4 Reasons Why Tankmates are a Bad Idea for a Green Spotted Puffer

Unfortunately, many aquarists learn the hard way that puffers aren't suitable for community tanks. There are several reasons, but the most pertinent one is their territorial nature as they mature. Here's a quick rundown of four of the most compelling reasons why you probably don't want to keep tankmates with your green spotted puffer:

GSP do best as single fish

1. Green spotted puffers are brackish fish. High end brackish to be exact. This means that all freshwater and low end brackish fish are ruled out, which are usually the fish that most people want to keep with their GSP.
2. They're usually very territorial. The teeth that a green spotted puffer has are intended for crushing hard shelled prey items, like mollusks and crustaceans. The amount of damage that they can do to a soft bodied creature is often mortal provided that they take a chunk out in the right place. Most of the time, these territorial spats happen when the owner isn't looking, which means you'll end up waking up to fish with shredded fins or missing bellies – a situation that can be completely avoided by just refraining from trying to keep your puffer in a community setting.
3. They need 30 gallons of water per puffer. All puffers have a high waste output, which means they need ample space for swimming and dilution. If you want to keep multiple GSP, you will need to have at least 30 gallons of water for each one, which means if you decide to just keep two specimens you're already looking at a 60 gallon tank – that's larger than most people want to go for a simple home display.
4. It will be difficult to avoid over feeding the tank. If you decide to try to keep tankmates with your green spotted puffer, then you'll find yourself in a catch-22 when feeding time rolls around. GSP definitely shouldn't be kept with slow moving tankmates because of their tendency to fin nip. On the other hand, if you keep them with fast moving fish, then they will never get a chance to eat – you would end up over feeding the fast moving fish just to ensure your puffer got his fill.

On a final note, sometimes it is possible to keep green spotted puffers in a species tank, which is a tank that is dedicated to a single species. However, this depends largely on the amount of tank space available and the individual personalities of the puffers you choose. Additionally, some people also successfully keep GSP's with other brackish fish of similar salinity requirements, like monos and scats.  Greenspotted puffers are not compatible with Figure 8 puffers; they require a much higher salinity than Tetraodon biocellatus and because of this, one fish will end up thriving while the other slowly suffers. The most important thing you can do if you decide to try to keep other fish with your green spotted puffer is to have a backup tank on hand that is fully cycled just in case you have to separate the fish.

Do you have any experiences keeping green spotted puffers with tankmates? Let me know with a comment! 

Why is my green spotted puffer swimming up and down the tank?

GSP in crowded tanks will glass surf

Glass surfing, which is the act of swimming up and down the glassin the tank, is a common behavior that green spotted puffers exhibit. It is frequently noticed in recently purchased puffers, as well as those that are being kept in improper conditions.

The following are a few of the most common reasons why you may see your puffer glass surfing:

• You just purchased your puffer. When you first bring home your puffer, their new tank will most likely be stressful to them. After all, they just endured being transported, re-caught, and then placed into a completely foreign environment. As a result, they may end up glass surfing for the first few days until they settle in. You can aid this process by making sure your puffer has plenty of hiding places and plants to help make them feel secure.

• The water quality is deteriorating. Because green spotted puffers eat a very meaty, high protein diet, they also excrete a lot of ammonia back into the water through their waste. To combat this, you must perform weekly water changes to keep their water clean. Often, a puffer that is glass surfing as a result of poor water quality will also have a black belly.

• There isn't enough tank space. Green spotted puffers are very active fish, and they need a large enough tank to not only dilute their waste, but one that also provides enough room for them to explore. They should not be kept in anything smaller than 30 gallons, and they certainly are not suitable fish to keep in a bowl.

• Your puffer is bored. A puffer that does not receive enough stimulation in their tank will quickly become bored. They are very active, curious fish, and as such, require plenty of decorations and plants to break up their line of sight. Aside from adding in more objects to explore, you can also try periodically rearranging some of the decorations to give them something new.

If your green spotted puffer is swimming up and down the tank for a prolonged period of time, then the first thing you should do is test the water. If you don't have a water test kit, then you can most likely get your water tested at a local fish store – many of them offer free/low cost water testing for customers. However, there is no guarantee that you will be able to find someone else who is able to test your water for you, which is why it's very important to obtain your own test kit if you plan on keeping fish for the long run. I personally use the API Freshwater Master Test Kit because I like the accuracy that the liquid drop tests offer. That being said, the test strips work perfectly fine for the casual hobbyist, and they're often cheaper, as well.

If the water test comes back with an elevated level of ammonia or nitrite, then you need to perform an immediate water change to remove some of the toxins. Make sure you add a water conditioner, like Seachem Prime, before placing any new water in the tank. In the future, try to conduct your water changes on a regular, weekly basis. All puffers, including green spotted puffers, are very messy fish, and they require large, frequent water changes to stay healthy in the home aquaria.

Do you have any questions or comments about glass surfing puffers? Let me know with a comment!