How To Keep Green Spotted Puffer Fish [Care Guide]

The green spotted puffer (Dichotomyctere nigroviridis or Tetraodon nigroviridis) is a very fun, interactive fish that lives in brackish water. Zenzo talks about their care requirements when it comes to housing, water parameters, diet, and tank mates.
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[@craigconnors1329]

I’ve got 2 that I’ve had for 5 years now. They’re about 6.5 inches and they’re in full saltwater now. Kept em with mono Argentina forever and now that’s it’s saltwater I’ve added some damsels to clean up the food messes. They get big fast if you do the water changes and give them some tank space to roam. Once they’re full grown, frozen shrimp (shell on) from the grocery store seems to be their favorite food. They also don’t bug my hermits for some reason, so more cleanup crew you can have. They did try my Xenia corals, but didn’t like them

[@jhaych]

Nobody likes xenia haha

[@yenyaoming]

Post a video

[@knyghtryder3599]

@@yenyaoming second

[@MrBcummings8521]

I kept mine in a soft coral reef. Rarely would i lose a hermit.

[@Meilingsueyoung]

What size tank?

[@bananafloat27]

Amazing top-notch footage. This is such a great video for helping people decide if a gsp is right for them. Or just watching and enjoying

[@moniz187]

What a wonderful, calming video!

[@fbasantajr]

Zenzo another great video, thank you from NYC

[@darthanubis4204]

Put mine straight from fresh to full marine and they did great. My local fish store also does this and they havent had a problem

[@billgarner9352]

Enjoyable introduction to an interesting fish. Thanks, Zenzo!

[@wiseman1688]

Love you guys. Great video like always.

[@koyspano3636]

I’ve had mine for quite sometime now, and I dripped him over to full marine (1.025) and he’s been doing great in my reef tank.

[@wherestheflavour]

by dripped do you mean during acclimation when you first got it or over a certain period of time?

[@iPhone4SEman]

Thank you. You just answered every I mean every question I had on this fish. Your the best

[@jonharwood1639]

Thanks for the great video!

[@yearight1800]

I love my green spotted puffer I transitioned it to saltwater when it was a baby into my reef tank had it for 4 years. He gets along with my hippo tang and clown fish. Thankfully mine does eat flakes and anything even algae. He will go after my hermits or snails in my tank.

[@angelicadiamond7123]

how did u transition it to salt water? slowly, adding a little salt water to the tank at a time? or did u just switch from fresh to salt one day. i’m picking up my GSP from a fresh water tank tomorrow

[@kilrkitty0818]

Awesome video! Thanks for much for the information I hope you do one on Figure 8s too 😊 I've been trying to decide between those two for a while lol

[@TazawaTanks]

Pretty much the same care as the GSP, but smaller tank requirements and smaller tank mates. Same water parameters, pretty much same food, etc.

[@kilrkitty0818]

@@TazawaTanks Thank You Zenzo You're the best ! I think I'll go Figure 8, I like the patterns on them 👍✌️

[@skdragon8845]

A high quality informative video 😊,thanks for the info 💯

[@dewdropper3614]

I’ve owned GSP before and I love love love their unique personalty. Cute fish with a green glowing head and interacts with humans. What more can you ask for in a fish

[@txterbug]

I used to have 2 gsp’s somehow they got along fine their entire lives they were such awesome fish truly like pets with personalities etc

[@EarthshakerOnamazu]

Nice video dude

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

Hope this spreads, so stores stop selling them as freshwater! All have done it where I have been.

[@yungstahotmail]

Same can be said about the colombian shark

[@cainmarko4190]

Mate this video help soooooo much!!! Thank you! I saw 3 of them in a small tank at my Petco and I feel in love! Now I have to get another tank 😂😂 I have 3 tanks already and 2 frog terrarium and I am not even supposed to have 1 in my apartment 😂😂 oh well what's one more

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

A big group in a 125 gallon is awesome. They hunt in packs and help each other to bring the prey down. I would call them out as much more aggressive then a Fahaka Puffer. 15 in a 125G would be a super fun tank to keep. On the bucket list för me. 😊 Good Video. 👍 People are so scared of Brakish water.

[@Nanoscape30]

I'd love to keep a big group of figure 8's I kept 3 of them with a few ghost shrimp for about 4 years in a brackish setup before I re homed them I miss them alot

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

@@Nanoscape30 I have 12 Figure Eights, just nort released the video yet... ;-)

[@Nanoscape30]

@@CrazyAquariumGuy oh that's dope 👌 I wanna see

[@CrazyAquariumGuy]

@@Nanoscape30 Follow me and you will. My channel I sabout showing people that so much more can be done if you feel close to the animal. I run 12 Figure Eight Puffers, with 12 Tuxedo Guppies, 4 Snow-white Ancistrus with clear Turquoise eyes. AND Duplicareus Corydoras.... Everybody said it couldn't be done. 4 months in. Works great! Fry on 2 out of 4. And Ancistrus just need to get bigger. ✌️

[@disco_life]

Had a friend who had 12 gsp's in a 75 gal tank with x2 AquaClear 110 hob filters + protein skimmer that did weekly water changes. They had bright white bellies and always looked so happy. Amazing to watch them hunt.

