Welcome to the Brackish Forums! Puffer threads go in this forum, as new threads

Thanks for the info, I think I may get one and just use this tank for it (once I get my new tank) until I can put it in the brackish water with my shark. Can you tell me if they are better in groups or alone? I do not really trust my LFS opinion any more because when my son got the rainbow shark he got 2 because they told him that if he got at least 2 of them they would not be as agressive, well we soon found out this was not true, the 1 I still have killed the other one!
 
people say there bad in groups cause they fight... but i kept them together for about 5 months until graduating them to brackish water and i had them in a big group i love gsps though there great but if you see figure 8 puffs i think they are easier to keep if your new to puffer keeping they dont stress as bad but are fresh/brackish water. but remember a full grown gsp is alot bigger than f8p and as they grow they become more agressive to others thats why you have to knock the population number down or just set up a whole new tank.and for anyone who just comes across this post dont ever! mix puffers and cichlids puffers can be calm loving fish but the more stress and the more they get picked on might determine how they are as adults yes puffers can fight but are not as fast as cichlids and may become food, my friend tried this and the result was him having alot of injured cichlids and a dead puffer :-/ now he has a seperate puffer tank
 
The only puffers I've seen are the gsp's If the other ones are anything like them I'm sure I would like them as well, they (gsp) are just so cool to see I immediately feel in love with them! I really would like some kind of puffer I think but would prefer something I can add with my other fish, 1 tank is hard enough to keep up with (I have 4 kids and are taking 3 class's right now) so I don't have alot of time for upkeep. I would be willing to have 2 tanks till they were ready to transfer but really want just one nice tank in the end. Thanks again for helping me out on this.
 
How large is this tahk you are planning? Many of the fish you listed grow quite large (BTW, archers grow to 1' & won't be suitable for a 29g). The shark's constant swimming will make the poor puffer nuts. Columbian sharks grow up to 18" & perfer to live in schools (5-6). Irridescent sharks grow to 3'. Also, most of the above listed fish are FW.

Um, what's "semi"-brackish? Either it's FW, BW, or SW.
 
:eek: I was looking to get between a 85 gallon anf 150 gallon tank, the 85 or so would work best space wise, but as I'm finding out more about the fish I have I think I'm going to Have to go larger than that! Did you really mean 3 FOOT for the irrodecent? I hope you just typoed on that :eek: Before I sound like a complete irresponsible fish buyer let me explain how I ended up with this variety. My son was with my mom and they went to visit my aunt who was getting rid of her tank which is a 30g, he called and asked if I cared which I didn't we had been wanting one for a while, so they brought it home we set it up and my mom decided she would take him to get some fish...now I told them to be careful about what to get and make sure they will work for the tank we got such (thinking they would come home with 2-3 fish), well you see what they came back with not knowing anything about any of these fish I believed what the LFS told them which was the biggest any would get would be between 6-8" in length then the one rainbow killed the other, and I found out they should never be put together because they would fight, now your saying they are going to get that big I don't know what to do I can't have a 3' long fish!!!!!!! Well I know I most likely will not be getting any puffers if the shark will keep them stressed! But gosh they are so cute I really like them, well maybe once I get through my class's and stuff I can have a tank for them would a 30g be ok for them if I just got a couple or if I got one and a couple other fish that would be ok with them? Oh also were you talking about my fish are FW? Cause if so that is something else they got wrong they were told all of them were brackish. :sad: Oh I forgot to ask, forgive me for sounding stupid but I am new at all this fish talk but which one is BTW?
 
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Here's your shark: http://www.planetcatfish.com/catelog/pangasii/pangasiu/172_12.php

The only BW fish on your list is the Columbian shark. They are schooling fish (5-6), that grow up to 18" & require marine conditions as adults. All the rest are strictly FW fish. You could keep 1 adult green spotted puffer, or 3 figure 8 puffers in a 30g.
 
All I can say is HOLY CR*P!!! What am I suppose to do with a fish that gets that big, it wouldn't matter what size tank I got I could never have one big enough for that monster!!!!!!!!!! How in the world can a fish store sell something like that and say it will only get to be 6-8" long!?! I realize people should know something about the fish before you buy them but my gosh how can they decieve people that badly :duh: . I really do not know what to do now and then them saying they were all BW fish and only one type was boy did they see sucker when my mom and son walked in there or what!!!! Now I have had all this fish in brackish water for almost 3 months and they are all doing well, should I change it now or should I just keep doing it the same since everyone seems to be doing well?
 
Doing BW, for the short time you have them is nothing in the 10 years some of your fish can live. What do you consider BW anyway? How much salt is really in there?

I agree, those "sharks", along with pacus, arowanas, knifefish, redtail catfish, mbu puffers & many more "tankbusters" should not be sold to the general public.
 
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Ok well, since my last post I have been reading many other post and have learned a little bit, apparently what I was thinking was BW is not, the salt they gave my son is just aquarium salt it is not the right kind for brackish water!!! I no, I no, I should of read the box better but when they brought everything home and they said that the fish guy said to use this to make it bw I just read the directions not the entire box and added the recomended amount which was 1 rounded TBS/gallon so I added 3 TBS, I do have a 15/gallon tank I think I will move my black tips to (very temp) with the right salt until I get my other tank then move the black tips to the 30g I do realize they will need a bigger tank too but for now that will be the best I can do. My biggest consern right now though is what I'm going to do with a fish that can get to be 3', well I guess I will have to deal with that when the time comes. Do you have any suggetions as to what size tank I should be looking at? I know I will have no way of housing the irridesent so I'm talking about the rest of my fellows. Maybe the pond down the street for the irridesent eh?
They really should not sell those in a regular fish store and if they do along with the others you mentioned they should let people know what they are looking at!!!
Thanks for everything you have been so wonderful!!
p.s. I looked at the pictures of your tanks WOW you have some magnificant displays!!! VERY IMPRESSIVE!!!!
 
I would definately return that shark & give them a piece of your mind while you're there. copy that pic I linked you to, to quash any arguments they will have about size. Talk to the owner/manager too. Bala sharks also get large (not as large as the irr) & like to school.
 
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