The Puffer Forum

Good afternoon everyone!

Just wanted to stop by and give a huge thank you for all of the pertinent and updated information you have accumulated on this site.

I have been researching GSP's for about a month now, intent on getting a new wet pet when the time was right and the tank was ready. Well, that time is fast approaching and my poochface gets to come home with me tomorrow! I finished putting in all the decorations after reading on this site that they require lots of hunting spaces and interesting decor to keep their intelligent minds a buzzin'. I over planted because the LFS tank is all but bare (one plant! O_O) and the two poochfaces they have seemed a bit out of sorts (glass strafing.) I figure if there is a need for more space in the middle its always easy to take a few plants out.

I guess my only question is: What would be a good first meal?
I'm not expecting my GSP to scarf immediately upon entering his new amazonian habitat, but I'd like to have a preplanned food source available anyhow. Possibly a handful of ghost shrimp already in the tank?

Here's a few shots of the tank:

Amazonian!


Poochface Hideout

wow that is highly planted lol

Snails are good

Hey there, Welcome to the neighborhood !!!

Not to rain on your parade,...but GSP's need brackish water and those plants will not survive the increase in salinity. If you have not factored the salt into your equation I suggest that you re-read the Puffer Pedia section on GSP's. They are o.k in FW to start (if thats what they were in at the LFS), but they will need to be upgraded to high end brackish water very soon. This will require marine salt and a tool for measuring the salinity (a hydrometer or refractometer) as well as a large container and powerhead for pre-mixing the BW.

As far as food goes,...snails, snails, and more snails. Ghost shrimp are good, especially if you gut load them first (feed them a high nutrient food). Most other sea foods like mussels, shrimp, squid, etc are good too. Most important is snails. I wouldn't load the tank with the shrimp,keep them separate as puffers have a tendency to over-eat (Not good)

Feeding amount should be a slightly rounded belly,..no beer guts

HTH

Oh don't worry about the plants, I don't think the change to brackish will effect the silk! LOL I admit that I have not had great success with live plants (I've given up) in the past, so poochface will have to play in the silk. Plus I read that puffers sometimes eat plants and after watching my loaches devastate that $300 worth of a planted tank, and pulling my hair, I've decided its just better all around for everyone to be silky. The change to brackish will also be much easier if I only have one factor to keep track of (the puffer) since I've never done it before. More research into that to come!

So snails! I've got myself a breeder tank that's just starting out with 8 mystery snails (why are they so mysterious anyhow?) since Apple snails are illegal in California. But I can toss in some shrimp to start them off too. Until that takes off, I'll become a local haunt at the LFS.

Terribly excited about the adoption tomorrow!

Sorry,...Wow those look like real plants. Good call.

Better to find some ramshorn snails if you can,...they will breed faster and their shells are better for puffer teeth

Blaine wrote:Better to find some ramshorn snails if you can,...they will breed faster and their shells are better for puffer teeth

I'll get on it! I have a few in the 55g but I don't recall them ever breeding (or surviving the Loaches.) So I'll pick up some more tomorrow. If the poochface is roughly an inch long, how do I know what size snail to get for it? I recall something about the "size of their eyes" being an approximate measurement of the snail they can attack/eat.

Also, how soon will I need to begin switching to brackish? I know they are currently in fresh, so that's what the set up is. Would a week be appropriate? Right now they are stressed out and with the new move/habitat I don't want to change things too fast.
-goes to dig out her powerheads- Glad I kept all the various accouterments from my 1,000g salty!

Oh, and thank you for the answers!

Yeah,...loaches will eat the snails when they can.

How long has the tank been set up? Is it fully cycled? What are the ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate readings?

As long as the tank is cycled then you are safe to add the GSP. It can stay in FW for a couple of weeks to allow it to settle in,...then you should start raising the sg a little each week (no more than .002 sg per week to maintain the bio-filter)

Keep an eye on the test readings while raising the sg.

Yep, tank is good to go. It was simply moved from my bedroom into the front room (center of attention!) Previously it was a cichlid tank for roughly 2 years. Has a nice Fluval cannister with a smaller OTT filter just to provide some fun flow to swim in. Can grab another dry Fluval that is meant for a 50 gal if the poochface gets really messy - thought two 50g filters might be over kill though.

Two weeks, Ill mark it on my calendar. Also gives me time to dig up all the salt equipment, 'cause I'm not really looking forward to the safari into my storage space. Heh.

Yeah, now that is a heavly planted tank. Sure fish going to beable to swim in that jungle?..lol

He should be OK, there is actually an area in the middle of the tank that is fairly open. I'll be moving a few plants once the poochface gets comfortable. Im..er.. over compensating for the current LFS lack of plants. I also have a bucket full of various aquarium trinkets and decorations to change up the tank and keep it fun for him.

sounds like you have things well in hand....good luck climbing the 'storage' mountain. If it's anything like mine you'll need hiking boots and a climbing axe.

Oh yeah, and your plants will not be able to tolerate the seasalt in order to get brackish water. Unless you where just adding the GSP's in the tank temporary.

So I found a thread that talked about the benefits of transitioning the GSP to full marine over the period of a month or more.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=15647

Now I'm on the fence as it seems that the thread reflects success and even improved puffer conditions after this. I've had a large salt tank before, but I did not really enjoy it as much as my FW. I don't want to make a decision that will ultimately prove to cause my puffer discomfort or even hinder development and happiness. I don't want to maintain a 30 gallon salt tank for one fish, to be openly honest.

Do you keep your GSP's in brackish or full marine?

I am rethinking the GSP, and pondering a small colony of dwarf puffers.

Oh don't worry about the plants, I don't think the change to brackish will effect the silk!

That, I could tell but you did get me to go back to make sure changed the word sensors back correctly! :p

Yep, tank is good to go. It was simply moved from my bedroom into the front room (center of attention!) Previously it was a cichlid tank for roughly 2 years.

How long ago did you move the cichlids out?

you have to consider your costs...

A GSP will do well in full marine which is cheaper in the long run than a (mid ~ high) brackish tank. PP has a saying .. "Why waste the $alt?" (note the dollar sign).

IF you go DP .. you'll need to be able to sex them. That is a 3:1 ratio of females to males. That being said, I have a Solo DP a colony of cherry shrimp and an albino pleco in my 30 gal DP tank.