[@zafishguy5166]

I was given one of these a few years back when I only had a freshwater tank. I thought I was just being given a bucket of assorted catfish and cichlids. I was given a small green spotted puffer in the mix. I knew what it was but I didn't know what to do as I only had one tank. I initially put him on pure fresh thinking I could get a 30 gal in a few days for him. He didn't make it past the first 2 days in pure fresh for me. But he was in pure fresh for a while before then and by the time I got the 30 gal in... it was too late. Regardless, they are a fish I intend to try again at some point. I also have a saltwater tank for them to move into now so...

[@SlayByJay]

I’ve had one for the last 4 years in brackish water and he’s literally a puppy ina fish bowl. Such a cute personality and he can tell us apart! His eye sight is so amazing. Mine eats nails and blood worms. Mine is still small though. Does it take them a long time to get full size?

[@M29WeaselDriver]

Interesting!!!

[@terrydavis8451]

I have several bumble bee gobys, knight goby, black molly, 2 figure 8s that are in there temporarilly and then 4 GSPs. I was super lucky because they are not aggresive at all but they have been in the tank with those fish for 3ish years. A friend of mine got a GSP that just kills everything.

[@prxttydrxmxtic6394]

That’s an awesome background in that tank, did you make diy it or buy it?

[@amazingaquaticsandexotics3030]

personally figure 8 puffers are my fav but these are amazing fish too

[@TazawaTanks]

I love my figure 8 puffer as well. I may do one in the future for the channel, as there seems to be a few requests.

[@christopheranthony6412]

Can you do a vid on figure of 8 puffers

[@SlayByJay]

I also read since their so smart, it’s wise to change their tank frequent and break their line of sight otherwise they get bored very easily

[@TheNewMediaoftheDawn]

My favourite! They usually won’t fight if well fed…

[@MacPNW]

Zenzo, were you feeding Malaysia trumpet snails? My GSP has tried but can't get through their shell. Amazing fish though, a great wet pet.

[@TazawaTanks]

Yes, my GSP bites MTS in half...even the big ones!

[@kiddoutdoors]

What about tank flow? More filtration the better but can they handle moderate flow. Such as fx4 on a 55. Thanks for any replies

[@lobsterbib2975]

What kind of lighting do you suggest for gsp?

[@aleeaestabrook2581]

Please help!! I purchased a green spotted puffer as a freshwater fish and was told it was a pea puffer. They said I should keep it as a freshwater fish and she has been doing good but not thriving. She had an abrasion on her belly when she first came home with me that I was able to clear up and it went away but she also developes black spots all over her belly starting from the sides where her color is then starting to go down into the white of her belly. I want her to be taken care of but I never signed up for a brackish water fish and have no idea how to keep up with that set up. I'm willing to get her the set up she needs I just want to make sure I'm doing it right. Please tell me what I should do to help the transition and give her the best life possible. I kept looking up how to help a pea puffer and the images looked totally different from her and I finally found out that she's a green spotted puffer. They told me she wouldn't get bigger than an inch and a half...

[@hoplock4205]

Do you Think mudskippers can go in a tank with puffer fish

[@aydan3870]

Hey how did you get that background on the tank? did you make it? if so how did you make it?

[@fishiontanktics9356]

Nice

[@anjawilliams6956]

I just got two and I set up brackish water today when checking ammonia nitrates ECT. Do i have to check with a saltwater kit or freshwater kit?

[@mjc1177]

I've had 6 and 3 at a time and they all died. I was really sad because the first 3 I had seemed to all get a long very well and we're extremely attentive to me every time I came around. One of them even befriend my crayfish. They would literally hang out and share food. Yes I know it's crazy I have videos of it. However all the puffer died. Wish I would have done more research and not listen to the aquarium employees...

[@Cichlid_4_ever]

When transitioning from the stores tanks to home aquarium and converting back to the brackish water. Why can’t Fritz aquarium salt be used as a starter for tuning in that salinity? Then once that salinity is met switch to the reef salt to get to the required salinity level? And is it raised based on age as well as what the puffer needs? That being the juveniles ok with the lower salinity levels and as they age slowly increase those levels. Or do you just set it at the mid way and ride it out for the life span of the puffer fish?

[@Bazerant]

I have a 50cm lengh aquarium do u think its ok to have just 1 in there its gonna be just 1 fish i there or 2 pf this puffers

[@knyghtryder3599]

When i was younger and lived with roommates, i only setup one aquarium , brackish , planted , many fish , fully dope , one of my fav fish was my GSP, one of my roommates was very 'intense' in the personality dept. When he first saw it he geeked out and kept asking me to puff it up , i kept explaining to him , no, it's like a bee sting , it'd very stressful they can die or get stuck puffed up or have issues swimming after puffing up , i said i can't do it , then i go to the grocery store , literally 30 min, come home , only my roommate was home , pufferfish was dead , floating and puffed up....... Ridiculous , i am still angry about it

[@davisweston1089]

Still time to jump em where they at?

