The Puffer Forum

Hello,

It's been almost 5 months since I've gotten my 2 GSPs. They have grown approximately 0.5-1 cm in this time span. I was wondering if this is the normal rate of growth for them? My fear is that they may be stunted.

The tank is 57g and they are 1.5-2 in. big. The following are the water parameters:

Nitrite: 0ppm
Nitrate: 20 ppm
Ammonia: 0 ppm
pH: 7.6
Temp: 78 degrees

Attached is a short video of my nano (?) tank, please advise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYD1CMYUYJo&feature=plcp

That does sound quite slow. However you seem to be doing things right. It will be interesting to see what growth rate other gsp owners have experienced.

What are you feeding? Are you adding vitamins? Water change schedule? Try to get that nitrate down a bit. SG?

Pufferpunk wrote:What are you feeding? Are you adding vitamins? Water change schedule? Try to get that nitrate down a bit. SG?

Here's what I've been feeding them:

Live ghost shrimp
Sun-dried Gammarus
Snails
Occasionally some crickets
Occasionally frozen bloodworm

I've always fed them generously, 6 days a week, so I don't think they're lacking in nutrients. However, I have not been adding vitamins. What would you suggest?

WC is 50% weekly, with SG at around 1.006-1.008

Soak meaty foods in Vita-Chem or Zoe for marine fish: viewtopic.php?f=66&t=28566

I have about the same growth rate. I've not had mine 5 months, but probably 3 months. He/she is also about 2 inches maybe a bit more. In a 68 gal tank. I use Zoe as a vitamin supplement.

Gwen

My old GSP grew to be about 5 inches in length but it took him several years to reach it. I just don't think they grow very fast.

Speculation with the accounts taken from other GSP owners and with my own personal experience from the ones I have it seems that the spots seem to determine the growth rate. Specimens with tiny irregular spot patterns tend to be slow growing compared with ones that have larger more defined spots.