Green Spot Puffer behavior

[AnnetteG]

I've had my little guy now for about a week. The water is brackish, salinity is 1.010. The tank was cycled when he went in. I am giving him flakes, frozen krill, frozen bloodworms, frozen brine, and live MTS from my FW tanks. Oh and I put some ghost shrimp in there with him and he's munched through most of them, but I keep seeing them here and there. They've learned to stay hidden. LOL Anyway, most of the time he's on the move, but yesterday and today, I noticed that I wasn't seeing him a few times and I looked around and he poked his head out of a little cave and came out to see me once he saw me there. Tonight, I actually started to get worried because I couldn't find him and I reached in to move a little sunken barrel ornament and he was in there. What is he doing, just taking a break? Is this normal? I just want to be sure, since I don't know what IS or IS NOT normal for him yet.

Anything else I should be aware of?

Thanks!

[destined_love7]

I worried about mine at first, too. But I stopped worrying when I realized that they always came to the glass when I was by the tank. Then tonight I read that they will often hide and rest after they've eaten. I don't know how true that is, but I've noticed that trend with mine. I would only worry if it stops eating, has drastic/long lasting color changes, or stops coming to see you when you're near.

[Pufferpunk]

I wouldn't feed him MTS--their shell is too tough to crunch with their teeth & they have been know to break on them. Did he come from a SG of 1.010, in the shop he's from?

Here's a good list of foods:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/library/feeding/feeding-your-puffers/

[AnnetteG]

well, I'm not 100% sure these are MTS, I was just guessing because of the elongated looking shells. Some are teeny and rounder though. I took them out of the plant tank at work and brought them home. He's eaten several of the TEENY tiny ones, but the rest are in my other tank (with the baby convicts) because I was hoping to have an ongoing food source for him. I'll have to go look at snail pics and see if I can figure out what they are.

And yes, he was in 1.010 at the shop I got him from. We have an Aquarium World here and they're really really good. In fact, the tank even had written on it in bold lettering that the fish in it MUST be kept in 1/2 salt, 1/2 fw ONLY. So what I did was mix up 5 gallons of water with Instant Ocean and mixed that in with 5 gallons of treated FW and measured and it comes to 1.010. Got to pick up more salt tomorrow for the next water change.

ETA: I've read that article you sent me, which is why I was gathering snails from work to bring home to him. Will have to find out which snails they are though. When I first brought him home, I had an apple snail in that tank and the snail is twice the size of the puffer, but the puffer was terrorizing him and even took a little chunk out of his shell before I got him out to move him! Kindof humorous, but I do like my apple snails, so, they won't become puffer food. :)

[Octavarium]

My old pal used to sleep and turn a browner color with a curled tail in bizzare spots, it used to scare me, but he was just in a deeper sleep. Once I made a decent bang he came darting right to the glass.

[Pufferpunk]

MTS's shell look like ice cream cones.

I love snails! Here's my wallpaper:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v345/Pufferpunk/CuteSnail.jpg

[AnnetteG]

K. I think I have 2 or more different types. Some are rounded and some of them are long and ice cream coned. I love snails too, I don't mind if I end up with a bunch of the little guys. I have sand in these two tanks, so I want them in there to churn things up for me anyway. :)

[Sploke]

Pufferpunk, just FYI, the links for the pictures no longer work in the article you posted. The small ones show up but when you click on them its a 404 error.

[destined_love7]

So I put some water sprite in my puffer tank and now all they do all day is sit in the darn plant! lol

[Pufferpunk]

Sounds like your tank needs more decor. Look at how heavily mine are decorated. I'm surprised at 1.010, water sprite hasn't melted.

[destined_love7]

Oh, mine isn't that high. And there is lots of stuff in there, they just really like the sprite.

[Pufferpunk]

Oh, I thought you were the OP with that SG. Your GSPs should be in 1.1010 at the minimum.

[destined_love7]

I'm getting them there. They were in FW at the store and I've only had them a short time. And they are still quite young. I'll be moving next month and that's when I'll start really raising the SG.

[Pufferpunk]

Gotcha!