This is my newest fish a figure eight pufferfish.. at the animal store they said the fish was able to live in a community tank and in fresh water and only needs a diet of red blood worms .. when coming home and searching some additional information I found out the store lied to me about this and that the fish needs brackish water, does best kept solo and needs a diet of snails (shells) to keep its beak healthy.
I called the aquarium store and made a complaint about the false information they provided. They apologized and said I can return the fish and swap it out for a fish that suits my aquarium better.
My question: will the fish have 0 chance of surviving in fresh water?
I have one other “quarantine aquarium” that now is empty and hosts some of my plants and spider wood. It is full of snails so I can feed it snails..
Should I swap the fish or should I keep it in freshwater?
Posted by GioMorgan_
5 Comments
Edit: the quarantine aquarium is too small to host the puffer
Definitely swap the puffer, there is virtually zero chance that it can live in a community peacefully, and even less chance of living in freshwater forever.
He is a lovely, lovely, fish!!
Perhaps the store can give you credit, and you can take some time to hunt around for a cheap tank that will suit another figure 8 puffer?
I’m not knowledgeable enough on figure 8 puffers, but I would suggest you to setup a freshwater tank with java ferns and mangrove propagules (so you could grow some red mangrove on it), and slowly increase de salinity over the weeks and months.
I think would be too much of a shock him going from brackish, to fresh (in the shop) and to brackish again
I’m no expert, but typically a brackish fish can do ok in freshwater, but won’t live as long as it would in ideal conditions. Basically, it’s not going to croak just because it’s in freshwater vs brackish