How to keep green pufferfish? A detailed guide to breeding methods
The green pufferfish (green river puffer), also called submarine fish, golden doll, dog head, chicken bubble fish, etc., belongs to the pufferfish family of ornamental fish and can be called the spotted green puffer. In the wild it can grow to 17 cm, but in aquariums it usually does not grow that large; those sold on the market are mostly around 5 cm. It is now a very popular pufferfish-family ornamental fish among tropical ornamental fish. Let us take a look below at how to keep green pufferfish!
What do green pufferfish eat
Green pufferfish are not picky eaters, and their large mouths can swallow small fish, so they should not be kept mixed with other small fish. Food preferences differ among individuals; commonly accepted foods include bloodworms, frozen red worms, clam shells, frozen shrimp meat, frozen fish meat, dried small shrimp, dried shrimp, mealworms, snails or spiral shells, live shrimp, live fish, etc.
How do green pufferfish breed
For green pufferfish, choose brood fish with a body length of about 7 cm. Normally males and females are not easy to distinguish, but during the breeding season the male's body color is more brilliant than the female's, and a pointed shape appears at the center of the outer edge of the caudal fin, while the female's caudal fin remains round and the ends of the dorsal and anal fins are relatively round and blunt. Male and female fish are similar in body length and size, but the female's abdomen becomes swollen. Keep the water temperature of the spawning tank at 25-26°C, the water should be slightly acidic, with a hardness of 6-7 degrees, and place chrysanthemum grass floating on the water surface. One female can lay more than 100 eggs, after which the brood fish are removed. The eggs are relatively large, and the fertilized eggs have a long incubation period, requiring about 12 days before the larvae hatch. Once the young green pufferfish begin feeding, they can prey on live foods such as brine shrimp and young water fleas.
How to keep green pufferfish
1. Green pufferfish belong to the pufferfish family and have the fierce characteristics of pufferfish, so green pufferfish cannot be kept mixed with other fish. Green pufferfish have a large appetite and will actively attack other fish, so they can only be kept alone, and the density should not be too high. There should be more aquatic plants in the tank, and the filter water flow must be gentle; they do not like overly strong water flow. Activated carbon must not be added to the filtration system; they prefer weakly alkaline water, and activated carbon will lower the pH value. Always observe the color of the belly; this is the most intuitive way to check the health of green pufferfish.
2. Green pufferfish have a habit of reproductive migration, are ferocious yet timid, and when the living environment is harsh (such as insufficient food or excessively high breeding density), they often kill each other. This cannibalistic habit is especially severe during the fry-rearing stage. Their esophagus has a special structure, which enables green pufferfish, when encountering enemies or being frightened, to inhale air and water, making the chest and abdomen swell like a ball, with the small spines on the skin standing erect, floating on the water surface and pretending to be dead as a means of self-defense; after becoming safe, they quickly release the air and water from the chest and abdomen and swim away rapidly.
3. Green pufferfish have a habit of biting and grinding with their teeth, and after being caught they emit a “gu gu” sound. Under natural conditions, they mainly feed on aquatic invertebrates and also eat other animal and plant foods; they are omnivorous fish with a preference for animal food. Under artificial rearing conditions, after food training, they can also eat artificial compound feed.
4. For green pufferfish farming, the water temperature is best kept above 18°C; feeding drops noticeably at 16°C, and feeding stops at a water temperature of 11°C. The most suitable growth water temperature is 25°C-28°C. They have relatively high requirements for dissolved oxygen in the water, requiring pond water dissolved oxygen above 5-7 mg/L. When the pond water dissolved oxygen is 3.0 mg/L, they will slightly gasp at the surface; when the pond water dissolved oxygen is below 1.5 mg/L, green pufferfish will die if not handled in time. The pond water pH is preferably 7-8, and the pond water transparency is preferably 40 cm.