The Puffer Forum

Hi,
I live in Romania, Europe.
I was looking for tetraodons for a long time now. An yesterday i came across 4 in a pet shop. I bought 2.
Now my problem. At home I have an african cichlids tank. I will build another one for the puffers this week. Till then I keep them in a large plastic (see-trough) container. Around 100 l.
They were ok until this morning when I saw them chasing. When I fed them, one of them became even more aggressive. Now they are separated .


WHAT to do? Should I give one puffer to a friend? Should I add some rocks in the container, until my aquarium is ready?

Pls help

Hi

I think you should put some (clean) rocks inside until one of the more knowledgeable persons can answer (the rock might keep them occupied for a few hours and take the attention off each other). Puffers are very territorial (not sure how the get around to mating) and i don't believe you can keep more that one in a tank (unless very big).

they are separated, but I`m not happy with the small container I Keep one of them in . Now after I separated them.

you could try to add some fake plants in the container and other things to break up sight lines so they don't have to see each other all the time and so that the puffers have places to hide.

which tetraodons do you have? there are many kinds.

I`m sorry I forgot to mention. I have 2 GSP, about 2`` each

Try to find out which puffer species you have, w.g. have a look the pufferpedia.
http://www.thepufferforum.com/PufferPedia
Care for the different species can be very different.

I already said . I have 2 Green Spotted Puffers

AKA

Tetraodon nigrifilis
Green Spotted Puffer
Tetraodon palenbangensis
Green Puffer
Tetraodon fluviatilis
Tetraodon nigroviridis
Leopard Puffer

100 liter should be ok for the both of them temporarily. Did they chase each other for a long time or was it just while feeding that they were "fighting"?

During my first post I had not seen the post on puffer id.

GSPs usually get along with each other at least until reaching sexual maturity. Chasing now and then is ok, I'd only separate them if someone is getting hurt. You'd notice round bite marks in that case. When you introduce them to each other be sure to put in the most aggressive specimen last.

The easiest and most safe solution would be to only keep one and to bring the other on eback to your local fish store.

These are not the same puffer:

Tetraodon palenbangensis
Tetraodon fluviatilis
Tetraodon nigroviridis

Those are different species and its important that you make sure you have a GSP and not a palembangensis, as they are VERY different types with different requirements.

You probably aren't going to like my answer but I recommend you return them to the store until you have a tank set up for them and its fully cycled. Having them in a plastic container isn't going to be good for them, and having them in an uncycled container, plastic or tank, is going to kill them. They are extremely sensitive to ammonia and nitrites.

I agree with Boxermom. See if the store can hold them for you for a few weeks, while you cycle a tank & do some more research on them. If you had been looking for them for a while, you should have been doing this beforehand. Please read in our Library about this species & how to fishless cycle a tank. Also, on what size tank you will need for 2 of them (30g each, minimum). Otherwise, I'm afraid they are doomed & you'll feel very bad about the puffers you'll still be only dreaming about keeping.

would it help if i take the water from the cichlid tank ?
the names i got from here http://www.pufferfish.co.uk/aquaria/spe ... /index.htm

Not really - it will only be dirtier than fresh water, which is what the fish will need a lot of. Very little nitrifying bacteria live in the water so it won't help process the fish waste in any useful way.

Please read the articles about cycling & New Tank Syndrome.

If its the one in the picture, its likely a GSP. GSPs, however, are very different from palembanensis. That website is rife with errors.