The Puffer Forum

What are good tank mates for a GSP in full marine conditions? The salinity is 1.024

You could get a ceylon

Depends on tank size and a million other factors. Give us a full rundown of the tank in question

Most puffers are best off as singletons. Some will adapt to con-specifics if all are young enough when added to the tank (size of both the fish and the tank really, really matters, as does the set-up itself). Don't try to add young fish to mature fish.

Tank size? Why is the SG so high, are there corals in the tank?

I am purchasing a 75gallon tank tonight. The salinity was high because I did a recent water change and I'm looking at adding a coral. I'm undecided on that part though. Once I move them into my 75gallon I'm hopping to keep the salinity around 1.20-1.22. It's fully cycled. The tank I'm buying has a sump that does 1500 gallons an hour. The GSP are juvenile. Also have an emerald crab in there until they eat him, which will be a while as he much larger then my GSP. I have live rock in the tank as well.

What fish are in there now?

Domino Damsel Emerald Crab and my GSP

Get rid of the damsel if you can, if it's not already it will become a monster! It will terrorise all in its path/tank

Damsel won't be bad with the puffer, they can hold their own. BUT they are schooling fish, so you could get 2 more of them. I did well with a tomato clown with my GSPs.

Okay, I was thinking about grabbing a clown at first but a lot of things I read say they are pretty passive

Clowns tend to look gentle and can be among the nastiest fish you ever keep. I would not keep even a singleton with GSPs myself in other than a 6x2x2' tank, and I think I would not do it in any case. I consider them fish for species\-only tanks as they make very strong hierarchies.

Keep in mind, clowns are damselfish. I would not get Perc clowns. I added 2 to my GSP tank & 1 was left in the morning. I added a Maroon clown next & the GSP's tails were shredded to the bone within a day.

The Maroons are right up there on the peak of the horror curve, worse than Ephippiums and Tomatoes. They are so elegant on their own though. Do remember that I got my stainless steel mesh gloves and dry-box gloves to protect me from Clownfish, not puffers... Clown teeth are so fine and sharp - akin to surgical scalpels.

But Nemo seemed so NICE.

<shattered Disney illusions>