The Puffer Forum

Hey guys,
just joined the forum and already have some questions....

I had and still have several reef tanks and just finished setting up my first FOWLR saltwater tank. It is an Elos System120 and is fully setup as a Saltwater tank with skimmer, live rock with lots of caves, Salinity at 1.025 etc.
As i never really looked into those fish you usually don't keep in reef tanks I am not very familiar with most of them.
Our LFS has several Green Spotted Puffers, sizes between 1" and 2" and they are kept in their Saltwater tanks. I love their personality a lot and would like to get one for my tank if possible.
After reading they are actually brackish fish is it a red flag they keep them that small in a Saltwater environment? They all seemed very active and happy.

Now let's say it is all good can I keep them with a Yellow and Tomini Tang and eventually later some Angelfish?
It is just confusing to me as I saw videos from GSP in reef tanks together with all kind of fish and none of the fish seemed to have damaged fins etc. but then I saw some postings where people mention they are very aggressive fish.

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Michael

While you wait for a response from a user here is some reading material on gsps

library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15647
You're not the first one to contemplate this! Check out this thread, the general consensus actually points to people seeing healthier, happier juvenile GSPs in saltwater vs brackish.

Yes keeping gsp in marine is actually beneficial for the gsp and your pocket. They tend to be social whilst young, however once they hit maturity as with many puffers can get extremely aggressive. You must choose tankmates with care.

Thanks for the input guys.

I might give it a shot. The tangs are not the smallest anymore and quite quick swimmers.
As it is in a 120 could I get 2 of them? I have lot of LR with caves at the bottom spread out all over the tank with a lot of open swimming room from the middle up.

I would skip the angelfish, they may get nipped. A pair of gsp can live in a 55g, a 75g is much better. So long as you don't plan to keep too many other fish it should be fine.

bertie 83 wrote:I would skip the angelfish, they may get nipped. A pair of gsp can live in a 55g, a 75g is much better. So long as you don't plan to keep too many other fish it should be fine.

Thanks again for the quick reply. This is a great forum guys.
Looking forward to post here more and learn from you.

From reading the articles it seems you can't recognize if they are male of female and I guess you mean with a "pair" --> 2 and not male/female?

Yes a pair as in 2 lol. We cannot tell them apart by sight

Well here is quick shot from "Puffy" I wanted to share. I will make a new thread once I make some more progress with the tank.
I got some frozen Krills and Mysis shrimp. I think to understand now what is described as "messy eaters" in some articles....lol
Perhaps I will add some dry krills to the mix as those still have the shell on and might be good to crunch on for them.

I am still trying to find "good tankmates" for them. Most articles say to select them carefully but couldn't find to much here on the forum what would be considered a good one and a bad one.
Probably won't add the fish I already had and go a different route with the stock list. Could a Trigger be OK? Definitely would go with one that doesn't get to big.

MAXreefer wrote:I am still trying to find "good tankmates" for them

Maybe some crabs or shrimp definitely good for the puffer.

library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

A fellow here just tried 3 damselfish (fast-moving, can hide in smaller spaces, to the puffer can't get to them) & their puffer had bitten one in 1/2. Please keep in mind, this cute lil button of a puffer will grow into an aggressive Nerf football-sized killer. Don't let that face fool you!