where to find GSP Food Variety

[lil fish]

I recently saved several GSP's from walmart. This is my first attempt at a brackish tank. Ive been feeding them some dried mysid shrimp and they seem to love it, but I'd like for them to have more variety. Ive read that they will eat crabs, mussles, clams.... My question is where do I find them since my pet store doesnt carry them. I live down near a salt marsh, can I go and collect some small ones, crack them open and throw them in for my GSP's?

[Pufferpunk]

Try the produce dept of your grocery store. You do know that by "rescuing" puffers at Walmart, you are encouraging them to keep selling them?

[lil fish]

I actually requested to speak with the store GM, and explained it to him. He sold them to me for very cheap and appologized that they were even selling them. He called and spoke with the pet dept manager and told them their walmart no longer would be carrying them since they didnt have the means to set up brackish tank .... just in case I informed him I will be stopping back in to check and make sure they arent.

Thanks!!

[Pufferpunk]

I spoke to Corporate Walmart & they will continue to stock GSPs, wherever they please. The stores themselves have no choice, they have to stock whatever Corporate sends them. Good luck with that though.

[purplecandle]

Walmart sells a large bag of shell on mussels, in the frozen section, for around $3.50

Walmart sells a big bag of uncooked shrimp for about $5, make sure you get the shelled and uncooked, usually those that are not de-veined are cheaper.

ANother option is to try hispanic markets. I have had great luck with finding a large variety for rock bottom prices when I go to my local hispanic stores.

No, do not feed your puffer things from the marsh. You risk bringing in parasites that way.

If you want to get to Walmart, the best way is not to demand they stop selling these fish. The best way is to find the store's fish "guru"- every store has one. Find out what shift she he/she works and have a talk about the basic needs of these fish, and what they should tell customers who buy them. Then at the very least, the fish can survive at Walmart long enough to find a good home, and the right home can be easier to find.

Manager's will tell you whatever..you got to get to the "guru" and by "guru" I do not mean that he knows everything, I mean is is one of the few employees that will want to care for the fish

I have had a lot of success by find the guru. And when I say success, I do not mean I got them to create brackish tanks, but rather I got them to be feed properly and they go home with people who at least know a little about there care needs...that is all you can really hope to gain. Fighting the system is ice skating up hill...Manipulating the system will get you a lot further.

I have only seen one Walamart stop selling the GSPs, because they were not selling.

[JRC3]

Here is a post I made elswhere about someone talking about "rescuing" a sick betta at a store. It also applies to the Walmart-GSP argument.

My realistic side thinks:

If he dies, maybe the store will consider stocking fewer fish.

I hate hearing people say, "I rescued a betta today"...All they are doing is clearing a space for the next one to go through the exact same thing.

However, my optimistic side makes me think of a little story I heard when I was a kid... :

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day, as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.

He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied "Throwing starfish into the ocean."

"I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.

To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"

At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "It made a difference for that one.

"Wally World" doesn't care about the fish itself...That fish is just as disposible as all the cheap Chinese junk they sell. When it breaks the consumer will be back in the buy a replacement.

And I am just as guilty as the next guy for shopping there. I am also guilty of wanting to "rescue" fish.

[Pufferpunk]

Good point!

[eraagne]

I've read Traders Joes and Whole Foods stock decently priced high high quality frozen shell fish. Just scout out the local grocery stores and do a little bargain hunting. Good look with your fish.