The Puffer Forum

Ack. Today I called a LFS that I'm not familiar with, but seemed to have a good reputation. I asked if they had Figure 8's in stock. "Yes", I was told. So I drove there, was shown the "F-8" tank, and I asked them if they were Figure 8's. Again, I was told "Yes". I wish I had had a better idea of what F-8's looked like as opposed to GSP's. Now that I've got my puffer in my tank, after looking at GSP pictures in the gallery, I'm 99% certain I purchased a GSP. How common is this kind of misinformation given at LFS's? Now, since I've only got a 15 gallon tank, I've got to take this one back (long drive) and look elsewhere for the figure-8. Live and learn.

Yup, very common. Best to do your research before getting in your car & driving all that way. Glad you found us!

Try sending in a picture. From the sounds of your confusion sounds like you may have a ceylon (t. fluvalatis)

I've seen F8s mixed with GSPs at a LFS, a bad practice. I so informed the manager and the next time in, they were in different tanks. But its 90 miles away (not Tihsho's place but a competitor) in a direction I rarely travel, so who knows today.

Was it Congressional? Aquarium Center? Petco?

Those are the only places off the top of my head. But yeah I should say it all out right now, sadly when the GSPs are in there with the f8's Gotta get boss to let me practice my expertise.

Aq. Ctr. I won't bad-mouth them though - they will listen to reason.

I bought it at a place called That Fish Place. Not to badmouth them though... looked like a really good operation.

That Fish place isn't bad at all. Though they do have the occasional goofball employee thats got no clue about what you ask.

On the note about AQ Center...There reputation has gone down hill sooooooooooooooooo fast. They treat puffs with copper, special orders are not gauranteed, and the over all stock...how can I say it kindly...sucks. They need to improve on tank standards and learn about what they are selling. For crying out lout they had 5 inch palembangs in a 20 gallon (10 of them) and they had plenty of open tanks that they could be in.

I give them credit for prices on their dry goods. There pretty damn cheap and good quality!

OMG- I didn't see those overcrowded Palembangs - I would have offered to help move them. I haven't been there since summer & there was a very poor looking Mbu too weak to handle the large live crayfish they were feeding him. I've wondered what became of him.

When I was in a LFS a while back, I was looking for something for my 65 gal hex. The LFS guy asked what I was looking for, I didn't want or need his help, but I said "a new puffer/s". He goes "oh! we have a really cool Mbu puffer in!" I nearly fainted!! lol when he saw my face he said "or some smaller Fahakas' hahaha needless to say I don't go there anymore lol

You know how bad some puffers look as they linger so close to death - the image of that poor Mbu, in need of some real emergency care, still haunts me.

There's a new Petco near me in California, Maryland (yes that's the name of the town) and they have a dogface puffer in there since they opened a month ago. Last week they had an eel in its tiny (10g?) tank with it. I complained that it was inappropriate - yesterday, the eel was gone but the dogface was in quarantine "under observation". Sheesh...

Obviously I've never been there (I live in Toronto) but their website lists a Mbu puffer as common name: Fahaka puffer, Scientific: Tetraodon Lineatus, Min tank size: 75 gal...hmm something wrong there...
Check it out:
http://www.thatpetplace.com/LiveFish/Pr ... etail.aspx

ugg...please cut and paste that link, I can't get it to work

The forum doesn't seem to like spaces in links.

But this might work... http://tinyurl.com/bb4ha

tinyurl to the rescue

Ahh you're the best x0rtrunks!...did you see the puff? bad bad...