How fast do green spotted puffers grow

The largest part of their diet is crustaceans. They are pure carnivores, and love meaty foods. Green spotted puffers are wonderful pets, and are highly rewarding.

They are some of the most intelligent fish readily available, and have magnificent personalities that are more like dogs than fish. With proper care and attention, these fish can give their owner 10 or more years of great companionship. Specific Gravity : adaptable, from low-end brackish 1. Tank Mates : Must be chosen with caution. Most will just be eaten. Some possible companions are: mollies , scats, monos, archerfish , bumblebee gobies, and other GSPs. Fish Disease : Freshwater Fish Disease - Diagnose, Symptoms and Treatment - Be sure to quarantine, as they are wild caught and often come in with parasites.

Fish Food : When young their diet consists of snails, brine shrimp, plankton, Krill , crickets, cockles, prawns, whitebait, worms, ghost shrimp. When larger about 4" or so : all the above, and also clams, mussels, squid, scallops, shrimp, crab legs, oysters, lobster, and crayfish. Gender : Even for experts, it is nearly impossible to sex them. Usually the only way is by dissection, or if they happen to lay eggs an unlikely occurrence.

About the Author: pinkfloydpuffer is an avid puffer lover, and currently has two very healthy GSPs. Site References : Wikipedia. Fish Lore Forum : Puffer Forum. They require an alkaline based pH of around 8. To do this without chemical add aragonite or crushed coral to your sand substrate. They have very messy eating habits, therefore, the tank needs large canister filters that turn the tank over times per hour.

Rotating powerheads are needed to simulate the currents of the rivers they come from. With the right conditions these puffers have be known to live up to 15 years. If you plan on adding more of these puffers. As with most, they are very territorial and need their own space. It is always good to add a lot of caves, plants with twisted roots, rocks and other decor to break the puffer's line of sight to calm aggression and give territorial boundaries.

Social Behaviors Like all the pufferfish, the Green Spotted Puffer can vary greatly in temperament from one individual to another. They are generally regarded as aggressive fin-nippers and often kept singly.

However they can be kept in a community setting with others of their own species as well as other large non-aggressive species. In a community setting, be sure there is plenty of room and that the aquarium is well planted. It can also have a variety of other decor such as rocks and roots. Place the decor in a manner that breaks their line of site and provides plenty of retreats for all the fish.

If you do try to put a juvenile puffer into you community tank, do not be fooled by its shy and timid behavior. These little guys have a viscous streak in them. It will only be a matter of time before their natural instinct kicks in and you start seeing fish disappearing. Some people have had luck with larger semi-aggressive tank mates but there is no guarantee.

Never try to introduce long-finned slow swimming fish as they will be instant targets for your puffer. The Green Spotted Puffer is not considered a shoaling fish but are usually tolerant of their own species. So a mono-species tank is usually best. Sex: Sexual differences Sexual differences are unknown. Research indicates that the female will lay approximately eggs on a smooth, protected surface.

They are also known to guard the nest, notably the male. If you are lucky enough to have purchased a male and a female, captive breeding will be likely to take place. The mortality rate for these fry are extremely high, so without a great deal of experience most of the fry will be lost. The female will find a smooth surface, normally a tight well protect area to lay her clear eggs. The male will protect the eggs until they hatch. It will take around a week before you see the eggs begin to hatch.

At the first sign of hatching start feeding the fry young brine shrimp and microworms. As they grow they will start eating small snails. Fish Diseases The Green Spotted Puffer does not have gill covers or scales which make it more prone to disease. Puffers are normally the first fish in a tank to show signs of ick and will twitch and rub around the tank. They respond well to most medication and normally heal quickly.

Another common issue, though not a disease; Puffer's teeth grow very fast and if not wore down or clipped will lead to overgrowth and starvation. In an aquarium; even when feeding snails and other shelled foods, there is still normally a chance you will have to trim their teeth.

This sound much worse then it is. To accomplish this carefully place puffer in a container of water without exposing them to the air. Add 3 drops of clove oil per liter of water; this will temporarily sedate the puffer so you can hold the puffer in your hand more easily. You will need cuticle clippers; use these to clip bottom and top teeth. Once done put puffer in a container or net that will have the current flowing over them. Once awake release back into tank.

Because the Green Spotted Puffer is wild caught it could carry internal parasites. So if it hasn't been done, a de-worming would be smart. For more information about freshwater fish diseases and illnesses, see Aquarium Fish Diseases and Treatments. Availability The Spotted Green Puffer, also called the Green Spotted or Spotted Puffer Fish, are commonly available from pet stores and online, and are moderately priced.

