Freshwater Puffer

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Apr 21, 2005
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I recently bought a very small spotted "leopard" puffer. I've had no experience with puffers, but I can tell you that in spite of the store's tag's claim that it has a mild temperament, it is without a doubt the most aggressive fish I've ever kept. In the 2 weeks I've had him I've never seen him eat food or even show an interest in it. He seems to have survived so far by nipping at fins of the juvenile oscars he's kept with at the moment.

Does anyone have any experience with these? What have you fed yours when they are very small? I've tried normal flake and granule foods, shrimp, tube-flex worms, he's not interested in any of them.
 
I don't know much about puffers, but I know that all puffers (except the miniscule dwarf puffer) are either brackish or marine fish. Puffers should also be kept in a species-only tank, as they can be extremely aggressive.
 
theres freshwater puffers. try getting some ghost shrimp for your fish or some worms they usually go for those.
 
"Leopard" puffers are generally Green Spotted Puffers, Tetraodon nigroviridis, and are high brackish water to saltwater fish. See:

http://www.pufferlist.com/

Scan through the fish discussed there and see if there is a match for your fish.

Puffers in general do not eat prepared fish foods. The site listed includes suggested feeding.

There are many true freshwater puffers - the site above does not have a comprehensive listing, only the more commonly available. It is pure myth and bad information that they all are BW to SW.

It is true that most puffers are best kept as species-only tanks or even as single specimens due to their specialized feeding requirements and messy habits (similar to Ocsars in sloppiness) and their aggression levels.
 
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That link was very helpful, RTR, thank you.

Right now he is in a brackish aquarium, I add evaporated salt every water change, but I did not know that he would be fully marine as an adult. I should be able to convert my 29 gallon into one in time.
 
Go to your local fish stiore and see if they have any pest snails like pond snails and common ramshorns and get as many as you can. The puffer will hunt them down.

And yes, as RTR says you need to buy some marine salt mix and prepare it and add it to your tank. You will also need something to measure specific gravity and starting slowly increase the sg of the tank by 1.002 SG per every few days until you get to a suitable level. Having a snail tank to grow them food is a good idea and ghost shrimp or feeder shrimp are a good option. Feeding yuo rfeeders a quality diet of fresh veggies and high quality flake food will be needed to keep your puffer healthy.
 
Your oscars & other FW fish will not be happy in the conditions necessary fot your puffer. He will also continue to torture them. He needs a cycled BW tank for himself.
 
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