The Puffer Forum

Hi folks, just curious about a puffer listed on ebay. Says freshwater, "rare new discovery" or something like that, wild caught. Anybody know what this fish really is?? It is cute. Don't really trust this seller after the Ceylon puffer disaster one of the members had. My Ceylon that I got from this seller is doing very well and growing like a weed; I was lucky.

Can you post a pic or link so we can see it please

I don't know how to do that, I am totally computer illiterate.. If you go to ebay, search for 'live puffer fish' and it will be there. New listing. I sent a message to the guy and asked if the fish was similar to the fahaka, how big they get, what size tank, scientific name. The reply was immediate, ' wild caught from the amazon, no name for fish' Hefty price tag, though they are very cute, pretty markings, fish at present are stated to be 3". All I know is that if I got one, it would probably grow to 6 feet or better lol

And it doesn't help that I have a 29 gal. freshwater setup almost done cycling...

Here are the pix. At first I thought it might be a bulleye puffer but it's not. It almost looks like a fahaka.

Thank you, Arny, for helping out a computer challenged grandma. I also just asked the seller if these are babies or full grown fish, and what else he could tell me about them; looked through the puffer pedia and googled but I did not find this puffer. I also thought it looked similar to a fahaka but seller said no, from the amazon I'll keep you posted as I try to get more information

Update: Question: Babies or adults, more info please Answer: Babies, he saw one 5". Peaceful, kept together All fins intact, healthy, eat live bloodworms. Makes a dolphin noise when taken out of the water (OMG)
Yikes I feel like buying one just to rescue it, and see what I end up with (huge, killer, tank busting fish with my luck) Still no clear answer on the species besides "Golden Buddha"

I am weakening; please talk me out of getting one of these I need to go to puffers anonymous

Actually Queen, I think it is a Sphoeroides annulatus / Common Name: Bullseye Puffer. The puffer in the puffer pedia doesn't really look like the photos but I did a google on the scientific name and the pictures looked like the ones in the ebay pictures. Which means they're marine puffers.

ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Marine/S_Annulatus/

Hi Did more research and found that this is a sphoeroides rosenblatti. Not a lot is known about these puffers, but they have been found in brackish/freshwater estuaries, and mangrove swamps in South America west coast. They seem to start in freshwater and end up marine like other species of puffer. These can do well in groups as they are not very aggressive. (I don't trust any puffer to be gentle lol) High end brackish, higher termperature than the S. Annulatus puffer. They get 10-12 inches long=big tank needed. Foods like GSPs eat, love snails. Sand/soft substrate They've also been called Oval Puffers

If you have a cycled tank ready or can use Safestart, you should get it! VERY rare find!

Hi PP, I always knew you were a puffer enabler! I am still thinking about this puff; I have a bottle of safestart on hand, tank is almost ready, with a soft sand substrate (carib sea Tahiti moon), live plants, a freezer full of puffer food, a cultivated snail tank for my GSP and Ceylon, I can always get a bigger tank later on, HELP ME RESIST (I already spoke with the seller re: overnight express shipping) HELPPPPP MEEEEE

Re: sphoeroroides rosenblatti Also found out that they do not go out into the ocean, they are inshore puffs. They predate small periwinkle snails in the mangrove swamps and channels, even jumping out of the water up to one foot to snag the snails when the snails are <8 to 12 mm; can't crush the shells of larger ones. Also eat crabs, shrimp, bivalves. Water salinity varies with the tides, but seems they can do well in brackish. They prefer water temps in the 80+ degree range. Well, Puffer Punk, ask me if I ordered a Golden Buddha Puff

You must not resist...

YES I ORDERED ONE.....COULD NOT RESIST I will do a final water change tomorrow-ammonia trace, 0 nitrate, 5.0 Nitrate at present in the 29 gal. freshwater API kit. Should I add a small amount of Instant Ocean, less than 1.002 so the bacteria won't die, with the water change or should I keep it fresh, acclimate the "Golden Buddha" to fresh and then slowly raise the SG? I've been looking at acrylic 120 gallon 48x24x24 for a marine home for the "Buddha"; I have an F8 coming to my local pet store Thursday that I ordered for a cycled 1.005 20L brackish and my husband will probably kill me..this forum needs a Puffer Anonymous. Oh, and I've got a full marine 55 gal FOWLR. Power heads, skimmer for one 3.5" GSP and a 4" Ceylon I believe that I am beyond help...