GSP puffer , feeding and tank mates

[Jester123]

HELLO

New here


I got 3 GSP , in a 30 gall, with multi shelldwellers. Both have a side and things look good and they get along great.

i am feeding my puffers, they loved brine shrimp, and i bought frozen krill. They seem to eat the krill at first then, spit it out , after eating some.

will they get used to the krill ? what ya think of the shelldwellers as tank mates ? shellies rule 1 side of tank and puffers dont dare bother them. all looks good, just curious about the puffs eating

and advice would help , i have had the puffers for 4 days

jester

[JustinPSmith]

Hi. You will need at least a 90G tank for three GSP's. They are probably small now but as they grow, they will become very aggressive towards each other. Theres no way that you can keep 3 in a 30G if you expect them to survive long term!

But thats not even the biggest problem you have here! You have mixed fish that cannot be kept together at all. You have Cichlids and brackish fish in the same tank. One is freshwater and the other brackish and eventually close or full marine water. The GSP NEED at least some salt to make the water brackish. The cichlids will not be able to handle the salt you need for the puffers...You will have to get another tank and seperate them. As I said above, maybe a 75-90G for the puffers alone.

Or take the puffers back. Please don't try to keep these fish together, it will never work.

[Myaj]

Justin is completely correct.

GSP's get very large (think small football sized), aggressive and are full marine species when full grown. In freshwater, they will not stay healthy long term, and the small tank won't help either. They grow fast, are messy eaters and are extremely sensitive to "dirty" water, that tank setup is just not going to work out.

You should seriously start thinking now if you are going to return them or try to keep them, if you do, you will be looking at long term plans of a full marine setup of 90 gallons or more.

Its too bad most stores don't know what they are doing and sell GSP's as freshwater, but little by little people are starting to get educated!


And by the way

[Jester123]

Thanx for the advice.



The shelldwellers can handle slight brackish water and some salt to. The puffers have grown up in freshwater and i think they will be alright with some salt and brackish conditions.

i doubt they will get football size in a 30 gal , and think i will see what happens.

ill keep ya informed.

thanx again.

any answer on the krill eating ?


thanx for your opinions , i will see if the puffers will adapt, many fish and animals adapt to there conditions. Fact !

thanx again

i know none of you will be happy with my reply, but i have kept fish for 30 years and have seen fish adapt.

[Myaj]

No, we won't be happy with your reply, but you asked our opinions.

The puffers will not get football sized in a 30 gallon, they will die instead. If your choice is to let them live in bad conditions and die, when they SHOULD live over 10 years and grow to a good, healthy size if properly kept, I really, really ask that you take them back to the store.

The myth that fish only grow to the size of their tank is just that a myth. They may not grow to full size, but its because either they die first from the bad conditions or they get so many internal problems from the stunting (due to buildups of certian levels of things in the water, from overstocking) they are never fully healthy.

Around here we try to give you the best advice possible. I highly encourage you to think about that.. would you keep a dog or a child in a rubbermaid container, figuring that just because they are kept in a small area they'll never grow to their full size? No.. yes its "just a fish" but it is also a living creature and you took on the responsibility of caring for it when you bought it.

I can promise you one thing, if you keep the tank set up as it is, in a year most of the fish will be dead.

[manutius]

Jester my man you are in for a BIIIIIIG shock

[JustinPSmith]

I understand fish CAN adapt to various situations BUT why would you force your fish to adapt to conditions simply for your enjoyment??? Fact!-while they may adapt to different conditions, they will not thrive, grow, or be happy in those conditions! Would you like to adapt to a 6x6 cell? You would be fine but not happy and your life would probably be shorten because of it! These fish cannot be housed together and will NOT survive. I think your comments about knowingly stunting your puffers are unbelievable! Why would you want to stunt your fishes growth?

Please do not try to make this work...

[Fella]

I've kept shelldwellers and keep a range of puffers, and the combination frankly is verging on ridiculous. I don't mean that to seem harsh, but one of these species lives in shells, the other eats things that live in shells as part of it's natural diet.

GSPs will be big enough to eat full grown multis very soon after finding them...

[CoreyK]

i know none of you will be happy with my reply, but i have kept fish for 30 years and have seen fish adapt.

Poor fish
I encourage you to read this thread:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... php?t=4030

You need to get the puffers their own, bigger, saltier tank, or they will all die premature deaths; everyone here will agree.

[Pufferpunk]

In your 30 years experience, what's the oldest fish you have kept?

[JustinPSmith]

Im honestly surprised that with 30 years experience, you would overstock a tank like that and especially with non compatible fish! Im not trying to be rude but that is quite the combination!

[Jester123]

Hey guys


Seems like i touched a nerve. Lets forget the human in a 6 by 6 cell, doesnt relate.

And the the guy who asked the oldest fish i had, sorry, i dont keep records on how long my fish live, got no calander for that.

As for the Multis, a colony of multis, is no joke, they defend against fish 5 times there size, and i am not worried about them at all. the puffers are not fast enough , and the multis breed like rabbits, so a few eaten wont be a big deal. just like in the wild, all babies get eaten.

As for the puffers , a tank just for them would be boring, i like mixing and seeing the behavior of the fish.

Hey, 5,000 children die each day , we are talking puffers. ill see how it goes , but , those who think multis cant handle puffers are wrong. the puffers dont play in multi territory and i doubt they ever will.

So, ill add some salt, feed the puffs and enjoy the fun of the tank. i might not live 10 years, the puffers are the least of my worries.

ty for your opinions and god bless

jester

[Pufferpunk]

Not the best attitude IMO.

[Boxermom]

I feel sorry for the poor fish, as its pretty obvious you don't care about their welfare, just their "entertainment" value to you.

[Pufferpunk]

The people that use this forum are interested in keeping their puffers happy, healthy & long-lived. Why else write into a fish forum?

We all realize the plight of the rest of the world--why add to it? All living creatures are created by God--fish are no less & are loved by their Creator equally. At least we have some power over how our fish are being kept. Why make them suffer crowded conditions or early death?

A large tank with GSPs swimming about, begging for food & watching your every move is certainly not boring. There are several SW fish you can add to their tank after they have reached marine conditions as adult puffers.

Adding a "little salt" will not do. They need a LOT of marine salt. Just to raise the specific gravity of the tank .005, it requires roughly about 1 cup of salt for every 5g. These fish need a SG of ~1.008-10, even as juvies. Way too much for your FW fish to be comfortable in.