New to GSP's

K

kcandiotti

AC Members
Aug 22, 2008
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Hi,

I recently purchased 3 GSP's from a pet store. They are approx. 1-1/2 to 2 inches long in a 10 gal. tank. I currently have them in fresh water, treating the water with only aquarium salt to this point. I was wondering what signs should I watch for to know if my fish are stressed? I notice one likes to lay in some decorative rocks while the other two lay in small rock caves. When they are laying in their spaces they seem to change color. The one on the rocks seems to turn tan... or i guess almost a foggy brown yellow. The white bellies turn dark in spots, almost black, for the other two that lay in the cave. When they decide to swim around or I give them food they return to a bright yellow and white with spots. Is this normal? Also, I notice they swim against the glass quite a bit, does this do them harm? I'm pretty new to keeping fish, so I want to make sure I provide them with the best living conditions as possible.

Thanks!
Keith
 
please read the other threads about gsp care. you need a much bigger tank for one puffer (30 gallons minimum) and they require brackish water (you need a hydrometer and marine salt for this, not aquarium salt). tank needs to be fully cycled too. the color change is normal, but grey bellies all the time can be a sign of stress. them laying down a lot is also a sign of stress, but its subtle. if they are laying around all the time, they are having problems. if they occassionally lay down, its alright (they may grey out while napping). thepufferforum.com is also a great resource for everything you ever wanted to know about puffer care
 
Poor things. I watched a friend of mines suffer in a 10 gallon. all it wanted to do was lay around. I pointed this out and he read up an got the marine salt a 29 gallon and did it right he lived for like 6 years. But yeah you need a MUCH BIGGER TANK for 3!
 
Thanks for the advice, i have been reading up on them quite a bit but I was finding some conflicting care instructions and just wanted to be sure of the appropriate care. I do have a larger tank in store for them soon so that should not be a problem. As for them laying down, one seems to do it more then the rest, but that could be the tank size, he is the smallest one and may feel the need to lay low. Thanks for the help.
 
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