The Puffer Forum

My name is Brooke, I am 16 years old and I saw some Green Spotted Puffers at Walmart, I knew Walmart was notorious for misinformation on fish so I went home and did a few days research. After looking into it I decided puffer fish were a thing I would really enjoy. (With me loving animals and all.) I made a list of things to get, set up a nice sized tank, and about three days after that I bought two GSP from Walmart and named them Link and Zelda. (I'm a video game nerd, what can I say?) They are each only about an inch long and were already tank mates when I got them. I decided to join this forum because I wanted people who know these puffers first hand giving me advice since I am new to this. So... hi. (:

Wish you had found us for your research:
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/
library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/

hello and welcome. good job not just buying them before researching. impulse buys are not the way to go!! and im a video game nerd myself, love the names welcome.

Welcome Brooke!
There may have been a few things that you read online that are not accurate, so just in case:
Don't feed them krill at all, it causes lock jaw.
Each puffer needs 30 gallons each minimum, so an appropriate tank for 2 would be 60+ gallons.
PP linked the cycling articles, please read them as the nitrogen cycle can kill your puffers.
Don't feed them flake good or anything else dried, or any live fish.

Take a look through the library articles, and use the search function on the library and forum, often times the same questions you may have have been asked in the past, and of course start a thread on any question you may have either way.

Cute names btw

Join to this forum is the best step you could do!
There is full of info and people waiting to help you!

What can i say! I'm happy when somebody gets a GSP, they are Amazing fish!
Oh, information and reading are your best friends to keep a GSP, so don't stop learning!

I do have a 60 gallon tank, main things I am concerned with is keeping a healthy tank environment, and what to feed them.

There are some feeding articles in the library, but here are a few more tips for feeding:
You can get some non-seasoned, uncooked seafood from a grocery store, like mussels, shrimp, squid etc. I also like to include tilapia and red wriggler worms, (available in bait shops or the bait section at Wal-mart) to offer some thiaminase (An enzyme that inhibits the body's ability to uptake b1) free/low food sources. If the seafood is fresh, freeze it first, and thaw/ soak the food in a bit of tank water (Don't use straight tap) with the addition of vitamins, such as vitachem and Selcon to make sure they are getting balanced nutrition, as freezing does break some of the nutritional value, but it is important to freeze to kill bacteria and or parasites.

Would love to see some pics of Link and Zelda

I will try and take some pictures. They are just so quick and lively, and tend to play hide and seek with me in their aquarium decor, so its hard to get a good shot. But I'll definatley post some!

Wow!
You see? you´ll love this forum, about feed, maybe you can start with Shrimp, all GSP love shrimp...
Prepare it like our friends said and you´ll get 2 health and happy puffers

+1 to the Zelda and Link pictures!!
PD: sevenyear, luv your signature hehe ¿what does it mean? ñ_ñ

Thanks
My signature is only to make smiles.

What size tank are they in now & how was it cycled in 3 days?

When I got them the cycling information I got from Petsmart was bull crap, I have since then cycled the tank properly with instructions almost identical to the ones posted on this thread. I temporarily kept them in separate 20 gallon tanks while I cycled a 59 gallon one. It was a pain in the but doing all the water changes though. I have happy puffers now (: I'm just still a newbie, I want my puffers to live super long healthy lives!

Have you tested their water? How long have you had them now? What have you been feeding them?

Yes, I do test their water. Ive had them.... ehhhhhhh, 6 months? Not long. Like sevenyearnight said, I feed mine shrimp, clams (are those ok?), snails, and other treats here and there. I havent tried any live food yet besides snails, I havent been able to find ghost shrimp in stores! So far, their little beaks/tooth havent gotten too long, but I didnt know if just snails as a crunchy food would help keep it under control. Basically, as I find new information, I try new things in the way of food. Like I didnt know earthworms were ok to feed them, but Ive seen it on this forum several times.

At Petsmart the other day, heard an "aquatics specialist" tell a man and his son after they said they set their tank up that day. "You have to let the tank sit empty for 24 to 48 hours so that this really neat biological filtration can happen..." She says this while making really awkward dumb looking hand gestures. I had to be somewhere or else I would have helped them when she was done BSing them. Seriously, not only did she not know what she was talking about, she didn't even sound or look like she knew what she was talking about.
I felt really bad for them.