So my girlfriend wants a puffer

[BeavisMom62]

you need a hydrometer or refractometer. GSP can get big and require a 25-30 gallon for just one. When they are fully mature they are usually saltwater fish but should be kept at least at a high brackish. you puffer is still young and should be kept in low brackish. you are probably better off returning it and getting a figure 8 puffer. they stay small and are brackish for life. you could be killing your puffer by dumping him into saltwater and not brackish. you need to do some more research.

Ha, a pet store did that to me once. I knew that I waned a F8 but they gave me a GSP and told me that it was the same thing. Since I wasn't too sure about the markings, I bought it, brought it home and only THEN did I go onlineto compare the markings and realized I had a GSP. Since I only had a 15 gal tank, I had to take the little guy back. I ended up giving up on puffers. I just couldn't seem to get the SG right in that tank. To me, it was too much trouble so I decided to stick with FW. Leave the water out overnight to mix the salt, but then the water was too cold (didnt have an extra heater), add warm water to the bucket to get to the correct temp, which threw off the SG, add more salt, whoops, SG too high, add more water, whoops temp is off......whew! Gave it up.

 

[Homer8]

SG can be a little bit of a pain thats why my first brackish fish was my two mudskippers and they can tolerate drastic changes in SG because that do it in the wild. With other brackish fish they can tolerate changes relatively well but not as drastic as the mudskipper

 

[darby]

So I finally got a hydrometer, and it read just under 1.010. Everything I've read says to have the SG at 1.0015. I perused a brackish for dummies book and went off of that, I think I'm doing OK. He is eating like wildfire. Is this an acceptable level?

 

[MABJ]

Ha, a pet store did that to me once. I knew that I waned a F8 but they gave me a GSP and told me that it was the same thing. Since I wasn't too sure about the markings, I bought it, brought it home and only THEN did I go onlineto compare the markings and realized I had a GSP. Since I only had a 15 gal tank, I had to take the little guy back. I ended up giving up on puffers. I just couldn't seem to get the SG right in that tank. To me, it was too much trouble so I decided to stick with FW. Leave the water out overnight to mix the salt, but then the water was too cold (didnt have an extra heater), add warm water to the bucket to get to the correct temp, which threw off the SG, add more salt, whoops, SG too high, add more water, whoops temp is off......whew! Gave it up.

15 gals is actually perfect for one puffer.

 

[darby]

I'm going to get it a bigger tank in the future. I actually found a LFS that has great tanks that are half the price of all the other stores I've looked at. I found a 75g w/ stand for $150!!! Brand new.

 

[MABJ]

I'm going to get it a bigger tank in the future. I actually found a LFS that has great tanks that are half the price of all the other stores I've looked at. I found a 75g w/ stand for $150!!! Brand new.

I'd jump and drool all over that. Wow.

 

[pantherspawn]

Just remember that gsp's will need a full marine tank when it reaches adult age. Figure 8 stays brackish its entire life. And south American and dwarf puffers are purely freshwater.

 

[pantherspawn]

Oops.. didn't see the previous post stating this..