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Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:53 pm
by Trippinalice
Hi Everyone! My hubby and I just save one of the poor GSP from Wal-mart. We used this forum a ton when researching puffers and wanted to thank everyone for the wonderful infomation. As a thank here are some pictures(my camera sucks for aquarium pics

This is Pierre the GSP (like the UFC fighter, Guess who named him hehe)
I am sure we will be reviewing the forum and posting tons of questions. I am excited to be part of this community.
Alice
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 6:56 pm
by Nuclear_Glitter
He looks fairly healthy coming from wal mart, but his coloration seems a bit darker. Did you cycle your tank, is so tell us how. How big is his tank? Have you started raising the SG at all?
Good luck and have fun!
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:02 pm
by Trippinalice
Just got him today so we did not add any salt. Its enough stress where he was and coming to new tank. My hubby would have to tell you about the cycling (that was his man job hehe) In a 20 gallon tank we got for super cheap plan on upgrading before winter (need more $$ lol) He was the sick looking. Pierre was actually alot blacker We brought him home and fed him a nice piece of krill, gain lot of color from real food

Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 7:25 pm
by energizerfish
My GSP looked much darker than that when I brought him home from Walmart and he lightened up in a matter of only a few days. Just keep a really close eye on the little fella.
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:19 pm
by Trippinalice
We are

Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:57 am
by xrayjeeper83
He will also stay darker due to your black substrate
Good looking puff
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 10:24 am
by CyberBob
I agree, she just needs to get familiar, she should brighten up over the next couple weeks.
She looks pretty healthy though. Fat belly is always a good sign

I'd start adding salt with every WC. Only raise the salinity by .002 per week.
That should relieve some stress also. Be sure to add the salt to a bucket, never directly to the water, it can burn them.
xrayjeeper83 wrote:He will also stay darker due to your black substrate
I can't rememebr where I read it, but I read that puffs prefer dark substrate and dark background. Supposedly, it makes them feel safer. Any thoughts?
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 2:30 pm
by xrayjeeper83
cyber that may be true i dont know, i have sand in all my tanks. But darker surroundings will make them become darker due to them trying to blend in
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 6:55 pm
by Nuclear_Glitter
That's good to know. I knew they tried to blend with surroundings but I didn't think about the fact they'd try and do it with dark substrate.
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:01 pm
by Trippinalice
It was black or the blood red gravel at the store. Hubby wasnt feeling mixed tropical colors :3 Ty on the Salt advice also

Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:03 pm
by Trippinalice
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:10 pm
by Nuclear_Glitter
You should consider switching to aragonite sand, which will help keep your PH a bit higher, which GSPs like. Don't buy the "live" sand though until you're at full marine. Also if you get it, rinse it very, very well to avoid tank cloudiness.
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Thu Jul 14, 2011 11:32 pm
by Pufferpunk
Even if your tank is marine, there is no life in bagged "live" sand.
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 12:59 am
by xrayjeeper83
enless you get a bag that was bagged a day before you bought it, anything living would be long dead by the time you get it
Re: Just got a new baby puffer
Posted: Fri Jul 15, 2011 1:11 am
by CyberBob
xrayjeeper83 wrote:enless you get a bag that was bagged a day before you bought it, anything living would be long dead by the time you get it
PP, Xray ...
Really? that would explain alot of the issues I used to have.
there really is no life at all? there must be something special about the sand though.
why would they even call it "live sand" ... grrr
perhaps when I add live rock, it jumpstarts the sand? just a guess.