The Puffer Forum

Hi Guys,

I was called by my L.F.S. supplier and said that they had a "Black reticulated puffer" and a "yellow spotted puffer" coming in. Any ideas to what type of puffer she was referring to?

I've sometimes seen GSPs referred to as yellow spotted. Black reticulated puffer is probably Arothron reticularis, at least that would be my guess.

Can they mix with my arrow head in a 50 G aquarium?

Nope. If both of those i.d.'s are right, neither is a freshwater puffer.

Actually my LFS are only selling freshies... so what do you think it is?.... sorry for giving such a hard time

Without photos or scientific names, there's no way for us to know. Regardless of what it is, you shouldn't put anything with your arrowhead. Not unless you want to lose it. Arrowheads rarely allow tankmates.

wahoosotto wrote:Hi Guys,

I was called by my L.F.S. supplier and said that they had a "Black reticulated puffer" and a "yellow spotted puffer" coming in. Any ideas to what type of puffer she was referring to?

"Black Reticulated Puffer" could be anything...

Tetraodon duboisi (freshwater) is sometimes refered to as "Reticulated Puffer", but it is highly unlikely that it is this extremly rare puffer.

My guess (shot in the dark) would be a dark T. miurus...

Actually, Boxermom, my 2 arrowheads are in a 150g community tank with my 2 dats, 2 endlicheris, 2 cichla occelaris, and 2 gars, plus a flag tail, and they've been there for already a month or so... so far so food, nd basically theyre all the same size... surprising isnt it...

but when I get the 2 species, I would put all 6 of them (2 of each species) them in one 50 g planted aquarium.

Thay feed alot on guppies and market prawns... and my do they love those... they stuff themselves and just leava the head of the guppies ... and oh my they get big when there full!

Your fish, your tanks, your money, you're free to do whatever you want. Its not what we recommend however.

One month is not a sign of success. There have been people here that have kept puffers together for a couple of years, only to have them turn and attack each other or their tankmates for no apparent reason. When it goes bad, which it almost always does, it goes bad fast.

Thanks for the advice boxer mom! i get you... And beleive me I will follow you. As they say experience is the best teacher, and I do not want to learn a lesson when an experienced fishkeeper says so and yet not follow it...

What do you think my set up should be for mu puffers?

Sorry for the bombardment of questions... really want to be successful at puffers, althouh i had years of foshkeeping with other varieties, puffers are a whole diiferent ballgame...

Arrowheads should have 30g each, but you might be able to get away with two in a 50, if you use a divider. I have two baileyi puffers in a 55g with a divider. I'd try to go bigger though if you can, if you're going to use a divider. If you're getting individual tanks for each one, a 30g would be good for each.

I can't say about the other puffers you are asking about as we don't know what kind they are yet. You can get quite a bit of good info from our PufferPedia.

No worries about all the questions though, that's what we're here for.

Thanks! i'Ll post some pics once I get the other puffers, and also post my set up once im done....

Are anubias plants okay with puffers? or do puffers munch on there leaves?

Puffers don't usually eat leaves, but whether they like anubias is hit or miss IME. Most of my puffers are fine with various anubias, but my "female" baileyi is somewhat picky about her surroundings. She chewed through a flexible bubblewand and pruned all of the leaves off the anubias in her tank until there was nothing but rhisomes left. I think for most puffers though, its fine.

wahoosotto wrote:Actually my LFS are only selling freshies... so what do you think it is?.... sorry for giving such a hard time

There's still a good chance they have non-freshwater species (like the GSP). Most LFSs don't know anything about puffers. GSPs are rarely ever kept in appropriate conditions at stores, unfortunately.

I have seen dwarf puffers sold as "yellow spotted puffers" or "green and yellow spotted puffers" here on long island. In fact, the second is what my Petco has started calling them.