Green spotted puffer Question redone. Read this-a-one if you can. other one is poop  11/07/07 Thank you so much for your response. <You're welcome.> I am new to the site, and been studying the site the last few days. I read from a few months back that: "GSP are wild caught fish and their numbers are being depleted." While I really like the figure 8 puffer, I don't want to be a part of an economic gain which is harmful to a species and the environment. If that is the case I may rethink my buy. Is it just GSP or f8's too? <Hmm... not sure I agree with the original statement. Fishbase lists Tetraodon nigroviridis as having a "high" resilience to fishing thanks to it being a fast-breeding species. It isn't listed on the IUCN Red Data Book lists either. These statements also hold true for Tetraodon biocellatus. In general, collecting small fish for the tropical fish trade has little to no impact on populations. There are exceptions though, but they tend to be species with limited geographical range but huge demand in the hobby. Neither of these conditions applies here. In almost all cases where a fish becomes rare in the wild, it isn't the aquarium fish industry to blame but environmental degradation. Building dams in rivers and turning coastal streams into brackish water pools for shrimp farming are two major threats to freshwater fish, and obviously larger scale things like climate change and deforestation have massive impacts on coral reefs and rainforest rivers. To be frank, I'd be surprised if any freshwater fish other than imported tilapia survive in Madagascar within 50 years, the degradation of that island-continent is happening so rapidly. But this is off topic now. In short, no, buying a pufferfish isn't likely to have a negative effect on their populations in the wild.> What is the their status as a species, how depleted are their numbers getting, and do you personally think buying a F8 puffer would add to the harm of these species? (I know buying one won't hurt but I hope you get what I mean) <The species is stable and resilient. Buying farmed "tiger shrimp" and the like from Asia is more likely to cause harm to these puffers because the coastal plains where they live are being turned into brackish water pools for culturing the shrimp.> I also am planning to switch to a much bigger tank when I have the money and a little brackish experience under my belt. I need a filter for my 30 gallon but I am looking to go bigger. Newbie question, but if I buy a much bigger tank filter, is there I chance I could over filtrate? <Almost no chance at all. Anything up to 10 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour is fine. Puffers typically live in habitats with lots of water flow, and while they aren't fast swimmers, they're steady swimmers and seem to appreciate lots of circulation (and oxygen). Plus, clean water is always a boon. One tip though: instead of buying one giant filter, consider getting two medium sized ones. This gives you flexibility at cleaning time, because you can wash one filter thoroughly one month, and the other the next. This way there's no risk of killing off all the bacteria. You also have an insurance policy in case one fails. You can also install the water outlet pipes at different ends of the tank, allowing you to create more thorough circulation.> I don't think there is but better safe then belly up. <Indeed. Good luck, Neale>

Spotted puffers I just purchased 3 small spotted puffers for my 30 gallon hex tank. puffers are about 1" to 1 1/2" long. how many can my 30 gal hex accommodate and what is the preferred list of food for them? josh Nichols <these adorable little creatures are extremely aggressive to each other and to other fish as they mature!!! They will literally pick each others eyes out. I'll be surprised if you keep three in this 30 unscathed for more than a year. Much has been written in the FAQs and beyond on our WetWebMedia site. Please do peruse starting here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwpuffers.htm Please be sure to explore the links for the FAQs near the top of the page. Best regards, Anthony> Spotted puffers I just purchased 3 small spotted puffers for my 30 gallon hex tank. The puffers are about 1" to 1 1/2" long. How many can my 30 gallon hex accommodate and what is the preferred list of food for them? Josh Nichols <Well Josh, shame on you for not asking those questions before you purchased them. Please see here regarding their care and growth http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/fwbracpuffers.htm -Steven Pro>