Green Spotted puffers / Figure 8 puffers

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burntrubber

Piranha
MFK Member
Feb 5, 2010
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These 2 species have been staples at fish stores for decades. Almost all of them are bought by beginners who have no idea on the husbandry. I have attempted these puffers twice in my fish keeping history ending miserably because I never knew better. Does anyone here have experience with them? I have only seen a hobbyist that keep them in a saltwater tank once. Are they sort of doomed once they leave the store?
 
No they are not doomed if you know how to take care of them. In this day and age more so then in the past the burden of knowledge lies with the purchaser. I also agree as it should always have been that the lfs has a duty to ensure the purchaser understands what they are getting. But with all the sources of info that we have in say the last 15 years its bad if you the purchaser doesn't know.
Both those species are typically sold as freshwater neither is. Brackish to full salt is what they need. That is the number 1 failure in those two puffers.
 
No they are not doomed if you know how to take care of them. In this day and age more so then in the past the burden of knowledge lies with the purchaser. I also agree as it should always have been that the lfs has a duty to ensure the purchaser understands what they are getting. But with all the sources of info that we have in say the last 15 years its bad if you the purchaser doesn't know.
Both those species are typically sold as freshwater neither is. Brackish to full salt is what they need. That is the number 1 failure in those two puffers.


I totally agree and the sad thing is that some vendors who supplies them knows that they require the conditions you have stated. Unfortunately imo it's easier for the lfs to sell them if uneducated consumer's buy them for their freshwater aquarium. Most people don't want a Brackish or Saltwater setup. I'll be honest when I first seen a Green Spotted Puffer it had the cuteness affect on me and I tried to keep a couple but failed due to lack of knowledge. Today there is really no excuse for properly caring for any specie of Puffer. So much info on forums and even books or aquatic magazine's.
 
98% are doomed. A figure 8 is totally different than gsp.

Figure 8 is very easy very light brackish. Gsp is a sw fish basically and can go full salt as a baby. The problem is people are lazy and don't want to fool with salt. They read thru 1000 comments until they find that 1 that agrees with them.

Puffers are out of the average aquarists league tbh.
 
98% are doomed. A figure 8 is totally different than gsp.

Figure 8 is very easy very light brackish. Gsp is a sw fish basically and can go full salt as a baby. The problem is people are lazy and don't want to fool with salt. They read thru 1000 comments until they find that 1 that agrees with them.

Puffers are out of the average aquarists league tbh.


Yes so true.
 
98% are doomed. A figure 8 is totally different than gsp.

Figure 8 is very easy very light brackish. Gsp is a sw fish basically and can go full salt as a baby. The problem is people are lazy and don't want to fool with salt. They read thru 1000 comments until they find that 1 that agrees with them.

Puffers are out of the average aquarists league tbh.
Ive been at this to long so I guess you are right. Seems easy to me now to do brackish or salt or fresh. But ive been at it off and on for 40+ years. But there is a ton of info out there. I'd say if you are somewhere that sells either of those puffers then you probably have a smart phone jump on it and see what water parameters are, what does it eat, at least the basics. So the other day I got transfered to another store permanently or until the next time they transfer me and my crew got me a betta as a going away gift. They know my current situation with my tanks and that I may not be able to keep most of it. I had joked that I guess I could get a betta in a vase and keep it in my card board box or van down by the river. Lol. So I came in on my last day and there was a betta on my desk in a vase. My first thought was how do you care for a betta!? Phone don't fail me now. I looked it up, ive never had a betta before. There were also cherry shrimp.....never had those either, still dont as the betta doesnt like room mates. Lol. Information is to easily available to keep killing animals with bad husbandry. I still think that lfs should take the high road and teach people or at least try. True hobbiests will appreciate it. But in the end its buyer beware. Always has been and most likely will always be.
 
Lets be honest, the sad truth is an LFS is a business, so they kind of secretly hope you’ll end up killing your fish quickly so that you’ll come back for more...

As past discussions on these boards have kind of summed up, if everyone who kept fish knew what they were doing, a lot of shops would probably go under due to lack of business...
 
Lets be honest, the sad truth is an LFS is a business, so they kind of secretly hope you’ll end up killing your fish quickly so that you’ll come back for more...

As past discussions on these boards have kind of summed up, if everyone who kept fish knew what they were doing, a lot of shops would probably go under due to lack of business...

No doubt. Hard for some people to stomach but its 100% true
 
Lets be honest, the sad truth is an LFS is a business, so they kind of secretly hope you’ll end up killing your fish quickly so that you’ll come back for more...

As past discussions on these boards have kind of summed up, if everyone who kept fish knew what they were doing, a lot of shops would probably go under due to lack of business...


You nailed it imo.
 
My first fish ever was a Green spotted puffer and I put it in a 3 gallon all in one tank, with a plastic plant and a castle.... I told my LFS that's what I was putting him in and he said that should be fine.

I've come a long way. I still think Green spotted puffers are beautiful, but I think they are a very advanced fish, along with the figure 8. I consider myself an expereinced fish keeper now and I still wouldn't attempt to keep a GSP. For them to live their best life they need to go brackish, or even full marine and that is just something I am not able to do.
 
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