Any aquarists?

[808 Vibes]

I've been around a tank of little puffers, I *believe* they are green spotteds, (in brackish water) and thinking about getting one? some? Don't know why, just drawn to these little guys for some reason. Just wondering if anyone had experience with them, thanks!

[Houston]

I was into fish a long time ago and had one of those for a short time. I got it because it was so cute, but quickly came to dislike it when it chomped down on one of the bottom-feeding cat fish (don't remember what it's called - it's been a long time). That bite was quick and effective, actually taking a mouth-shaped chunk out it the catfish's back.The puffer was quickly removed and flushed.

[Raven]

Quote, originally posted by Houston »The puffer was quickly removed and flushed.It now weighs 22 lbs and is living in Lake Michigan.

[bodhi_tree777]

they are mean. they will destroy most every fish you put them in with, they're what you call a "species tank" type of fish, meaning they should only really be kept with their own. plus, being a brackish (partially salt water) fish, you're kind of limited on what you could put with them anyway. we've got four tanks in the house, and we've had the best luck with pseudo-shark tanks (balas, iridescent sharks, rainbow sharks, etc). We've got a Jack Dempsey in another tank and he's a mean sucker as well. He tortures any fish he's shared a tank with will constantly upend all of the decor in his tank. kind of a jerk, I wouldn't get another one.

[808 Vibes]

Thanks! I think I'm going to reconsider, especially at $4 each, and they sound a little high-maintenance for me, a beginner. I did a search last night and saw all kinds of different opinions-everything from freshwater to brackish, to you can keep them with larger semi-aggressive, other puffers, some said don't keep them with other puffers, they're fin/tail-nippers, murderers, etc. And then I saw the part about if you don't feed them enough snails and other crunchy stuff, you have to TRIM THEIR BEAKS! I saw them today and in the tank with them was a guppy looking thing, and a bigger orange thing (Mollie? Comet? I don't know.) but I fed them some dried shrimp when no one was looking to see if they would get beaten up-especially the guppy and orange thing-and they didn't, but one GSP would carry away the whole shrimp. I also did a search on youtube-there's all kinds of weird stuff: GSP's killing crayfish, centipedes hard to believe because they look so cute and only an inch in size.

[808 Vibes]

Softie that I am...had a change of heart when I saw two GSP's left in the tank...plus the guppy and orange dude who are fine, but the slightly smaller GSP bullying around the little bigger one, who kept trying to hide from it. So it's a rescue story (sort of) Got some of the tank water it came out of, some insty-ocean, aqua safe and some krill. Eventually I'll have to get it a bigger house with some furniture so s/he doesn't have to watch bubbles 24/7. I tried to get decent pics, but s/he wanted no part of the paparazzi. Maybe after a few days s/he will chill a bit and I can get a good shot.