Mary - 2012-01-20 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. Thankfully I still have a can of blood worms to hold him over besides the flakes until I go buy some other foods/snails for him. 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?
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Editor's Note - 2012-01-20 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.
If you want a TRUE FRESHWATER puffer, they are out there, just do the research before buying, and even then, do not put in with goldfish. Hope that helps and have fun with your spotted aqua dog!
Mary - 2012-01-20 They are not gold fish but *GLOfish* their little neon tetra sort of fish and I've been keeping a eye on them and they seem to be getting along. 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. I read they are omnivorious and need alot of meat like live crustaceans and freezed bloodworms or shrimp and snails to keep there teeth in check. He's only a inch big right now, would anyone recommend what to feed him till he gets bigger?
Jay - 2012-01-26 Mary, those glow fish will be a meal soon. The amazon puffer is a brackish water fish when young then requires full marine conditions when fully grown. Despite what you read online most puffers are salt water fish. In the long run your glow fish will be eaten or killed and the puffer will die from living in the wrong environment. This is what happens when you buy fish from the know nothings at walmart.
Scott Emberly - 2012-01-31 Hey I just did a bit of homework after purchasing probably the same freshwater puffer. I already have salt as well as brakish water but they need snails clams and other hard shelled live food to trim there teeth or they will grow to long to eat an die or if you are brave enough you might have to trim the teeth they also like brine shrimp as a treat as well as frozen blood worms
kyle - 2014-03-08 Please help I just got 2.
RJ - 2017-07-11 South American puffers, aka Amazon puffers, are fully FW fish. Spotted Green puffers (the common T. nigorividis) start fresh, but quickly need fairly heavy brackish conditions.
Zoe - 2018-08-18 Hi. South American Puffers or Bumble Bee Puffers aren’t fully fresh water, they live in and tolerate quite well, brackish conditions up to 1.005 throughout different periods of their lives. 😊
sheila - 2011-09-07 I have 2 avocado puffers thier teeth are over grown. I have snails in the tank but they won't eat them. How do I clip thier teeth?
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Anonymous - 2011-09-08 I have no idea. I did find this site on U-tube where it shows how to clip a puffers teeth. It worked. There are also several other people that have comments on how they do it, why they do it etc. Here is a link from U-tube showing someone clipping a puffers teeth. It's obcviously real - now I don't exactly understand the second bowl of water - maybe just the temrature difference and the puffer sorta falls asleep. Don't panic - the puffer is just fine and the comments talk about this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJzJtH2e2bg
Mhairi Tooey - 2011-02-22 Hi I just inherited two avocado puffers there seems to be really mixed info on what other fish if any can live with these and how the tank is ideally should be set up.
Matthew - 2010-03-18 Man this fish is a sleeper. When the light is on he's real chill an minds his own buis. However when the lights go out he's on killing spree for anything that moves. be careful!
The Golden Puffer has an unusual shape and vibrant iridescent coloring, so looks more like it belongs in a saltwater environment!
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. Thankfully I still have a can of blood worms to hold him over besides the flakes until I go buy some other foods/snails for him. 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?
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.
If you want a TRUE FRESHWATER puffer, they are out there, just do the research before buying, and even then, do not put in with goldfish. Hope that helps and have fun with your spotted aqua dog!
They are not gold fish but *GLOfish* their little neon tetra sort of fish and I've been keeping a eye on them and they seem to be getting along. 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. I read they are omnivorious and need alot of meat like live crustaceans and freezed bloodworms or shrimp and snails to keep there teeth in check. He's only a inch big right now, would anyone recommend what to feed him till he gets bigger?
Mary, those glow fish will be a meal soon. The amazon puffer is a brackish water fish when young then requires full marine conditions when fully grown. Despite what you read online most puffers are salt water fish. In the long run your glow fish will be eaten or killed and the puffer will die from living in the wrong environment. This is what happens when you buy fish from the know nothings at walmart.
Hey I just did a bit of homework after purchasing probably the same freshwater puffer. I already have salt as well as brakish water but they need snails clams and other hard shelled live food to trim there teeth or they will grow to long to eat an die or if you are brave enough you might have to trim the teeth they also like brine shrimp as a treat as well as frozen blood worms
Please help I just got 2.
South American puffers, aka Amazon puffers, are fully FW fish. Spotted Green puffers (the common T. nigorividis) start fresh, but quickly need fairly heavy brackish conditions.
Hi. South American Puffers or Bumble Bee Puffers aren’t fully fresh water, they live in and tolerate quite well, brackish conditions up to 1.005 throughout different periods of their lives. 😊
Toxic if eaten .... not venomous in character ;) I have two of these ;)
I have 2 avocado puffers thier teeth are over grown. I have snails in the tank but they won't eat them. How do I clip thier teeth?
I have no idea. I did find this site on U-tube where it shows how to clip a puffers teeth. It worked. There are also several other people that have comments on how they do it, why they do it etc. Here is a link from U-tube showing someone clipping a puffers teeth. It's obcviously real - now I don't exactly understand the second bowl of water - maybe just the temrature difference and the puffer sorta falls asleep. Don't panic - the puffer is just fine and the comments talk about this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJzJtH2e2bg
can avocado puffers live in brackish water and if they do how high should the gravity be??
No please don't make the fish suffer. It's freshwater only.
Actually, it needs a GRAVITY of 1.005-1.008 but CAN surrvive in a FRESH WATER aquarium.
Hi I just inherited two avocado puffers there seems to be really mixed info on what other fish if any can live with these and how the tank is ideally should be set up.
Man this fish is a sleeper. When the light is on he's real chill an minds his own buis. However when the lights go out he's on killing spree for anything that moves. be careful!