The Puffer Forum

Just a quick question about how quickly GSP's grow.
I bought mine when he was about 1" long and I've had him for about 2 and a half months now, he's in a 25 gal aquarium and I'm estimating here but he seems to have about doubled in size (about 2"s now, maybe a bit more). Does this seem reasonable and about how long does it take for a GSP to reach it's adult size???

Thanks. I was just curious as I haven't read anything on how long it takes them to grow, just stuff that says they grow quickly...

Hey Nicole,

That sounds about right. In my experience, they grow a great deal in the first year.

I also think it depends on the individual fish, or the group it came from and also depends on your tank.

I have 3 GSPs
I got the first one 2 years ago. He was originally in a 20 gal, which I believe kept him fairly small (he grew as yours has, from about an inch to a little over 2 - within a year).

About 1 year ago, I got a bigger 55gal tank and 2 more GSPs. These two have grown twice as fast as the first. They have both outgrown #1 and only seem to be getting bigger I'd say their bodies are about 3", and their markings and coloring are very different from #1. I count on them growing to about 5" in the next couple years. Time for another upgrade!

But I think overall, the growth rate depends a great deal on tank size, parameters, and the group the fish came from. I don't imagine your puff will get much larger than 3" in a 25 gal, but who knows?

I hope this helps. Good luck!

threepuffers wrote: I don't imagine your puff will get much larger than 3" in a 25 gal, but who knows?

You're not advocating 'keeping them small' are you? Stunting leads to premature death.

You're not advocating 'keeping them small' are you? Stunting leads to premature death

.

Uhm, wow. No. That's not at all what I said.

I wouldn't have upgraded my own GSPs if I was an advocate for stunting.

Stunting is for bonsais, not pets!

Threadjack:

I have kept my two little GSPs in a 25G for ~10 months till I put them into a 55G. They seem to have grown to ~2". Will they continue to be small, or will the new wide open space allow them to grow?

In another thread it was mentioned that keeping puffs in smaller tanks and then jumping them into larger aquaria cause the fish to have growth spurts. Your GSPs could be stunted if you keep them in a small tank for years.

threepuffers wrote:

You're not advocating 'keeping them small' are you? Stunting leads to premature death

.

Uhm, wow. No. That's not at all what I said.

I wouldn't have upgraded my own GSPs if I was an advocate for stunting.

Stunting is for bonsais, not pets!

Well put! No offense intended, I just get jumpy sometimes!

Any growth spurt would be small and would depend on how long and badly the puffer was stunted. They are also likely to never obtain their full size and will continue to be at risk from the common problems associated with stunting. The only cure for stunting is prevention.

Phaedrus wrote:The only cure for stunting is prevention.

Bang-on.

Boxermom wrote:Or bonsai kitties.

Hey, I have one of those! She just never grew past 7 lbs. So tiny.

I seriously doubt you had one.

Never know. What people have for pets these days can be unpredictable. :15: Poor stubby kitty

but... how long does it take for them to reach adult size, approximately?

Mine went from 2-6" in 2 years.

About half adult size is sexual maturity (rough approximation), and growth beyond that is purely a function of tank size, setup, and care.

PP's GSPs were handled close to ideally due to her diligence in caring for her fish. Not all of us are or can be that conscientious. We compensate when possible by using larger than minimum tanks and trying to optimize our care as far as we can.

Moving up in tank size does allow for more or renewed growth IME, but if the growth slow-down has been for an extended period, maximum adult size may never be reached, or be reached late in the fish's life. Remember, they never really stop growing.