Axelrod, Brian M. More Classifieds. Spotted Green Puffer. Enter a Freshwater Aquarium. Puffer Fish Index. Latest Reader Comment - See More. I am a beginner to the world of fish, and I think I know what I am doing, but want it to be verified. Here's my setup: 30 gal tank with 2 Sunburst Mollies and Scientific Classification. Popular Searches. Comments Classifieds. Add Your Animal Story. Anonymous - I am a beginner to the world of fish, and I think I know what I am doing, but want it to be verified.

Here's my setup: 30 gal tank with 2 Sunburst Mollies and 2 sunset platies. I have the temp controlled at degrees, I have some big rocks one big enough to provide shelter , and a few plants, as well as a Chinese dragon bubbler. Here's my question: I added a Green Spotted Puffer to the mix.

Is that ok? I went to WalMart, and their fish fact tag says that the puffer will be ok with Mollies. He seems to be swimming around the whole tank, not bothering other fish, but I am worried about it after reading this website. Any suggestions? Also, you might not be able to help on this, but my male Mollie keeps picking on the female.

I was told to expect them to mate, but it looks more like torture and not mating. It could be that I am a beginner outside that of a Beta and just do not know what to expect. Any help here would be appreciated as well! Thanks in advance! Mary - I have a 10 gallon tank along with 5 goldfish, I've got hiding spots and decor and fake plants. I was at Walmart and saw the litter spotted green puffer. The lady in the fish department gave me very little info on him.

She said he eats just flakes, and use the aquarium salt. I bought him and the Jungle aquarium salt. Little did I know what I was getting into. What kind of snails would I buy to feed him? I'm going to go buy some real plants for him to nibble on too.

Do you think my little guy will survive in my tank? Editor's Note - Spotted Puffers Tetraodon nigroviridis from Walmart are typically brackish water and will not survive, sadly in your tank. Puffers are referred to as 'aqua dogs' due to their personality, and the fact that they chew on whatever they can. Keep your wires out of reach.

They will grow up to 5' and they are semi-aggressive. They really need their own tank and brackish water is not too hard to keep, sort of between salt and fresh. As little juveniles, like many fish, they are found in fresh water, then migrate to estuaries, or brackish water. If it is still young enough to deal with the fresh water, it will go after your goldfish. I would suggest buying another tank for your puffer if you are in love with it, and look up a little more information and your puffer will reward you with years of companionship.

They do need to be entertained too! If you don't want to do all of this, then I would say to return the puffer to the store. Hope that helps and have fun with your spotted aqua dog! I do plan on getting him a 20gal tank tomorrow just for him.

He is quite adorable and I do want to keep him, Hoping he lives and heals because his fins are severely chewed up. Hi Hannah. Yes, if they are juveniles you want to make it a very gradual change.

They don't need to be in full brackish until they are adults. You can introduce a little bit of sea salt when you do water changes. Makes sure to dissolve it in clean water in a bucket. I recently purchased a pair of juvenile GSPs, they came from a freshwater tank.

I would like to start slowly introducing them to a brackish tank. How slow do you have to make this process? Obviously i don't want to shock them so I take it very gradually is best? Very interesting read. I bought a green spotted puffer a few years ago. It lived happily in my freshwater community tank for about a year with no aggression towards tank-mates whatsoever, it was a joy to keep. Then out of nowhere it stopped eating. I know they preferred brackish water as they grew up but I thought I could keep it in the tank for at least another year.

Hopefully I'll have the space to set-up a brackish water tank in the future, I wouldn't mind giving them another go. Thomas: I'd keep a close eye on that situation if I were you, and I hope you have a really big tank. Hi Laura. The gallon is fine for now if he is very small, and the 45 will be good when he is an adult.

But I don't think you'll want to wait a years before moving him over. Sooner would be better. I just have a question, I just recently got a GSP and he is in a tank by himself, but it is a 10 gal right now, we do not have the room right now we have two other tanks filled with other fish one is a 45 and the other is a Is it alright for him to stay in there until he starts to grow a little more, he will then probably get moved to a 45 is that size okay for the Puffer or should it be bigger because in about a year we are planning on receiving a 75 gal to put all of the fish in the 45 into the 75?

Dougie: Puffers "puff" as an extreme defensive reaction. You should never, ever, make them do this on purpose. In some cases it can even be fatal for your fish. Please do not try to make your GSP puff. Hi Chris! One site I think you might check out is monsterfishkeepers dot com. It's a site that specializes in exotic fish, and there is a community there where you can discuss any questions or problems you have. You can certainly ask me anything as well.

