How to care for greenspotted puffers. Everything you need to know about GSP fish.

Easy to understand information and instructions on how to care fore green spotted puffer fish.

Care information on green spotted puffer fish.
Max size - 6 inches
Temp ranges - 75 to 80 degrees f
Temperament- semi aggressive
Tank requirement - 30 gallon for one, 55 gallons for multiple GSP
Diet- meaty diet. Bloodworms, krill, shrimp, clams, crayfish, small crabs, snails

Water parameters
Brackish/Saltwater
pH: 7.5-8.5
Specify Gravity Range: 1.004 - 1.022
1.005 for brackish, 1.021 for full saltwater

Weekly water changes to keep water clean
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Short summary of the video GSP= Green spotted puffers.

GSP fish are a brackish/saltwater fish. They are not freshwater fish.
As juveniles, these fish require brackish water. Brackish means a little marine saltwater is needed to keep these fish healthy. Brackish water requires 1.005 salinity of salt.
As these fish get older they will need to be in full saltwater. Which requires 1.021 salinity of salt.

Some will start the fish at brackish water and then gradually increase the salt in the aquarium with every water change to eventually make it full saltwater. This can take months.
Me personally, I bought my GSP as freshwater and when I brought them home, I acclimated them to full saltwater. I used the drip method to acclimate them which can take hours but worth it.
After that I put them in a 40 gallon saltwater tank with a salinity level of 1.021

These puffers will require a good brand of salt. The salt is needed for every water change. Salt is pricey but needed to ensure good health and happiness of your puffers.

You will also need a tool on measuring the salt in the water to get the right salinity level for the GSP.
Remember, 1.005 for brackish and 1.021 for full saltwater. The tool you will need is called a refractometer. You can order this through Amazon here by clicking

Before Acclimating them, I did treat them for infections and parasites for 2 days in a small freshwater 20 gallon tank. Most of them are wild caught so they might have
parasites and diseases. They can live in freshwater as babies for a very short time.
I put them in a small 20 gallon tank that was freshwater for 2 days while medicating them. I used 2 medications that treated both external and internal infections and parasites.

The two medications I used are called melafix and pimafix.
Melafix is the medication that treats internal issues of the fish and is also used as a preventive medicine when bringing in new fish. You can

Pimafix is what I used in case there was any fungal issues with the fish. You can order that medication through Amazon by clicking the link here!

If your Puffer has white spots all over it, then it has ick and needs to be treated right away. I suggest using this medication right here! Click the link!

GSP require warm water so a good heater is needed. I recommend using the aqueon heater brands as they are the most reliable in my experience.

GSP are very messy eaters and require daily water changes and pristine water conditions. Because of this, you will need very good filtration.
I use the aquaclear hang on the back filters as shown in the video. I use these filters for all of my tanks. You can order this filter here through

Depending on your location, The PH levels in your tap water might not be suitable for your green spotted puffers. Because of this, you might need
to add crushed coral to the substrate of your aquarium. This will increase the PH levels in your tank. I do not personally use this and my puffers
are fine, but then again the tap water in my area has always been good for my fish as far as ph goes.

Green spotted puffers are a species only tank. Adding them with other fish might not be a good idea. Every puffer is different, but there has been
reports of aquarists having issues with putting them in with other fish. Keep this in mind.

[smokeyfreshhh]

I had my gsp for about 10 years. His name was Pierre and he was an amazing puffer with a big personality. RIP Pierre

[madfishdiva]

That look very good and healthy. Got a couple of these that I was told were fresh even though everything I read online said brackish to salt so I sold back to my LFS. I love these little guys they have so much personality and hope to have again some day. Good info and video!

[thomasjeremy]

Do you not breathe?! I never heard a single breath taken when you were talking😂😂😂😂😂

[babyruth]

"adorable little cutie booties"... Exactly what I was thinking 😂

[Shaden]

You needto add some live plants such as java fern and add more hardscape for them to hide among. All puffers are highly intelligent and need distractions to keep them occupied, and places to hid from any potential aggression.1.005 is an ok place to start your brackish water, but remember these fish are used to in the wild, twice a day going from full salinity to full fresh, due to the tides.. To help keep plant green and growing, lower the salinity to 1.002-1.004. This small reduction in salinity will not harm them one bit.

[santoroaquatics]

You rock master aquatics love the fish you have man

[josemontalvo]

I had one for years. I never seen them puff up. So do they ever puff up? Thank you for sharing. I enjoyed watching!

[joshua]

What I find interesting is that people say that the green spotted puffer can live in fresh as juveniles but as it matures it requires salty water ... I find that to be misleading and false. Brackish fish are very adaptable when it comes to sodium chloride in and of itself. Green spotted puffers actually have a special mechanism in its gills that stores sodium chloride when it travels from salt to fresh or vice versa . The most important elements/minerals in marine salt is the high level of calcium carbonate and magnesium . The environment can literally be replicated in a Tanganyikan cichlid tank with hard water and a high PH which I am currently doing ... if it was the salt in and of itself that they require “as adults “ why wouldn’t they need that as babies ? it’s because it’s not the sodium chloride but the other elements in the marine salt . Which is the calcium and magnesium .

[rbear]

I wish you had been around about 15 years ago when I had my puffers. Then I would have known how to care for then and not spent lots of money on them. Thanks for the video

[tinymighty]

One day you MasterAquatics will become popular and I will remember the time the you only had a couple of subscribers

[NNuclearWinter]

Love you man! Ty for recommending Bug bites my critters loveeee! You should be sponsored! Great content always keep on rocking!

[ninoabregunda]

I just got 3 GSP, do i need to feed them everyday? or every other day? Thanks

[petsparadise]

Hi, can you tell me at wich age should i turn the freshwater to brackish water? I have a gsp and i don't know when to change and if 1.005 salinity is good for a start. Thanks in advance

[affordableaquariumservices]

Great video. I cant get my gsp to eat clam on half shell. Any ideas? Starve him 6 days? Im stressed

[laquentalewis]

Hello. What type of air filter do you use?

[HamMax]

Very professional video format now. Im liking the new style!

[HaYNFishKeeper]

Awesome video braddah great content learned a lot on this spices thanks much love and aloha 🤙🏽🐠🤙🏽

[lauraburdett]

Have 7 juvenile SPF in a 55 with multiple hidea. They all get along well.

[alphabetgrow]

Not enough good info on these guys, probably the best youtube video I have found on them so far. If there's any experts on them I'd like to see more good content on them and figure 8s.

[City_BusDriver]

How did your green spotted puffers react when you first brought them home, I bought mine today and he seems to just be sitting somewhere in the corner of the tank he did take a few bites of the Frozen clam I threw inside but he's not messing with the two live fiddler crabs in the tank right now. Maybe I should hand feed it?