The Puffer Forum

hi i am new to raising GPS Fish i wanted to know what i need to Test the Ph and stuff like if a Freshwater tank can covert in to a Backlash or Saltwater tank
or if i need a heater<etc Etc sorry if i posted in the wrong spot kind of new here XD

You should check out the library for info, and have a look at a whole lot of websites. They're not beginners fish, so do some research about GSPs, and brackish tanks before you think about getting one.

You can convert a FW aquarium into a brackish one, but if you have any other fish, they won't do well in a brackish tank. GSPs can live in full marine, so maybe you want to investigate that avenue too.

You need to test ammonia, nitrate and nitrite, as well as salinity. pH is not such a big deal as long as it's stable.

You will need a heater, but check out the library for all of that info.

GSPs are quite sensitive to water conditions, so you must have a cycled tank before you add them, or they'll just die.

lmsmith wrote:You should check out the library for info, and have a look at a whole lot of websites. They're not beginners fish, so do some research about GSPs, and brackish tanks before you think about getting one.

You can convert a FW aquarium into a brackish one, but if you have any other fish, they won't do well in a brackish tank. GSPs can live in full marine, so maybe you want to investigate that avenue too.

You need to test ammonia, nitrate and nitrite, as well as salinity. pH is not such a big deal as long as it's stable.

You will need a heater, but check out the library for all of that info.

GSPs are quite sensitive to water conditions, so you must have a cycled tank before you add them, or they'll just die.

yeah i know i been reading but there are some stuff i need to know how to do not just tell me what to do
like how will i test the ammonia nitrate and nitrite
and How can i Cycle my tank?
what does a air bubble do, do i need it or can a filter just works find

Edit the only things i know i need are
Heaters
Salt
Sand
and Case

i know im a noob at this i havnt gotten a fish in our 7 years and im about 19 now

Radiculous wrote:

lmsmith wrote:You should check out the library for info, and have a look at a whole lot of websites. They're not beginners fish, so do some research about GSPs, and brackish tanks before you think about getting one.

You can convert a FW aquarium into a brackish one, but if you have any other fish, they won't do well in a brackish tank. GSPs can live in full marine, so maybe you want to investigate that avenue too.

You need to test ammonia, nitrate and nitrite, as well as salinity. pH is not such a big deal as long as it's stable.

You will need a heater, but check out the library for all of that info.

GSPs are quite sensitive to water conditions, so you must have a cycled tank before you add them, or they'll just die.

yeah i know i been reading but there are some stuff i need to know how to do not just tell me what to do
like how will i test the ammonia nitrate and nitrite
and How can i Cycle my tank?
what does a air bubble do, do i need it or can a filter just works find

Edit the only things i know i need are
Heaters
Salt
Sand
and Case

i know im a noob at this i havnt gotten a fish in our 7 years and im about 19 now

Go to your local fish store and have a chat to them. They should know the basics about it. You need a tank, ammonia, pH, nitrate and nitrite test kit. What do you mean by case?

so the fish wont jump out =] and i mean a case top

btw my friend is giving me the fish and i thinking of finding a cheap tank on a yard sale or something
since our LFS doesnt know anything about fishes =S and i only have enough for a tank Or supples cant have both i dont think

Here's the run down. And it's a GSP (Green spotted puffer).

You need a 30 gallon tank.
You need a tank hood.
You have to be able to create it into a brackish water tank using MARINE salt.
You have to be able to turn it into a full marine.
You need a heater.
You would need to buy a test kit to test the waters, along with a refractometer or hydrometer to measure the salt content.

You need to read more on the subject. Like, a lot more. It seems as you are uneducated about fish in general.


If you don't have the money, then wait. Puffers are a very hard fish to keep, so the more you read on the subject, the more you can save.

yeah im learnning all i can since i am thinking of buying this for my birthday 2 months from now

Just remember that they are a brackish to marine fish and do require a 30 gallon tank.

yeah i know i also wanted to ask ummm
if my friend's pufferfish is still a freshwater and my is a Bracklash tank does it hurt the fish if the salt lvl changes so fast?

Puffers should do ok with a salinity jump of about 0.05, the reason people do slower salinity changes is for to ensure that beneficial bacteria in the tank do not die off.

In the learn tab above, click on the puffer library, and do a search on Fishless Cycling. Its a very important thing to understand. Cycling in general is an important aspect of fish keeping.

ok thanks guess ill go slowly when changing the level of the salt thanks alot u guys are alot of help.btw is it ok to feed Pufferfish
Home Farmed Feeder fish?

Feeder fish are not part of GSP's natural diet. It would be a better idea to keep with uncooked and frozen (and defrosted before feeding) shrimp, muscles, clams, scallops, crabs....and snails. Crunchy foods are essential to keeping the teeth in check, other wise they will require trimming. And worms make up a good meal too.

o thanks and i forgot this thread is spelled wrong XD GPS my bad i guess ill buy bloodworms and cockle but if its a baby gsp what is a good food to trim down its teeth? Blood Worms? MeatWorms? or bugs?

Feed a baby the same foods we told you to feed. Blood worms are good for babies, just remember they don't trim the teeth.

you can feed them snails just need to be careful what size and may have to squidge them.

Here is the article on GSPs which I found excellent:
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/

here is the feeding article:
library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/
this gives an excellent list.

There was an excellent site also dedicated to Green Spotted Puffers, but that may have closed down now..(anyone know the one I mean?)

I am very new to fish and puffers to and am in the process of getting a GSP, I was planning for my birthday also, but after all the reading and equipment (want to make sure can get the best possible) it will be set up when it is set up