The Puffer Forum

I recently became a new puffer owner quite by accident thanks Wal-mart being completely ignorant of a puffer's needs and marketing them as a good tank mate for glofish, danios and mollies. My friend bought me a GSP and while I agree I should have done my own research before doing this, I took someone else's word and put my adorable new friend in my glofish/danio community tank where he was quite happy for about 24 hours. Upon showing Bloat off to one of my friends, Bloat decided to show off for one of my friends and chase down my smallest, brightest glofish and gobble it up in two bites, prompting me to do some intense research on the GSP. Bloat has now been relocated to a 10 gallon tank (that is all my college will allow) and Bloat is only 1" long right now. He is in the tank all by himself and seems much more tranquil. I have placed various different sized rocks and sand on the bottom of his new home and shaped some of them into a hiding cave for him. The water is freshwater conditions currently although I have read that I will need to change that to brackish as he gets older and also that he will need a bigger tank. After he ate my glofish he seemed to suffer no ill effects, but since then I have been feeding him snails, sun-dried krill, and frozen shrimp. I welcome any and all suggestions.
Oh...and his coloration is normal from what I've read so far. He is usually bright green on top with a white belly which he changes to darker coloration when he is resting, hiding or sleeping, so he doesn't seem stressed from the tank change.

I love your username! Sorry he ate your fish... Maybe the green on his head will glow more?

Here is some info for you: library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=19348

Thanks for the links. When setting up the new tank, I used the filter from my established tank as well as some of the water from the established tank. Since the two tanks are side by side, Bloat spends much of his day watching my Danios like a cat watching his prey. I thought that until I started acclimating him to brackish water I could continue introducing some of the water from the established tank into his tank to introduce the bacteria into the new water. The established tank was the tank he was originally in and he didn't get sick in it and none of my other fish are sick. Please correct me if that is a bad idea.

welcome, you seem to have a clue as to what is going on and now how to search. I think your puffer will be ok, well other then having to stay in a 10g

energizerfish wrote: I thought that until I started acclimating him to brackish water I could continue introducing some of the water from the established tank into his tank to introduce the bacteria into the new water. The established tank was the tank he was originally in and he didn't get sick in it and none of my other fish are sick. Please correct me if that is a bad idea.

Water does not contain bacteria to cycle a tank. It is found in the gravel, filter and on the decor and plants.
PP has provide alot of useful links.
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