[@knyghtryder3599]

@@davisweston1089 Good call, when I get coordinates, I'll hit you up!!

[@laimengsun7486]

It’s my first time having a pet puffer fish right now

[@vortex.mp40]

im seeing people say they’ve transferred them to full salt water. can u do the same to freshwater?

[@karliprue1830]

I own a little one, and he’s not eating his snails very well!! What kind were those that you were feeding em??

[@ottojones591]

How do you test the water with brackish water? Do you use fresh water tests, or salt water test kits?

[@TazawaTanks]

I use freshwater tests, as I keep the specific gravity around 1.006.

[@ottojones591]

Thank you. Greatly appreciate the reply.

[@thekoos3174]

When he ate that blood worm he smiled 😊

[@BeardYanks]

Can I do: (and I know each particular fish is different temperament) 55 Gallon Tank: 2 Green Spotted Puffers 1 Figure 8 Puffer 3 Lyretail Mollies or 55 Gallon Tank: 2 Green Spotted Puffers 3 Lyretail Mollies

[@robzbozz]

Just bought one can you put cichlids with them ?

[@nandiodaniel8217]

Can puffer full adapt in full freshwater?

[@MrBcummings8521]

I think considering they only spawn in full marine it's best to just keep them in full marine rather then brackish. Figure 8 yes brackish but the GSP should be full marine.

[@Mattman16]

My GSP eats vibra bites. He goes nuts for them.

[@Nettie107]

Can you put it in a cichlid tank

[@lilocriminal]

Ok I just went to petco and got three ball sharks, one albino rainbow shark, one kissing gourami then a saw the brackish fish and got him. Now I’m finding out it needs or will need salt water….

[@thotslayer1142]

do redtail catfish

[@S-phoenix-A]

Can we feed normal fish foo

[@randomtube8226]

Is there a freshwater puffer? Seen very tiny ones in a freshwater tank at my local pet store. Was very confused.

[@jonharwood1639]

Yes those are pea puffers. They are freshwater and very cool fish.

[@delaineld7766]

Pea puffers, hairy puffers, Amazon puffers, fahaka puffers, mbu puffers etc, etc. lots of different sizes and care requirements.

[@nashaygood3593]

This green spotted puffer can live in freshwater it just live longer in brackish or salt

[@theking-xs5md]

How long can they survive in freshwater

[@lawrencefisher865]

Not long. They migrate through to brackish water from fresh into marine for mating, then back to brackish.

[@kristaaustin3803]

Will they peck the eggs off the glass? My snails are reproductive hyperactive… lol

[@S-phoenix-A]

Do they puff up?

[@BigBoyz_Tankz]

How could you tell if the fish are living or thriving? 🤔

[@briancooke2435]

I’ve seen them in a reef tank and the best part they don’t eat the coral

[@robertforrest7956]

Are figure 8 puffers totally fresh water, is there a puffer that is completely fresh water?

[@jhaych]

Think the hairy, avacado and dwarf puffers are

[@TazawaTanks]

There are many puffers that are purely freshwater. For example, I have Peruvian Amazon puffers that are freshwater. Figure 8 puffers do better in brackish water (minerals).

[@DEXTER-TV-series]

Drums drums drums 🥁🥁 🙉 🥁🥁

[@Nanoscape30]

Why don't you have any plants in your puffer tank, it's kinda bare, he seems stressed in some of the shots of him, he looks really black , is there a reason why there's no plants of hides?

[@michellebrouellette]

Brackish water has a lot fewer plants.

[@TazawaTanks]

He was displaying darker colors in some shots because he was getting annoyed when the knight gobies were going after his food (I had fed them to coax them out to get some shots). Normally he is more golden/white in color. As the other commenter mentioned, this is brackish water (few plants do well in brackish water).

[@Nanoscape30]

@@TazawaTanks honestly diffrent species of anubias work well in brackish water but dont provide alot of cover, but ive had good luck with water sprites, they do well in brackish salinity and provide good good cover and grow relatively fast... also I suggest duckweed to drown out the light and works well in a brackish setup... even though duckweed can be kind of messy but it is resilient that's for shure... I saw a massive GSP at my LFS it was old, like half the size of a football, didn't get the exact details on the age but it was in a full marine setup, I love it when they are that old and thriving, the opiteme of a pufferfish in my opinion, also I've recently seen a trio of GSP's at my other LFS, that were very healthy, I'd say a good 5 or 6 years of age, that someone relocated and took very good care of, I really wish I could of taken them but, I didn't have a setup for them but they are one of the most beautiful species of puffers there is, I love them!

[@TazawaTanks]

@@Nanoscape30 I’ve tried Anubias in my brackish tanks, failed. I’ve tried duckweed in my brackish tanks, failed. I’ve actually made videos and articles about my experiences. Thanks for sharing.

[@Nanoscape30]

@@TazawaTanks dang...ok cool cool what salinity do you keep him at? Just wondering 🤔

[@BeardYanks]

55 Gallon Can I Have: 2 GSP 1 F8 3 Mollies ????