GSP Questions

[Reluctant Puffster]

1. I've read that GSPs need a complex environment to keep them from getting bored. What the heck does that mean?

2. Crunchy things keep their teeth healthy. I got some snails from the LFS and they ate them up pretty quick. What else can I give besides snails, maybe something easier to keep around? It would nice if snails could live in the tank with them and they could just pick them off when they get hungry, but they'd probably eat as many as I put in there, right?

4. How often do they need to eat crunchy foods? I've been giving them bloodworms since they demolished the snails. I also intend to hatch out some brine shrimp for them regularly, but those wouldn't be considered crunchy, I don't think.

3. What's the best thing to use to measure the salinity of the water? I've read a couple of big words here. Until then, what's a good ratio of sea salt/gallon. I've been doing about 1/2 tsp per gallon, but I figure less is better right now since they were in fresh water at the LFS.

Thanks! This has been a great site to help me muddle through all my questions.

[Idontknow]

I'm just a newbie to puffers myself, but I will try to answer as best as I can from reading things here and from personal experience. I am sure the more knowledgable will be able to add more useful information afterwards.

1. I've read that GSPs need a complex environment to keep them from getting bored. What the heck does that mean?

It means you should put in lots of things like fake plants, caves, things to break up lines of sight, and other decorations that the puffers can explore. I have some plastic "S" curved pipes that my puffers love swimming through. They also like to hide behind some leafy plastic plants that I put in there. They seem to like to explore "caves" as well. I used some cheap miniature pottery looking things and half buried them in the sand to make them look like caves.

2. Crunchy things keep their teeth healthy. I got some snails from the LFS and they ate them up pretty quick. What else can I give besides snails, maybe something easier to keep around? It would nice if snails could live in the tank with them and they could just pick them off when they get hungry, but they'd probably eat as many as I put in there, right?

I think normally they will eat as much as they can--at least they do with the bloodworms. Although, when I give them dry krill because of the shell and the size (the dry krill is bigger than my puffers combined), they usually give up after eating quarter of the way.

4. How often do they need to eat crunchy foods? I've been giving them bloodworms since they demolished the snails. I also intend to hatch out some brine shrimp for them regularly, but those wouldn't be considered crunchy, I don't think.

I am not sure how often, but I usually give them dry krill once every few days. The shells are pretty tough, so I hold them with tweezers. I can feel the puffers ripping into them and see them spitting out the shells. They seem to enjoy this a lot.

I raised some brine shrimp before but they are not at all crunchy, but it is very entertaining to watch fish go after the brine shrimp. It also takes about a month before the brine shrimp really become meaty enough to feed.

3. What's the best thing to use to measure the salinity of the water? I've read a couple of big words here. Until then, what's a good ratio of sea salt/gallon. I've been doing about 1/2 tsp per gallon, but I figure less is better right now since they were in fresh water at the LFS.

You can get a hydrometer for pretty cheap probably less than $20 at a pet store. All you do is fill it with water and the arm inside will rise showing you the salinity and specific gravity of the water. I have read on here that refractometers are much more accurate but more expensive.

I think if you have been doing 1/2 tsp per gallon and the puffers are doing alright, you can continue to mix that amount until you get a hydrometer then you can start raising the salinity.

[SpockthePuffer]

1. Complex means just have lots of decor, like this:


2. You can't really keep snails in with the GSP because the salinity will kill them. I have a little 10 gallon set up that I breed snails in. I have live plants and a betta in there, its very pretty and easy to maintain and the snails multiply like crazy.

4 (not sure why you numbered your questions out of order... lol). Brine Shrimp isn't really that nutritious. You can keep on feeding blood worms but some other good foods are people shrimp, mussles, clams, squid. I bought people shrimp and clams awhile back and threw them into the blender and put some fish vitamins in there too and made some delicious food that I just have to thaw out to feed to my puffer. He loves shrimp, its his favorite.

3. You can use a hydrometer, a refractometer would be even better but you need to be measuring it, you can't just throw salt in there without knowing how much is in there. Hydrometers are cheap and work relatively well, just make sure you get one that starts at 1.00

Okay hopefully that helps a bit

[Pufferpunk]

How's this for complex?


Check out our Librrary for articles on GSPs & feeding.

[Reluctant Puffster]

Those are great looking tanks!

What are the rules as so what I can put in the tank? Can I boil rocks from outside and put them in? (Was told I can do this for FW tanks.) Can I put shells in there? (Was told not to do this with FW tank.) I don't like a lot of the fake stuff I see at the store.

Also . . .

It is advisable to let snails live in my FW tank so I can feed them to the puffers, or is it not worth the trouble?