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Sorry for the novel.....Awhile back I bought a green/spotted puffer. LFS insisted it was a completely FW puffer & would be ok with my 2 dwarf puffs. Had them in a 10 gal. After awhile, green puff started racing up & down the side. Tried rearranging the "landscape", added more plants. Didn't help. So, about 1 month ago, I bought a 15 gal tall. Stopped going up & down. Now, he's fine unless he sees me watching him, then he starts swimming back & forth-violently, sometimes slamming into the tank sides or the bubble wand, then hiding in the plants. He's eating good, gets snails couple times a week. So, I'm assuming he needs an even larger tank. Only tank available without him being chowed down would be my 55 gal community tank. But, I've started reading about the differences in the green puff & the green spotted puff-the green puff being a BW. Well, I can't tell which one he is. So, if he is BW, can't add to the community tank-cories & pleco in there-no salt. Pictures are out, he won't sit still for me to take his pix, & I need to get a new camera. So, I'm leaning towards the green puff, I've started adding a little salt to the tank(also read this was ok for all puffers). He was a bright green when I got him, and has since turned a greenish-more yellow within the last 2-3 months(belly's still white). Is this normal color change for a certain type, spotted congo maybe? Or is it stress?
So, ? is, what should I do? Buy a new tank? & what minimum size would I need?(I'm gonna be really pissed if I do this, & he still acts like a brat...) Looking at the dimensions, 20gal long is 10 inches longer, will that really make a whole lot of difference? And, since I'm not sure which he is, should I continue with the not quite brackish salt-I figure if he is BW, it's better than none? Guess I really need to get a camera & figure out which type he is..... Thanks!!!

The green & spotted puffer is the same puffer--there is only one, the BW green spotted puffer, Tetraodon nigrovirilis. They are not community fish! The violent swimming pattern could be due to being placed into a toxic (ammonia/nitrIte/nitraAte poisoning), uncycled tank.

See: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/gspsart.htm

Interesting article. It's amazing how much contradictory information there is on puffers.

Ammo-0
NitrItes-0
NitrAtes-20
Tank's been up and running about 6 months, give or take, and an established filter was used when started. The dwarf puffers aren't reacting like he is.

Yes, all the misinformation out there, is just why I wrote the article. I thought you were referring to the puffer's behaviour after moving it into the 15g tank. GSPs can be rather skittish--even my 6" adults need to be approached slowly, or I get a big splash! A longer tank would be better than taller (more swimming room), but a 30g would be best. I couldn't immagine a 6" puffer in anything less. How big is he?

He's about 2 1/2-3 inches now. I bought the 15 gal tall because the hood from the 10 gal fit it, so much for going the cheap way

I'll get the 30 gal set up & do the fishie tank swap. Now I just gotta figure out where to put another tank.....I'm going to be moving soon, & I'm just dreading moving all these tanks. Thanks for your help & the article!!

How long before the move? He might last in the 15 a littlelonger, as long as you keep an eye on the water parameters. Then just transfer the tank's contents & filter to the larger tank. It should have enough bacteria from the old tank to be cycled. You can add a larger filter in addition to the older (smaller) one & remove the old one in a couple of months.