Hey, don't talk. I haven't had a single fish die in there (yet).
Wait, are you talking about the 100 or the 10?
Wait, are you talking about the 100 or the 10?
Can someone advise me on petsmart puffers?
- Thread starter sg1
- Start date
It always turns to Petsmart, Petco, Walmart, etc.
Someone made a good point that if she doesn't buy it from Petsmart, someone else will. I don't know why Petsmart was even brought up. This thread is about the puffer.
LOL, am I that bad? Just tell it like I know it to be from my 30 years of fishkeeping. I do not recommend copying Groovydude's example of stocking tanks--we've had plenty of arguments about that.
I have never seen bad treatment of Petsmart's fish, it's Walmart I have a problem with. And I am totally against "rescuing" fish. If you buy one that is mistreated in a store, you are telling the store it's fine to keep their fish that way, they are still good sellers & why not buy more to mistreat? How about supporting the mom & pop stores that go out of their way to treat their fish well? I have seen a lot of folks rescue sick fish & plop a ton of $$$ on them only to get their hearts broken, watching them suffer & die (folks can really get attached to their puffers). Pick out a healthy puffer that is curious & attentive to you, when you approach the tank. You won't be sorry!
If you do decide to get dwarf puffers, you must try your best to sex them. 2 males will fight to the death.
Sexing DPs
Pufferpunk;1567533; said:
Oh believe me Id rather be going to a hobby store than a chain store, unfortunatly the only 2 hobby stores on my side of town, one went out of buisness, probably put out of busines by the large chain stores and the other went salt only
All the hobby stores that are left, the large established ones are on the far west side of town, like a 45 min drive for me So while Id rather go there its a pain, only do so when there is something rare I wont be able to find at a chain store.
I'm not saying don't shop at chain stores--just don't rescue a fish from a store that doesn't care for them properly. I have actually totally boycotted all Walmarts for the past 10 years, because of that & how I've been treated in their return dept. Many folks will boycot stores that carry dyed & tattoed fish or sell the "sweetheart" parrots. I have spoken to my LFS about that & since talking to them, they will not order them anymore. But... even though they do not order these things, they come in unasked for (they may order glass fish or parrots & get the dyed/injected/cut ones) & they cannot send them back. Anyway, some LFS can be just as uncaring as some chain stores & I boycott them too. I do not support animal torture---plain & simple!
I agree with Pufferpunk. I do NOT purchase from a store that "tattoos" fish either, I don't care what they are selling.
As far as difficulty with puffers, I do not think they are hard fish to care for at all. Given the proper care information you will have a happy puffer that will live with you for years to come. The biggest thing about puffers is the larger than normal bio-load that these fish put off. Adequate filtration and frequent water changes will help lighten this load considerably. Proper tank size will also ensure this. Other than that puffers are a fun and rewarding fish to have.
Trust me, I have 13 of them.
As far as difficulty with puffers, I do not think they are hard fish to care for at all. Given the proper care information you will have a happy puffer that will live with you for years to come. The biggest thing about puffers is the larger than normal bio-load that these fish put off. Adequate filtration and frequent water changes will help lighten this load considerably. Proper tank size will also ensure this. Other than that puffers are a fun and rewarding fish to have.
Trust me, I have 13 of them.
I only have two, but they are pretty cool. It seems like their size is proportional to their messiness, especially while eating.
I fed mussels to my puffers yesterday & a white cloud was coming out of their gills. Crab legs are even worse!
