Do GSP's really do better in Marine?

[carsona246]

So I've been checking out some threads on GSP's, because I'm fairly certain that's the puffer I want in the marine tank I'm setting up. However I've come across a few threads that claim the reasoning behind keeping GSP's in full marine conditions is to utilize the filtration methods available to marine. If this is true, would a GSP do better in a brackish tank that had the same water parameters as a marine tank?
If brackish conditions with 0 nitrates are truly more ideal for a GSP than a marine tank with 0 nitrates, would a different puffer be a better choice for a marine tank? I want to be sure that the puffer I put in this tank will be well suited to the tank.

Also, a little off topic, but if the only reason for keeping GSP's in marine is indeed for the filtration, why wouldn't keeping a GSP in a freshwater tank with perfect conditions be just as acceptable? I'm not ever planning on keeping a GSP in freshwater conditions, but I use plant filtration in all my tanks, and have very little nitrates(for instance I can go a month without a waterchange and have less than 10 ppm's of nitrate.). I'm just curious as to why it's considered more acceptable to keep GSP's in marine if it's only for the purpose of filtration, when freshwater tanks could utilize plants and keep the nitrates just as low as a saltwater tank.

[sevenyearnight]

As adults, they require 1.018 SG, it's not merely the water parameters, so no they would not live long in freshwater.
Yes, you could keep a GSP in 1.018 brackish for it's lifetime, but it's more expensive, and more work. They need a minimum of that SG, so bumping it past that is perfectly fine, but lower than that is not.

[carsona246]

Ok, thanks for the clarification. So a GSP would not do better in a brackish tank even if the nitrate levels were exactly the same at a higher salt content, say 1.20?(The tanks were at 1.2 when i did a waterchange last week) Just want to make sure there isn't a better suited puffer.

[sevenyearnight]

Sounds like you have the dead sea. Lol What is your SG?
Marine is 1.020 - 1.025
Freshwater is 1.000

[carsona246]

In that case, it was probably 1.02, still getting used to the whole saltwater thing. Not 100% sure though, will double check with the refractometer to make sure, and adjust if it is indeed 1.2.
This brings up another question if you don't mind, does it matter if the salt content varies a little if it's slowly over a period of time? For instance I have to do 5 gallon top off's on each tank 3 times a week to keep the water level the same in the sump. I'm sure the salt content probably jumps a little bit each top off. If the difference between salt/brackish is .002 wouldn't most marine fish be going in between brackish/marine every time someone top off's a tank a little too much? The tank I'm working with is 150 gallons, so I don't think it's quite that big of a problem, but I guess I haven't checked with the refractometer each top off.

[sevenyearnight]

Yes, very small changes are fine. FW top offs are needed periodically to keep salinity down from evaporation.

[Pufferpunk]

Each fish has specific water conditions it does best in for it's immune system to keep it healthy & long-lived. For the GSP, it's high-end BW. Keeping it in FW, even with perfect water parameters, will compromise it's immune system.

For more info on the 2nd part of your Q: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=28420

[RTR]

Unfortunately, the conditions you are trying to compare are not real and do not exist in hobby tanks. High-end BW tanks with zero nitrate do not exist unless they are full flow-through (which would be astronomically expensive). The most stable tank parameters for SW require extensive live rock, good skimmer operation, and macroalgae. Conventional filter-based bacterial nitrification means that nitrate is always present and that level must be controlled by water changes. High end BW and full marine water changes are expensive.

Topping up is largely done with either tap water, or if evaporation rates are high, then with largely RODI water to avoid boosting the salinity excessively. Stability is the desired goal. Compensation for skimmer water volume loss alone is done by SW, as are partial water changes.

HTH

[ReefYeti]

Just wanted to shed some light on GSP's.
As babies they can live in freshwater for a short time.
Young adults need to be in brackish water.
After the GSP grows to approximately 3 inches, you can slowly acclimate them to full marine.
This follows their natural (in nature) lifecycle.

[Pufferpunk]

Actually they are BW fish, that visit marine water & actually breed in FW. We bump their high-BW conditions up a bit to SW & them we can utilize SW filtration, IE, LR/protein skimmer.

[ReefYeti]

Hmm, once a large adult GSP has been acclimated to full marine salinity, can they remain there forever?
Also, is it possible to promote breeding if you swap them into a freshwater tank (via drip acclimation?)

I have yet to own a GSP, but it's only a matter of time.

[Pufferpunk]

Yes & : viewtopic.php?f=40&t=16436