Advice for a new GSP owner

[grimwil]

Let me start off by saying this forum is amazing. I have been reading posts for hours.

Long story short my wife and I bought two green spotted puffers as freshwater fish from Wal-Mart. I bet you have never heard that before. We were very fortunate that this was a new tank and they were the first fish we were adding. We purchased these with a freshwater crab, and we asked the person working there if they would be ok together, and his comments were "Sure. I don't see why not." The crab survived only a few minutes, and Miss Piggy was one happy little puffer. I figured I would do a little research and I realized Wal-Mart has no business selling fish.

It has been about three months and we're still learning. I have converted my 37 gallon tank to a brackish tank. I have been feeding them the cubes of frozen brine shrimp, ghost shrimp from our very small local pet store, and snails. I purchased a 10 gallon tank to breed snails, but I had some questions about other food. I have read on here that I can buy uncooked frozen shellfish from the grocery store. When I look at this it seems like they have some form of preservatives. Will this be harmful or when people say frozen shellfish are they buying it fresh and freezing it? How often should I be feeding them? They are about 1.5 to 2 inches long. I am currently thawing about 1/3 of a cube of the brine shrimp daily and a few snails a couple times a week. I have only fed them ghost shrimp a couple times because our local pet store doesn't always have them.

I also had a question about adding a few Bumble Bee Goby to the tank. My wife wants to buy all the GSPs every time we go to Wal-Mart because she feels so bad for them. I know we will need to upgrade our current tank eventually, but my wife was looking for something that could possibly live with our two GSPs (Miss Piggy and Zeke) until we transfer them to a larger tank.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Cheeto]

i was aslo intrested in adding a couple bumble bee's to my 75 gallon with 2 ceylons but would they just become a snack humm who knows? anyways i asked my LFS and they said that they would be to fast for the puffers so it would be good entertainment. im not into making a fish run for its life so i dont think im gonna do it. im still learning myself so i would wait to see what more experienced puffer owners have to say sorry i couldnt be of more help.

[trekenk]

Hi grimwill and welcome to The Puffer Forum. I wouldn't be adding anything right now. Your best bet is work on upgrading your tank to min. 60 gallons ( 75 gallon would be better) and going full marine. GSP can live in high end brackish their whole lives but it is highly suggested going full marine to save on money. Start researching the proper saltwater setup of live rock and skimmer. The orginal set up will cost more but you do save alot in the long run with less water changes. If you do get a large enough tank you might be able to add a tomatoes clown in with the mix. You are correct in assuming you want to purchase raw seafood no preservatives. They can be found or you can freeze fresh. Good luck, glad you joined us.

[grimwil]

Thanks. Can I keep them together, or will I eventually need to separate them? We are already pricing out a 75 gallon setup at our local pet store. Who knew fish could be so addicting. We have been checking craigslist for used tanks, but I'm not sure this is something that should be purchased used. Any risks I should be aware of if buying a used tank?

[Cheeto]

always look at the silicone between the pains if there are bubbles stay away i made that mistake with a 90gallon i got for $75 went to test it to see if it held water and well umm my son got his bath for the night

[trekenk]

Lots of people have luck with great tanks at a great price on craigslist. Alway nice to be able to see the tank setup before purchasing but that isn't always the case. Lots do a test run and fill the tank up outdoors or in garage before moving in the house. As far as keeping them together you will have more luck in the 75 gallon of them getting along, also more of a chance since they have been introducted to the aquarium together. It is a hit and miss. Some get along for years without agression and then start while others never do. Large tank with lot of decor is your best bet.