Need GSP Advice (First GSP)

[slice]

I just got a Green spotted puffer last week on doing alot of work on doing my research first even though some of it is sketchy-_-. I have him in a 10 gallon tank till I resurrect my 30 gallon tank out of the basement and put him in there. I did read one of the articles on brackish water that helped alot. I want to slowly transition my GSP from fresh water to brakish water. I also have a pleco in my tank also but I'm going to send him to my cousins nice and comfy tank. Ok enough of my talk here's my questions.

What kind of snails are good to feed my GSP(named him Darwin)?

Does anyone have any advice on how to transition him to brackish water?

Besides snails is there any other food I can feed to my GSP(I feed him blood worms for now)?

By the way he's 2-3 inches in length so far :)

Thnk you in advance :)

[Mokomon]

Up your salinity by no more than .002/week
You need 2 tsp Ocean salt per gal water to get .002


I feed my puffers freeze dried shrimp, bloodworms, grocery store clams, mussels, and shrimp with the shell on, and crickets :)

[Mokomon]

I forgot to add that you want to get to approx 1.010-1.015 SG

Good luck!

[inkyjenn]

actually, gsp can go full marine as adults quite nicely. i have one ive had for several months now. you will need a hydrometer and marine salt. you need to raise the sg slowly, only .002 sg a week. or else the beneficial bacteria in your filtration will constantly be dying off and you will be forever cycling your tank. a great place for good information is thepufferforum.com. its where i got my info.

i will warn you, your puffer may seem a bit itchy and cranky (gray bellied) initially, but as the salt continues to rise, it will start to love it whenever you raise the amount of salt

[slice]

thanks for the advice I should start introducing brackish water slowly this weekend when my cousin comes down to pick up my pleco cause I doubt he'll survive in brackish water

[FishApprentice]

What kind of snails are good to feed my GSP(named him Darwin)?



Go for Pond Snails. I have lots of MTS but my little guy has a hard time with 'em. I'm not familiar with Ramshorn, but I hear they are good too. From what I have read, you can give 'em snails about the size of their eye.

[slice]

Go for Pond Snails. I have lots of MTS but my little guy has a hard time with 'em. I'm not familiar with Ramshorn, but I hear they are good too. From what I have read, you can give 'em snails about the size of their eye.

yeah I read that too but its kinda hard to get snails the size of there eye not unless I breed the snails myself and I'm kind of limited on room to have a snail farm.

[mlefessler]

You can always go to your local fish store and ask the people there to take some of the snails from their tanks (they're considered pests and usually they're nice enough to give them away for free).

[FishApprentice]

yeah I read that too but its kinda hard to get snails the size of there eye not unless I breed the snails myself and I'm kind of limited on room to have a snail farm.

They really don't need much to breed. I had a 1 gallon tank, a clump of java moss and an air stone and I threw an algae wafer in every few days. They bred like MANIACS. I eventually tossed them all out, but this was before I needed them. I just kept them for months without even changing their water (only topping it off when it evaporated) and they still kept going. As long as they have food, they will breed.

[slice]

lol I'll try breeding them and see how that goes. My cousin is getting rid of his 5 gallon breeding tank that he uses to quarantine the pregnant fish so might just grab the 5 gallon tank off him and use it for the snails

[fordsrule_68]

I also feed mine the ocassioal ghost shrimp and I get pond snails from petsmart and petco they usually give them to you free.

[FishApprentice]

I also feed mine the ocassioal ghost shrimp and I get pond snails from petsmart and petco they usually give them to you free.

I just feel like a jerk when I go and ask for pond snails, unless I'm getting other fish too. Also, isn't breeding them on your own safer when it comes to diseases?

[slice]

Finally my cousin got his fish with ich cured and my pleco will be going to his new home in my cousin tank. I'm ready to turn my tank into brackish luckily my cousin has a pack of instant ocean. I'm wondering will I be able to use that cause I know I would need to use marine mix and not really sure if instant ocean is the same. Dumb question I know lol. He's also giving me his breeder tank since he's not going to breed anymore fish and I will use that for breeding snails for my puffer.

I've done my research on hydrometers and read some good reviews about them and some bad reviews bout them. Wondering if anyone has a suggestion on a hydrometer that gives accurate readings on salinity gravity:)

Thanks:) Still learning lol

[fordsrule_68]

I just feel like a jerk when I go and ask for pond snails, unless I'm getting other fish too. Also, isn't breeding them on your own safer when it comes to diseases?

Yes it is safer, but we get some once in awhile to keep the population up, cuz we also feed them to our loaches. Our petsmart is happy to get rid off them but my g/f works there to. You can also feed your puffer small crickets as treats.

[slice]

Started feeding my puffer snails but is he supose to bite the head off and just leave it there ? lol .Would have thought he would bite into the shell to carve out the rest of his bodyO_o

[Sploke]

Mine is large enough now that it just crushes the whole shell and sucks the snail out. When it was smaller, it would kind of crush up just the opening area. You can try smaller snails too, that can fit completely in its mouth.

[slice]

ok thanks I'll try that

[mlefessler]

Finally my cousin got his fish with ich cured and my pleco will be going to his new home in my cousin tank. I'm ready to turn my tank into brackish luckily my cousin has a pack of instant ocean. I'm wondering will I be able to use that cause I know I would need to use marine mix and not really sure if instant ocean is the same. Dumb question I know lol. He's also giving me his breeder tank since he's not going to breed anymore fish and I will use that for breeding snails for my puffer.

I've done my research on hydrometers and read some good reviews about them and some bad reviews bout them. Wondering if anyone has a suggestion on a hydrometer that gives accurate readings on salinity gravity:)

Thanks:) Still learning lol


As far as Instant Ocean goes - that's prefect. You want to use "marine salt" rather than "aquarium salt". Anything that's a mimic of the trace elements found in true saltwater is fine. I usually go for the cheapest stuff.

As far as hydrometers go - I've been told to purchase a refractometer, but I've been using the Instant Ocean Hydrometer (swing arm). So far, it's fine due to the fact that I like to vary the salinity here and there.

Kudos to you for researching and doing your husbandry! =D

[slice]

As far as Instant Ocean goes - that's prefect. You want to use "marine salt" rather than "aquarium salt". Anything that's a mimic of the trace elements found in true saltwater is fine. I usually go for the cheapest stuff.

As far as hydrometers go - I've been told to purchase a refractometer, but I've been using the Instant Ocean Hydrometer (swing arm). So far, it's fine due to the fact that I like to vary the salinity here and there.

Kudos to you for researching and doing your husbandry! =D

Thanks

[fordsrule_68]

You could also smash the snail shells alil bit just to get them started for him.