I'll be happy to help if I can. Good luck with your puffer! I was trying to find an email link to you but cannot. I wondered who you might say is the foremost authority and information on habits and caring for GSPs and do they have a website or online presence? I have so many more questions and observations I'd like to ask about like feeding alternate prey diets but didn't want to inundate you with large posts! Hi Chris. That's correct - dissolve the salt in a bucket, never add it directly to the aquarium.

You can while cycling the tank with no fish of course just be aware that the salinity of the water in your tank must be close to that of the the tank where the fish are coming from to avoid undue stress when they are introduced. I read that the salinity needs to be done in a separate bucket to allow dissolving. Can this been done in a full tank during the "Cycling" process, before live fish are introduced?

Hi Sarena. The article you just read has the answers to your questions. In summary: Green Spotted Puffers are not community fish. They should not be in community tanks, even large ones. Also, they are brackish water fish. Sometimes they are kept in freshwater as juveniles, but need to move to brackish eventually. Do you know what type of water the fish store where you purchased them had them in?

If you moved him from brackish to fresh that alone would stress him terribly. I recommend learning more about puffers before purchasing another one. They are not suitable for freshwater, community aquariums.

Iv recently bought a green puffer fish bc iv heard that they will help eliminate snail which I have to many to count. He lasted only 2 days. I figured I got a sick one so went to get another one and purchased 3 other fish along with my new puffer. All fish are alive and doing well besides the puffer passed away today. Any advice on how to keep a puffer fish alive, please note I have a gallon tank and 20 other fish who are completely healthy. I just got a GSP about a week ago.

I live on a small pond and since it is still fairly warm out I have been going to the pond every other day and collecting snails and even clams for him. These clams are the Asian clams which is an invasive species so I'm helping the environment AND getting free food for my puffer! Hi Justin. There really aren't any tankmates you can be certain will get along with a green spotted spuffer. Plus, there are few that can live in the brackish conditions.

I know what you mean about the wasted space in the big tank. They are aggressive, and need brackish water, and may attack each other. If you want a community tank you might want to give on the idea of puffers. Good luck, whatever you decide! So are there any good tank mates for these at all or do I need to try something else like the figure eight puffers?

I have a 75 gallon and I don't intend to waste all that space for such small fish. That's awesome Dmitry! Nothing like fresh-caught seafood! Good luck with your puffers going forward. Have a pair of GSP for about years in 29gallon tank. I have access to Pacific Ocean and feed them pretty consistently sand crabs, both live and frozen.

Free food! And they like it. Hi Rene. I'm not really clear on what you are describing here. Can you explain in a little more detail? If your fish is going to the surface for air there is something going on with water quality, probably low o2.

How are you deciding there is enough oxygen in the tank? How about the water temp? It is summer and if the water gets too warm for him that can impact o2 levels. Hi, my puffers look like they need oxygen, the are in the air with their mouths outside the water. There are lots of oxygen in the tank.. Hi CSailey! GSPs are relatively intelligent and clever fish, so in my opinion anything you can do to make their lives more interesting is worth it.

As long as it fits within the parameters of smart aquarium practices of course. Keeping them occupied may also help reduce or eliminate any aggression, as you have a pair in one tank. Just judge their reaction if you make a change and make sure nothing you've added is causing them stress. I have two GAPS in a 55 right now. I have two pumps that they love to play in Mary, are you saying you have 6 green spotted puffers in the same tank?

If so that's a bad idea. Even as juveniles they can be aggressive toward each other. That may be your problem. I suggest keeping one puffer and returning the rest to the live fish store. Ive only had him two days along with 5 others and they all are doing just fine. Do you thing its possible this is happening because of the new home? Im just worried because he's the only one having issues. Hi mary. First off, do not take your puffer out of the tank when he puffs.

It's hard to know exactly he is doing this, but it sounds like he's stressed over something. I'd start from the ground up and check your water parameters, tank arrangement, his feeding schedule, filter strength if he is healthy he should have no trouble keeping clear of the filter but if he is ill he may be struggling to stay out of the intake. A healthy puffer shouldn't puff unless it feels it is in danger, so you need to figure out what is making it feel threatened.

My puffer fish was puffed up when I came home. I thought he was dead took him out of the tank he unpuffed. Now hes puffed up again and its been a few hours. What can I do to help him out? They make short work of them.

In fact they are an important part of the diet of young, captive puffers because their shells help to degrade the bony plate in the puffer's mouth. Health Problems. Freshwater Pets. Freshwater Aquariums. Saltwater Pets. Saltwater Aquariums. Exotic Pets. Guinea Pigs. Pet Ownership. Animal Welfare. Farm Animals as Pets. Welcome to PetHelpful.

Related Articles. By Brett Winn. By Barbara Fitzgerald. By justmesuzanne. By Darla Sue Dollman. By Tammy Winters. By Rock Artist.