The Puffer Forum

Pollianna has been with me for 2.5 years and is exactly the same size as she was when I purchased her; 1.5 inches. Specs are 46g, .014 salinity, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5ppm nitrates, Cascade canister filter 700 series rated for up to 65g. Polli menu consists of human grade; clams, shrimp, muscles, oysters, then home raised ramshorn snails and pond snails (fed on NLS, hikari algae wafers and homemade snail jello), gut loaded ghost shrimp, hikari blood worms & hikari spirulina brine shrimp. She's fed once a day and eats just enough to get a nice rounded little belly.

If you saw another post that I made yesterday; I acquired a new GSP, this one is a full 3 inches. He's a little under the weather and I'm sure has a heavy parasite load, so he's in a hospital tank with the intensions of medicating. His tummy is a troubling grey so we'll see. I'd like the 46g to be his home if he makes it...this leads to my questions...

Has anyone had such a long period of time pass without any growth in a GSP or other puffer? Assuming she's never going to grow much larger can I put her in a smaller tank? Does anyone have any concerns with going down to a 20g tall? Should I give her a couple more years? She looks like a GSP but maybe she is just one of those other unidentified "spotted puffers"...

I would say after 2.5 years you should have seen some growth so only my opinion I would move her into the 20g tall and use your 46g for something else.

Yippie! Yeah I'm thinking with her petite little self the 20g tall would be just fine for her. And hopefully my new big boy gets healthy, fattens up (a little growth spurt wouldn't hurt my feelings either) then he can have the 46g all to himself.

Perhaps a picture to ensure she is a GSP would be good.
Also maybe worthwhile looking into why she might be stunted.

Yea, I'm almost wondering if this is a strangely colored fish of the dwarf family, mimicing the looks of the spotted puffers. That would explain the small mature size. Of course, things like IPs can stunt a fish as well.