The Puffer Forum

Hi all!
I'm new to The Puffer Forum and new to owning puffers at all. I bought two GSP's on Wed. This morning, one Puffer died and left us with about 25 babies! We noticed her bulging belly yesterday afternoon and the kids were joking about how she ate too much. Has this happened to anyone else? I can't seem to find anything online about puffers reproducing in a tank enviroment. Obviously, I'd like to keep them alive, although I'm not sure what to do with them all, I'm new to having 2 puffers, let alone 27! And I only have a 5.5 gal. tank! I'm thinking maybe I can give them to the fish store?
Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Your sure that it's the GSP? Because GSP's have never been recorded breeding in an aquarium, let alone a 5.5 gal! How big were they? Your going to need a lot more room (GSPs require 30 Gal. each)

When the GSPs were caught from the wild it could have been pregnant already...

I don't think they will last too long in a 5.5 gallon tank with an older GSP, it would probably end up eating them but who knows.

Is there any chance of you getting a bigger tank? As CtHM said, each GSP needs a 30 gallon tank (they grow to be 6 inches). If you could move the grown one into another tank you might be able to save some of the babies. And since the GSP will need a bigger tank anyways, it shouldn't be that much of a hassle.

Is your tank cycled? How long has it been set up?

The fish store might take them but they wouldn't try to take care of them, probably just throw them out or put them into a tank and get eaten.

Is there anything else in the tank?

I'm assuming they are baby puffers, being that the one that died had a bulging belly. The are so tiny, I can't get a picture even with my camera on Macro. Maybe when my husband gets home, he can try with his much more advanced camera and I will post them. But they are roundish, dark green with a lighter belly and black bulgy eyes. I'd say they are less than 1/16th of an inch. I put a few that didn't survive in a baggie, I'm going to take them to a local store to verify.
I had a dalmation molly in the tank before, but honestly by the shape and color, the babies do not look like a Molly. There is also a bleeding heart tetra in the tank, doesn't seem to intrested in the babies for far, they hide in the bottom gravel.
????
I hadn't really planned on having a big tank, just wanted something fun for us and the kids to enjoy. I did cycle the tank 24 hours and put the fish in on Wed 2/20.

SpockthePuffer wrote:When the GSPs were caught from the wild it could have been pregnant already...

Puffers aren't livebearers, so there has had to be eggs before fry. And if the puffer looked pregnant yesterday, there's no chance there could be fry today. The eggs wouldn't hatch that quickly. I would definitely suspect the mollies.

Well first off, the GSP will need brackish water and the tetra needs freshwater. The GSP will also kill the tetra eventually... And as i said before the GSP will grow to be 6 inches long, obviously WAY too big for a 5 gallon tank

How did you cycle the tank 24 hours prior? Cycling a tank usually takes 3-4 weeks so it probably isn't cycled.

You will also need a liquid test kit to test the water and see what the parameters are. You need to test for ammonia, nitrate and nitrites.

You should read the GSP article in the library on this site, its very informative.

Troender wrote:

SpockthePuffer wrote:When the GSPs were caught from the wild it could have been pregnant already...

Puffers aren't livebearers, so there has had to be eggs before fry. And if the puffer looked pregnant yesterday, there's no chance there could be fry today. The eggs wouldn't hatch that quickly. I would definitely suspect the mollies.

That makes sense, lol

Well I'm the first to admit I know nothing about fish birth! I have a litle undergravel heater and the most of the babies I found were in the heater area where the puffer was lying. When I saw them, my first reaction was that they were little puffers by the way they look. I could be crazy though , which is what led me to this site, to see if it actually happens or if I should be suspecting the other fish instead.

How exciting! Pictures would be sweet! Congratulations on the babies. Sorry for the loss off your puffer.

If you can't keep the babies in a separate cycled tank with the appropriate needs, taking them to the local fish store would be best. Call them and see if they will take them and take care of them. Let us know the out come please.

I can guarantee you those are molly babies. You MUST upgrade that puffer into a larger tank, ASAP! Even a 1" GSP belongs in a 10g tank or you could just go get him a 30g tank for growing into. Be sure to read the article on them, in our Library.

Yes, after Troenders post, I did more research on the molly and it's seems they are the more likely culprit. Now I still have an issue of 30 fish...yes, I have found more. Seems the best thing to do is have a seperate tank for the puffers. I'm bummed the babies were not puffers, but still to have so many live babies born was pretty cool!
Thanks for all the info on your website and to all the people who replied!

Do you still have more than 1 puffer?

no, just the one puffer and all the babies have been moved into a separate tank.

Well I'm sorry they were not gsp's because that is something that has not been recorded. On the other hand you have baby mollies! Try searching for a fish store that will buy the mollies from you.

You guys are for real ? GSP's never bred in an aquarium ?!?!? NO WAI!!! That is FANTASTIC!!!

I wonder why no one can get them to uh...you know... duplicate ?

( ahem.. might I chime in here ? My guess is that no one has done this yet simply because everyone who DOES have them .. most likely has no more than 3. OF those possible 3.. there is either all one sex OR bad chemisrty OR not enough puffs etc. BUT just ponder this for a moment with me... WHAT IF : it is simply because the GSP's are indeed NOT the same. )

Allow ME to be the first!

I'm pretty sure no one here can out GSP me. I have 8. Two might be Sabahensis puffs or a combination there of, which leaves me with 6. Still the most ?

Pick me ! Pick me ! I will get the little buggers to do the nasty Yous guys just wait and see.

-UMB