so are your other fish, if you put the puffers in with them.

Pufferpunk - you have a valid point here. My local wal-mart Supercenter just closed down the fish section and hung price tags on all the tank systems. The said they weren't making enough money off the fish. If people stopped supporting it, it will eventually go away. It's business.

You guys are all right... It really just sucks! It does... It sucks and it really pisses me off.

I have boycotted all of Walmart until every single fish dept is closed in the uS. Have been for over 10 years. Nevermind what they do to their employees...

I brought snails to walmart once and asked if i could put them in the puffer tank lol..... and they let me.

they learned

maybe speak with someone at walmart and educate them?

Thats great sparks!

Walmart has a bad rap about its employees, but no doubt all you say of its fish tanks are true.

I know--it absolutely sucks...I did get a Spotted Puffer. My LFS wasn't sure if they would get any..your replies are right on the money. Mine here still carries fish...I "saved" a yellow Betta from them. Ick, fungus & Popeye. Thankfully got him well, although he did lose one eye- had to bop him on the head with the pellet !He lived for about 10 months. I know they just reorder...how can I help to close mine down?

Don't shop there, or at least not in the fish section.

at least theyre not feeding the gsps feeder goldfish like i saw at mine

Pufferpunk wrote:I have boycotted all of Walmart until every single fish dept is closed in the uS. Have been for over 10 years. Nevermind what they do to their employees...

I haven't boycotted Wal-Mart, but I have stopped buying fish from there. If they can't sell fish, they will realize that they don't sell and stop buying them. I get my krill from Wal-Mart.

I hate Walmart. I worked there for a year and then just couldn't take any more.

I rescued my GSP, Rizzle from there. He was in such horrible conditions, I couldn't leave him.

Since then I've made a habit of writing lots of letters to the Walmart managers around here explaining that GSPs are wild caught, and the dangers of putting them in their tanks when they could be carrying parasites. I also explained the food requirements and what a suitable tank set up would be for them. I'm proud to say every place I've written to has stopped ordering them. You should try it, sometimes it's as simple as asking them not to order the fish.