New GSP setup

[rtylermack]

Hello all (from a new member),

I am interested in keeping a GSP, and I am starting from scratch.

My apartment and budget will probably (for now) only sustain a US 29G tank, and I am wondering if this would be okay for the short term (I move in a year and could feasibly upgrade then). I know at least one member out there has a GSP in a 29G.

I have been considering:
- Magnum H.O.T. Pro (with the bio-wheel) for filtration. This tank will most likely be in my bedroom, so I need a pretty quiet filter, if possible. I had been considering the Magnum 350, but I understand externals can be noisy. Anybody have experience with the H.O.T. or the 350 and have any advice?

- I would prefer a heater which allows for control from the exterior of the tank, simply for ease of use. Any suggestions?

Also, I'd like to have some live plants in the tank but I understand java fern and java moss are pretty much the only species which can stand strong brackish. Should I just suck it up and go fake until my GSPs are mature enough for full marine? I HATE the look of fake plants. Any secrets on real-looking fakes?

I feel like I'm forgetting something. Substrate! Coral aragonite seems to be the consensus, eh? I'll mix that with a bit of marine sand I have left over from a 1 gal FW I have in my kitchen with some white clouds (which will eventually be transferred to a 2.5G to breed snails and keep ghosts -- can this be done in the same tank, and with the clouds?)

What is the species of snail I should be looking for to breed for feeding? There are three tiny snails in the 1G right now that came attached to a plant that is in there. They look like "common pond snails" to me, but I'm clueless.

Also, in regards to tank size... how quickly do GSPs grow? Assuming I purchased a juvenile <2", would he have terribly outgrown the 29G by next fall (or possibly next summer)?


Sorry for such a long post. Thanks for any advice!

Tyler.

[kass]

Welcome to the site!
To start you should read the GSP article in the library if you haven't already.
30 gallons is the minimum recommended size for 1 GSP, so you should be fine, although bigger is always better.
A submersible heater would be best. If you buy a decent quality heater, once you set the temperature it should stay stable.
Live plants will probably not last long once the SG is raised over 1.005 or so. Silk plants look fairly realistic IMO.
The ghost shrimp will likely eat the egg sac form the snails. To maximize snail production its probably best to have a snail only tank. The shrimp and white coulds should be fine together though.
Common pond and ramshorn snails are what you should look for. They are extremely easy to breed and breed pretty fast. To ID your snail look at the snail breeding or food article in the library, they both have pictures of pond snails.

[JustinPSmith]

For the plants, I had fake silk plants in my brackish tank for a long time and found that once some algae grew on them and they faded quite a bit, they looked awesome and most people actually thought they were real! Try clever ways of mixing the plants in with bog wood, rocks and "real" decorations to make it look more natural. I would say silk are great though!

GSP's grow fairly slow, so a 29G is great for a while, IMO!

[Hilly]

Welcome Rtylermack

[Myaj]

I personally don't recommend a 29 gallon tank.. they truely only hold 25 gallons and once you ad decor, not even that.

Its generally cheaper to just buy the big tank right away, not to mention more healthy for the fish.

I think a lot of the macro algaes do just fine at mid to high brackish.. so you can start those sooner.

But if you go with the small tank, then upgrade in a year, that might time out just right to move to a higher salinity and plant the new tank with macro algaes.

[bugeye]

EHEIM make a SW and FW version of the 'Thermo Filter'. It heats the water outside of the tank so there is no need for unsightly internal devices. It is also a very robust and well designed canister filter, typical of reliable German engineering.

[HRPuffersnStuff]

Ghost shrimp always eat the snails... little buggers.

[kimmers318]

In answer to your Q's about the magnum filter...I only have experience with the magnum 350 biowheel set up which is what we have on my 65 and hubby's 90 gal. Neither are loud at all....as a matter of fact, I can hear my aerator over the filter while sitting here at my desk. I have been pleased with the filtration on both tanks. Set up was a pain in the butt....I don't think the directions were detailed enough for an idiot like me, but once it was up and running w/o leaks it has been fine. The first time I had to remove hoses for a hose cleaning was also a pain, but now that I have done it, it is simple. The quick disconnects are very convenient.