GSP Spawn?

[mustangsherman]

Today I noticed that one of my GSPs was missing. As I began searching the tank, I found a small arched area under rock of GSP spawn. My guess is that they are less than a week old. I have no idea how to catch them. My thought is to try to set up a small 2 gallon or 5 gallon tank, do frequent water changes, and try to feed them Daphnia or Cyclops.

I am going to try to get pictures or video if possible. Based on their current location I doubt that I will be able to get any meaningful pictures.

Any help from anyone is welcome.

Oh I should mention the tank is a 55 G saltwater. Until today it contained six GSPs. Today five can be located but the spawn have been found. The puffers were purchased already converted from BW to SW from a LFS. The puffer tank has been up and running for about 4 months. The puffers are fed a variety of foods from frozen squid (they don't like this as well), frozen krill (will eat more and more willingly), brine (will eat pretty willingly), and live ghost shrimp (which they enjoy as both food and entertainment). The tank contains assorted snails and hermits (which the puffers also find as food and probably entertainment or sport). They are still small enough that they have not shown any aggression with each other. I have planned that when they become larger and possibly aggressive that they will need to be separated.

Thanks again.

[Pufferpunk]

Are there any other fish in there? It is more than likely not GSP fry. They are known to breed in FW or close to that. Also, you mention they are small--probably not sexually mature yet.

[manutius]

I ma ready with th champagne if they are GSP it would be some acheivement. Is there definately nothing else they could be?

[mustangsherman]

There are no other fish in the tank-it is a species only tank. The GSPs themselves are about 2 1/2 inches long. I am watching the little ones-whatever they may be. Where they are located in the tank I don't think we can catch them. When I slightly moved the piece of rock above them they were not seen for about an hour after I put it back. We tried to target feed them cyclops. Its not really possible to see if they are eating.

If they are something else I don't know what they are. If something else hijacked its way into the tank, it will be interesting to find out what. I know that if I don't get them out of there thought that the puffers will eat them. Right now they are located under a curve of a piece of tonga branch that the puffers are too big to get their heads underneath.

I tried to get pictures or video but it was too dark under the rock to see them and my camera wasn't powerful enough. If they make it to slightly bigger or I can get them out I'll post pictures.

Thanks

[Corvus]

Would be interesting to know what small invert survives with GSPs. While they have spawned in captivity these occurences are rare and your specimens are still small, but who knows?

Since you have a marine setup is there any live rock or other source for hitch hikers?

[OraLacerta]

He mentioned a piece of Tonga Branch so it sounds like there is LR in the tank. Hopefully the fry can be caught so we can identify them!

[julesee]

Very interesting! I hope we get to see some pics :]

[Woland]

Congrats!
Keep us posted.

[Hilly]

Looking forward to seeing how this progresses.

[mustangsherman]

An update.
The only other creatures known in the tank are a couple of larger blue leg hermits and some larger snails and one turbo snail. Small snails seem (hummmm?) to gradually disappear in the tank. We have on ocassion put freshwater ghost shrimp in the tank for entertainment and food purposes for the GSPs.

Since I last wrote, I have explored several possibilities. I resigned myself to trying the easiest first and placed a tank divider into the tank. The "spawn" (oh I hope they are), had moved to primarily one end of the tank under a piece of rock. The divider was okay for awhile until one GSP crossed over. He spent his time then nose to nose with another GSP looking through the divider. They were all so amused and entertained (as good GSP's should be) by something new in the tank. Not quite sure how they bulldoze their way past the divider. No damage to the divider but not a barrier just became a game of "to get to the other side". I haven't tried putting them in on the same side as the spawn and letting them sneak onto the other side (hmm Im sure they would still outsmart us).

We have been target feeding frozen baby brine shrimp. I also acquired a shrimp hatchery so that I can provide them live baby brine. There is not going to be a way to catch the spawn. I'm exploring options for moving the grown puffers to another tank, but dont have one ready and cycled and dont have the cashflow at the moment.

As it goes with pictures. I have a digital SLR but do not own a MACRO closeup lens. Have wanted one but not yet spent the money. This would be only possible way to get pictures. Not going to happen unless I can find someone to loan or even rent a lens to me. My video equipment does not have a short enough focal distance to focus through glass, water and ultimately on such small creatures either. Will keep you updated.

At night when shining a flashlight into the tank, can find little area of swimming tadpole shaped creatures whose eyes light up orangish. Very cute little 12-15 total of double orange dots all moving around.

Will keep you posted.
Nicole

[Pufferpunk]

A hint for picturetaking w/o a macro lens. Try holding a magnifying glass over the lens. It really does make a huge difference. Now to just get thise lil buggars to hold still! Better up that shutter speed!

[mustangsherman]

Hi,

Well I have finally managed to catch some of the GSP (fry?) I will try to post photos soon! Your help is graciously appreciated in an attempt to ID these things. They are starting to swim along the bottom of the tank. Within this week, I moved the adults to another tank. Maybe this has helped the fry to be less intimidated as a snack. They appear to be at several stages of development and they are all over the tank. I am anxious for your thoughts. Thanks!

[Pufferpunk]

Do they look like tiny puffers? What are you feeding them?

[Rocker]

any update on these?

[mustangsherman]

Hi,
We finally got some video! They were too small to photo individually. They appear to be a light green, with obvious eyes and tail. We are currently feeding them live and frozen baby brine. Last night when we came home, they were swimming out in the open against the back wall. We will try to get the video downloaded this weekend.