The Puffer Forum

On the advice of pufferpunk, I would like to ask your help identifying this puffer. It was sold to me as a brackish water puffer, but pufferpunk feels it is most likely a freshwater, and since she really seems to know her stuff I figured I'd start there. (thanks pufferpunk)
Anyway, his eyes are blue, and he is an ambitious eater, as he is only about an inch (if that) and he tries to eat my 8 inch cray, he also seems to be fairly social.
Any help is appreciated

Looks like a turgidus to me, freshwater.

Its definately a freshwater species, probably turgidus or abei, maybe even murius with that darker coloring. Its not the best photo to judge from though, if you can get one from the side so we can see his markings, etc that would be best.

You can also look in the Pufferpedia and browse through the freshwater species to see if you can match him up.

http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug. ... fferPedia/

Any chance of a shot from the side?

I actually had 3 pics i tried to attach, but only one worked...i guess i didn't do it right. Here's the side one again..

Looks like Monotrete Abei to me.

If nothing else, we've narrowed it down to being definately a FW species.

I'm going to say M. abei

Well, I keep going back and forth on which I think this is, but the M, Abei as suggested is very similar. He has been moved to my freshwater 20 gallon. Right now, It is a moderate-heavily planted tank and it is housing a red eyed puffer. I am closely monitering the two, to see how they interact...so far (although it is still early) they have their seperate caves and are ok with each other. Unfortunately this is the best accomodations I can offer right now. I had originally forgotten this tank because a neighbor had been using it to "temporarily" house her puffer( the red eye) when I asked if she was still using it, I got the tank and the puffer, as she "no longer finds him interesting". I will be able to upgrade the tank again in about a year, move them to my 50 and upgrade the 50 to the 150 I have my eye on ...sorry off topic.
Both fish may be slightly stressed right now ,because of the move from the other apartment. I had to drain alot of water to be able to move it and so there was a bit of being moved from one place to another on both.
Anyway, Thank you for your help so far...I am sure as the relatively new owner of 3 different puffers (I had the F8 about 4 months when I got the M.Abei in question, and just recieved the red eye today:S) I will ask many more questions. This forum has been a great resource and I truly appreciate it.
I may be new to this fish but I already know that they are the most interesting fish I have ever encountered.
My LFS is trying to get me to take a couple of dwarfs....but lets see how these guys make out first. Although If they are brackish I do have a 50 gallon that doesn't have much more then the F8 in it ( a mono and 2 sailfin mollies...) Sorry, thinking outloud
Well any further thoughts and comments are welcomed and thanks again!!

Nope, dwarves are FW puffers. Very mean for thier size too. I'm afraid you're making a mistake housing the 2 you have together. Look for a thread by Woland about his Tankmate Experiment.

I'm not gonna lie, the second picture of that puffer is so f'ing CUTE!

I am starting to worry about the abei. He is just sitting on the bottom of my tank not moving, his fins are even stationary. If it wasn't for his eyes moving I would think he was dead. It is a behavior that started last night. He wasn't like this in the other tank, he would swim around a bit and explore. I transfered him to the freshwater over a 3 hour peiod, gradually decreasing the salinity, the water quality is good, I checked for ammonia, nitrates and nitrites before I put him in there, I know puffers are sensitive to them...

I'd check for any sign of ammonia and nitrite readings again, if there are do a big water change. it could just be a little stressed and settling in. They can be really active and other times totally stationary. Mine sat in the same place for 2 days solid last week until feeding day and then burst into life.

He's also probably scared that if he moves, he'll be attacked. Not a good combo of species and the Abei could use that 20 all to himself.

Also, if you just got the red eye today, and they are already together, obviously you didn't quarentine.. so who knows what diseases/parasites you've introduced.