The Puffer Forum

yestereday i got a pufer fish maybe 3" with spots from the local store i think you call it a gps. they said hed be ok with my guppies but today i came home from work and found my guppies dead! i think he killed them. i don't know what my water parameters are but i have a 5 gallon tank which has this fish used to have 2 guppies and still has my female betta edit: i forgot to add 3 mystery snails to. i set up my aquarium a week ago and got the guppies and betta then. so can someone tell me whats going on and if this fish did it?

Unless the fish are half eaten your puffer sort of didn't kill them. What killed them is the ammonia spike and the tank not being cycled. You will need a 30 tank for the puffer. Read the articles in the library about GSP's and also about cycling a tank. The puffer will not last long in that tank. You can either bring it back to the store you got it from or get some tetra safe start to instantly cycle the tank. Even if you get the tetra you will still need a larger tank for the puffer.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

The fish probably did it. They are hunters, and will kill other fish if they choose to. I'm seeing a lot of problems in your case. Number one, your tank isn't near being cycled, therefore a puffer may not survive because of the rising ammonia levels. Number two, you need a good test kit to actually check your levels. Number three, that tank is WAYYYYYYYYYYY too small for a 3" GSP. They need at LEAST 30 gallons. Please read the article in our puffer pedia for more information.

30 gallons???!? are u crazy? the guy at the store said my tank was great and i can't really afford or have room for a 30 gallon tank and anyway its a small fish. i like the fish anyway so ill ask my mom if she can get me some tetra safe this weekend.

oh and shuld i take the dead guppies out or will that make the puffer kill the betta too? i left them cause i didn't know if he'd go for the betta.

someone help me! this site is confusing

Click on the links below to learn about your puffer.

And yes 30 gallons is the min. for a green spotted puffer.

The bioload and growth of the fish cannot be sustained in that small of a tank. I am not crazy, by the way. They grow to be about the size of a nerf football.

The guy at the store was wrong. The GSP will grow to 6" long, given the chance...he will get stunted in a tank that is too small, which means early death. He will eventually need to be in brackish, and then Salt Water when adult.

ok, but do i leave the guppies to protect the betta or take them out?

Take them out.
You can always return the fish to the store until you get the proper set up established, and that can take months to set up the proper environment.

Christemo wrote:Take them out.
You can always return the fish to the store until you get the proper set up established, and that can take months to set up the proper environment.

I agree.

Uh, she said the guppies were dead. Take them out, but don't take them back to the store.

Im sorry Boxxy, but im afraid they are right. Unfortunatly the majority of fish store workers dont know crap about these fish. THey arnt really community fish, they need special water parameters, even a 10 gallon would be to small..... I had mine in the begining in a 10 gallon, but she was by herself. Also you need to read that article about puffer care..... Maybe you could upgrade to a 10 for now, and say bye bye to the guppies..... If not, that cute little guy or gal is going to die. Im sorry, but if you want the joy of owning this fish, certain changes must be made. The good news is its worth it Boxy, these fish are a joy! Please just upgrade your tank to a 10 gallon for now at least, and consider an upgrade in the near future. Good luck.....

Nick wrote:Uh, she said the guppies were dead. Take them out, but don't take them back to the store.

Lol, that's what I meant. I should stop posting here when doing Social Psych homework.

The exact same thing happened to me a few days ago. The poor little guy died before I could get him back to the store. Let the owner/manager know that you were misinformed about this fish, and that customers need accurate info.

P.S. If you got it at Wal-Mart, try to find an alternative to returning. They flush all returns.