New GSP Owner, a little help?

[2jane]

Unfortunately, mine came from Wal-mart, as a gift. He was intended to be a dorm mate for when I move in, in a week. I got the fattest one, he also looked the most active.
I already know they eat brine shrimp, bloodworms, etc, as well as their brackish nature.
He's currently staying in a 1 gallon, which I certainly know is too small. We do have a 5 gallon tank we can move him into once we clean it out, but would that ever be big enough for him to be happy? I wouldn't think of putting another fish in there with him because I know its too small for him already. The biggest tank my dorm allows is 10 gallon, but I'm not sure I'll have the money for it.
Should I give him away to someone who is better equipped to take care of him, or can I keep him? I've definitely grown attached to him (her?), but I dont want him to suffer.
I also heard not to put any plastic plants in the tank, which is understandable because of their beaks and chewing habits. What should I outfit his 5-gallon with, if not plastic plants?

If I do keep him, transportation may be an issue. The drive is about 15 hours.

[Dadof4]

Hey! Welcome to the addictive world of puffers! Unfortunately GSP's make for very poor dorm partners. The biggest reason is tank size, he will require a minimum of 30 gallons just to get by. The reasoning for the large tank is two-fold. First, they get to about 6 inches long and the size around as a Nerf football. Second, is water quality, they are very messy eaters and produce a huge amount of waste, the larger the tank the better dilution of waste products. Puffers are very sensitive to the waste products. Another reason for them not being dorm friendly is that they are time consuming and become expensive after a while. Even in a larger tank you need to do weekly water changes of about 50% to keep the water clean enough for them and after a while the marine salt can get costly (GSP's should be in full marine conditions as adults). I know how money can be while in school, I too was a poor college student for a few years.

So, my suggestion would be to find him another home with someone who can get him in and keep him in the correct environment. If you are really interested in puffers, look in to Dwarf puffers. They can be kept in a small tank and are manageable in a dorm room!

[LilGreenPuffer]

I have dwarf puffers in my dorm, as well as a halfmoon betta, and my roommate, whose desk is back-to-back with mine and can see the fish as she works, has fallen in love. My puffers did great with the move, and I love having them with me. I keep them in a 10g tank, which I got used for $10 by looking at for-sale ads on craigslist.org.

If you decide not to keep your GSP, please find a home for him, as Wal-Mart flushes all returns, healthy or not.

Whicever you decide, good luck!

[LilGreenPuffer]

By the way, I would suggest that until you get him into a larger tank (even a big bucket would work), you do 100% water changes daily. Check out this article:

library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/

[2jane]

Thanks everyone! Looks like I'll be scouting for places to find dwarf puffers, as well as a home for my GSP. I currently have no place to keep him, so I'll be giving him to someone who is better fit to take care of him.
How many fish can fit in a 10gal tank? From what I've seen its 5gal for each dwarf, but can I keep one of those algae-suckers in there as well? What about any other fish?
I'm extremely new to the realm of fish-keeping (excluding bettas), so sorry for all the questions.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Wow, thanks for being so receptive to the advice! It's a shocker when you first find out about those cute little green guys and how big thet can get, isn't it?

I keep two DPs, three oto catfish, and a ghost shrimp in my 10g. However, I would not advise getting otos (the most efficient algae-eater out there, and a great DP tankmate) until you actually start seeing a pretty big buildup of algae. Some won't eat anything but algae fresh off the glass, and so they need to have an established supply of algae available to them.

About bettas, gee, even those guys are more than you think...

[Pufferpunk]

You've come to the right place. Please try to get that GSP into something bigger than that 1g bowl, right now! I'm afraid it'll poison itself with it's wastes faster than you think. Hopefully, another fish store will either take him as a donation or even a credit for some DPs.

Be sure to read the article in our Library on sexing DPs, as 2 males with fight to the death. You'd be best with 2 females & a small school of ottos in a 10g. Be sure to also read the cycling articles & cycle your tank before you get any fish for it.

[2jane]

@LGP- Ooh, I know! Ive been keeping 'em since I was little, and as I got older I've done more and more research on them, and I was surprised at the proper maintenance that goes into them.

@Pufferpunk- Thanks for the advice! I certainly don't want something like that to happen.

[2jane]

yay, looks like I found a home for my GSP, and a place to find DPs!
I do have a few questions regarding moving, though...
would it be better to introduce the DPs into their 5/10 gallon tank before I start to move (on the 4th), and then move them into a smaller container for travel,
or should I just leave them in the 1 gallon tank I have for a few days until I'm all set up in my final destination? I want to make the trip the least stressful I can for these little guys, and I dont know which is better.
Unfortunately theres absolutely no place I can buy DPs at my final destination (which happens to be the middle of nowhere), and I'm very skeptical about buying fish online so I'd prefer to get them before the move when they're readily available. Thanks again!

[Pufferpunk]

Could you possible pick them up on your way out there? The store may be able to pack them for the trip & add O2 to the bag even. 15hrs will be way too long in a bag without it. Have them bagged seperately in large bags & be sure to study up on how to sex them.

[2jane]

I can see if thats possible!
If it helps, we're going to drive a few hours up to my grandmothers house and spend the night, and my grandmothers house is 2 hours on the way. The longest stretch will be the 11-12 hours from my grandmothers house to the final destination. We leave around 5 or 6, get there 8 or 9, spend the night and leave at 3 or 4am... 21 hours total, rounding up.
I was thinking about picking them up the day before, introduce them to either the 1-gal tank or a wide tupperware container find a little battery-operated pump for the trip. Even with O2 added, I'm not sure if I want to risk the over 21-hour period.
At my grandmothers house I'll be able to cycle the water they're in, whether they be in the tank or another sort of container.

[LilGreenPuffer]

Actually, you can't cycle water. You have to build up bacteria on surfaces, like filters and gravel. Have you read the cycling article in the Library? That should help you out a great deal.

[Pufferpunk]

Along with the fish, I'd purchase Tetra's Safestart & keep it cold to instantly cycle the new tank they'll be in.

[LilGreenPuffer]

And don't let the fish store people trick you into another brand!

Do read that article anyway - even if you don't use it, it'll give you a better understanding of what your fish need.

[Dadof4]

IF you have to buy before you leave and don't want to buy online, you can travel with them in a 5 gallon bucket and a battery operated airpump and airstone, they are cheap. They also make some that plug in to a car cigarette lighter plug. During a trip that length you will also need to change water at least twice, about 80-90% (just leave enough to keep them under water and then add more). To do the water changes you are going to need some sort of dechlorinator for the water, Prime is one of the best. My local Wal-Mart used to carry a Wardleys Chlor-out that actually worked well. Oh, and make sure you have covers you can lay over the top of the buckets for jumping purpose. Please don't transport in the aquarium! One gallon is 8.5 lbs and will be extremely difficult to carry and also, the aquarium itself is will not withstand the moving when full, the seams will split from the shifting water weight. When we start setting up larger aquariums we have to make sure they are level because if they aren't, the .5 degree they could be off is enough to put too much weight on a single seam and burst it....