cleanup crew

[jmanglona]

Hi guys,

I'm new here, so please bare with me. I have a 75 gallon aquarium, 2 AquaClear 110 filters, and 3 GSPs. They are in SG 1.012 with aragonite sand (rough, not fine). I have had them since Oct. 2010. They are at around 2 1/2 inches. I feed them every variety of recommended food I've researched, I even have my own 10 gallon snail breeder tank. I don't over feed them and I remove the large chunks of food after they have plumped up. There is still no getting away from the bits and pieces they leave behind has they munch and crunch their food. I was wondering if there are other creatures I can add to my tank that can help clean up the mess they leave behind at the bottom. Maybe a "lobster"/crayfish or other recommendations. I just want something that will help me out with cleaning the sand and something that won't harm Gonzo, Slick, and Easy - which can also live in the SG I got going. Thank you for any help.

Joe, from UT

[jmanglona]

anyone?

[RTR]

I never found anything to serve as cleaners for GSPs,especially while they are in BW. At full marine you can add live rock in-tank or as a sump/refugium, and/or 24/7 lighted macroalga refufugium and either will provide 'pods and other substrate critters which will assist with cleanup (especially if the return to the fish tak is passive, not pumped), but not easily in-tank and not at BW densities.

[jmanglona]

I have a quick question...Why do GSPs so called "migrate" from BW to SW. Does anyone actually have a scientific answer as to why? Majority of the animals that risk life and death to migrate in the world is because of FOOD. They simply follow and adapt to the food they are seeking. Does the actual anatomy of the GSP change so much that they must migrate from BW to SW as they grow, or is it a matter of them seeking out the food that gets their gut happy. I'm sure people will talk about salinity...but what the hell does that mean. All it means is a different, and meatier type of food.

I really think that the people that say that GSPs Must convert to SW are just one-sided. I agree that fresh-water fish, brackish-water fish, and salt-water fish are all in their own category, BUT some lines may be in the gray area.

I'm sorry for the rant, but I have yet to read some hard evidence as to why GSPs would be better off in a SW tank if they are getting the just amount of food and nutrients that they would in a brackish tank.

If anyone has any documented results thats compares BW GSPs to SW GSPs lifespans please let me know. Other than that...I've already read the articles most of you have already read.

[RTR]

Mangrove swamps and estuaries in general are fantastic food sources. Both tropical FW and SW fish take advantage of such areas as super nurseries/grow-out places for their fry.

Those areas are likely the way second division fish (those families which arose in the sea, but later developed FW species) bridged the shift into FW. That includes puffers. They are circumpolar in the marine tropics and have recolonized the major continents with FW species. It also helps explain how and why they are not very picky about FW parameters - they still tend to be quite adaptable on pH and GH and KH. Most reef families are not very adaptable.

As to why GSPs are better off in captivity in SW, it is quite simple. We can operate SW tanks many times better than we can mid-level BW. You may need to make one-time purchases of more equipment, but over the lifespan of a GSP, that is not only better for the fish, it is cheaper and easier for the hobbyists to operate. If foam fractionators and LR and macroalgae refugia worked in mid-level BW, we would not be pushing SW. The physiology or anatomy of the fish does not have to change, the structure and function of the water itself is what we are interested in.

FW is easy, SW is easy. Mid-level BW is harder and more expensive long-term.

[bigfatfish]

As always, RTR talks sense!

As for "clean-up crew" in your BW tank - might I suggest some ghost shrimp? Sure, some may get eaten, but they are great at cleaning up the scraps & mine also nibble on a little algae. I purchased about 30 some 6 months ago for £1 & am down to 2 now. Provide plenty of hiding places for them & they should do well.

[Pufferpunk]

anyone?

LOL, you're posting here at 3am & wondering why you haven't heard back from anyone yet???

[xrayjeeper83]

If there are plenty of places to hide then Ghost shrimp would be your best bet. They are small enough and see through and could possible be ignored by your puffer. I know my Fahaka leaves the ghost shrimp in his tank alone.

[jus85411]

i have had 1 lucky hermit i got by accident make it through at least a year and a half with my GSP. im not saying he didnt try to get him, he definitely did, but the hermit was too smart and had a hard shell

[jmanglona]

I'm gonna get a dragon goby and see how things turn out. It will add some diversity to my aquarium and hopefully pick up some scraps. I've read the article "Theres a dragon in my tank", and I'm fully aware of the care of them, so hopefully I will have a happy and fat DG when I get him/her. thanks guys...especially for not for beating me up on my previous posts.


pufferpunk, thanks for the welcome.

[Pufferpunk]

I highly suggest AGAINST keeping DGs with GSPs. GSPs do not belong with sedentary fish. They will get picked to death.

[bigfatfish]

Just get some ghost shrimp - they clear up all the bits & are fascinating to watch.

[jmanglona]

I highly suggest AGAINST keeping DGs with GSPs. GSPs do not belong with sedentary fish. They will get picked to death.

Yeah I can see where you're coming from reguarding DGs as sedentary fish. But are you more concerned about them actually being picked on, or the fact that they will not get to the food fast enough. I thought that as a general guideline to GSP tank mates should 1) be much larger than the puffer itself (the goby I have is about 7 inches) and 2) that they are a non aggressive species.

As for food intake I bought some kind of spot feeding tool today from amazon.com that came recommended from some searches I have done on google.

Has there been any documented success stories with GSPs and DGs. I know that GSPs are fin nippers by nature but I highly doubt that they can actually kill a fish that has the potential of growing 4 times their size and thats if the puffers actually grow to 6 inches.

Thanks for the respnse ppunk

[RTR]

Why would you think that? If you have not provided a tube or comparable refuge for the DG, it is exposed to the GSP 24/7. Puffers are curious and nippers/tasters. They look for potential food and that includes fins.

Not a good idea to my mind either.

[Pufferpunk]

are you more concerned about them actually being picked on, or the fact that they will not get to the food fast enough.

Both! Size does not matter to a GSP. They take chunks of flesh out of their victims & just the stress of being constantly picked on, can kill any fish.