The Puffer Forum

Hey everybody. I have a Green Spotted Puffer alone in a 60 gallon. Im running 300 GPH(Once hes in full marine Ill be pumping 600 gph filtration) Temp remains a stable 80. Salinity is 1.012. Sand substrate. 4 lbs live rock. Plenty of fake plants. Airstone. Etc.


Hes growing incredibly fast. His diet is snails, mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, bloodworms, krill for now. Will change that as he grows. Hes 2.5 inches long now *is 1.012 sainity to high/low for that?* and is almost the size of my figure 8. Hes growing half an inch per month which seems quite quick. Thanks

That's very fast, twice the minimum space is probably the reason. GSP growth rate varies a great deal, but they live around 15 years, and never stop growing, so ones that start smaller will have plenty of time to catch up. SG seems to have minimum required levels, but there seems to be no downside to keeping them at higher SG while young other than the cost of salt. There is a thread on young GSPs at full marine.

Second Nick's comments, but want to add that the growth rate is not at all even through their long lives, Likely 80-90% of their growth is before sexual maturity (1 1/2 -2 years), then the rest of their life the growth rate is much slower, and even there the rate slows more with added time.

The above is why I am so opposed to the too-common practice of "upgrading" tanks "as the fish needs it." IME, the fish needs the most room possible while it is immature. If it does not make at least 75% of full adult size withing two years for all but the biggest fish, for me it likely never will.

It is great that you have the fish in 2x its suggested minimum size!

RTR wrote:It is great that you have the fish in 2x its suggested minimum size!

+1

My heart smiles when I hear about fish in larger than necessary tanks Obviously your fish is thriving in it's tank as well

RTR wrote:Second Nick's comments, but want to add that the growth rate is not at all even through their long lives, Likely 80-90% of their growth is before sexual maturity (1 1/2 -2 years), then the rest of their life the growth rate is much slower, and even there the rate slows more with added time.

The above is why I am so opposed to the too-common practice of "upgrading" tanks "as the fish needs it." IME, the fish needs the most room possible while it is immature. If it does not make at least 75% of full adult size withing two years for all but the biggest fish, for me it likely never will.

It is great that you have the fish in 2x its suggested minimum size!

Thanks He has taken a few bites out of me every now and then and taken some skin off my fingers. Doing great, very active. Always swimming around.