new gsp care

  • Get the NEW AquariaCentral iOS app --> http://itunes.apple.com/app/id1227181058 // Android version will be out soon!

dixienut

AC Members
Jun 15, 2006
2,322
0
0
57
Hookstown/Georgetown area pennsylvania
hi there i just picked up a gsp, around 2inches put in freshwater 10g, to treat if needed,
added some instant ocean, don't have any salt tanks, just fresh, read most of the posts from here, my hydrometer dosent read small salt readings its a coralife, i put some salt in to start to get it used to it, when waterchanging how do you refill fresh or salt? and should i get salt biospira to help? or fresh waterbiospira, i had old filter in it but not sure if bacteria died from the salt, this is 2nd day, when should i move it to 30gal long? after i get it more saltwater?
should i raise the salt each week or a little every other day?
can they be kept in barebottom? i just want to be able to keep it clean, i have dwarf puffs so i'm used to them being sensitive,..
also can they at full salt, use my well water or do they have to have ro?

i hope you can let me know, she seems healthy but was in with some that looked like ips, i gave her snails and today i gave her bloodworms soaked in ultracure px from gel-tek
 

Sploke

resident boozehound
Staff member
Oct 20, 2005
6,797
64
75
42
South Windsor, CT
Real Name
Matt
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Nigroviridis/

This is a good place to start learning about your new fish.

Regarding equipment, you will definitely want a hydrometer that will accurately measure brackish salinities. I got a refractometer from foster-smith for $40 and I absolutely love it.

Doing topoffs, use only fresh water, but when you do a water change (drain, vacuum, refill) you refill with water matched in temp and salinity.
 

kay-bee

AC Members
Sep 14, 2005
706
0
16
Tampa, FL
Your green spotted puffer will appreciate a larger tank (~29gal would be ideal for it, with it being the only occupant).

How are you adding the salt and how much of it did you put it and how did you put it in? (Marine salt should be throughly dissolved in water prior to adding it to the tank).

I highly suggest obtaining a refractometer, they're typically more accurate than hydrometers, measure down to 1.000 specific gravity, and, in my opinion, are easier to use. Hydrometer readings can be way off.

You can add a cup of instant ocean a week or 2 tablespoons daily (always dissolved completely prior to adding it to your tank). Many ways to do it. You could transfer 1gal of tank water into a separate container and mix and dissolve the salt in that, and then slowly return that water to the tank. Another method would be to create 10gal of saltwater at 1.020 in separate water storage container, and each week remove 1gal of your tank water and replace it with 1gal of this pre-mixed salt water, using a refractometer to ensure you're increasing salinity by no more than .002 specific gravity weekly.

You'll want to increase salinity gradually over a period of a 2-4 months (a 2-inch, the specific gravity should be 1.010-1.015 and eventually full marine, 1.020-1.025). This gradual change from freshwater to brackish (and perhaps to full marine) should be down very slowly to allow the beneficial bacteria colony to transition (as salinity increases, fresh water bacteria will slowly die-off and be replaced by saltwater bacteria). If you converted quicker, the FW bacteria would die off and there wouldn't be any SW bacteria fulfilling biological filtration.

If a fully established brackish or marine tank were available, the gsp could probably be dripped acclimated to the higher salinity levels within a day.

And while we're on the topic of biological filtration, was your tank fully cycled prior to adding the GSP? How long was the tank set up prior to adding the gsp (and what fish previously occupied it)? What are your ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate readings?

i had old filter in it but not sure if bacteria died from the salt

How much marine salt did you add? This is important.

should i raise the salt each week or a little every other day?

Either or, as long as the weekly increase doesn't exceed +.002 specific gravity. When the desired salinity is achieved replacement water used for water changes will have to be at the same salinity (for example if your target is 1.012SG and you do a 25% water change, newly added water will have to be at 1.012SG).

can they be kept in barebottom?

Not required if adequate tank husbandry is employed, but yes barebottom would indeed work.

i just want to be able to keep it clean, i have dwarf puffs so i'm used to them being sensitive,.. also can they at full salt

From what I understand they're a freshwater species.
They''re in a separate tank from the green spotted puffer, right?
 
Last edited:

dixienut

AC Members
Jun 15, 2006
2,322
0
0
57
Hookstown/Georgetown area pennsylvania
yes dwarf puffers are the one of the few fresh water puffs.

its in the 10g just set up for a hospital tank, not cycled,yet

i have 11 other freshwater tanks so i know about cycling
but not any experience with salt

do they stay brackish or are they full marine at adult?
i have a 30gal long for it just wanted to make sure it was quarinteened for a while but i didn't have and extra tank so i bought a 10 same day,

i got instant ocean, and mixed 1/2 cup to 10g and it didn't like it too much so i drained it to about 75% till it stoped going to top,
so not sure about how much salt is in there now, i didn't think that was too much i floated the bag and let some dribble in every now and then but it didn't mind till it was in there and all..

not done anything yet. should it just make a full salt and then drip aclimate it all day?

or just tell me which way is easiest for the fish..thats all i care about..

don't have any other tankmate for it.. i have thousands of snails for it but i want to finish out the wormer just in case, the others in with it were ip'ed bad..

what and where is the cheapest refractometer i seen one for $40. anything less?

thanks for all the answers i really appreciate it, well the gsp does..

would they like it better with substrate or does it matter

what about my tap,( well) water will that be ok?

should the water changes be done more than once a week?
 

SpockthePuffer

AC Members
Jan 2, 2008
905
0
0
Pittsburgh
They are full marine as adults, or high end brackish. A lot of people have been putting younger ones, under 3 inches, in full marine recently on TPF and have had great success. My Milton is at around 1.010ish since he is only about 1 3/4 inches long right now and seems to like the SG at that.

Refractometers that I see usually start out at 40 and then get more expensive. Its something that you will need though, cycling will be difficult if you can't figure out what SG you are at. You might want to pick up a hydrometer that goes down to 1.000 just so you can get started right.

My GSP loves to pick at the CC substrate I have. They also need a highly decorative tank so they don't pace up and down the glass, they really like to explore which I'm sure you've learned from your DPs.

I wouldn't put any tankmates with your GSP unless you plan on upgrading to something larger than a 30 gallon in the future. 30 gallon is the minimum for just one GSP, not including tankmates. Many people have been able to keep clownfish with them when they are in full marine. I have Milton with a molly in my 30 gallon because when I get a bigger SW tank he is going in the 55 I have an I'd like him to get used to other fish so I can keep a clown with him.

I would do 50% water changes weekly and keep a close eye on nitrates, especially in the 10 gallon, you might even have to do more than that.

If he is still small you can keep him in freshwater in the QT tank and use filter media from your established tanks and cycle the 30 gallon brackish so when its done cycling you can drip acclimate him over the brackish. I would also keep on testing the water in the QT, puffers don't like bad water parameters.
 

dixienut

AC Members
Jun 15, 2006
2,322
0
0
57
Hookstown/Georgetown area pennsylvania
i have ordered this on ebay from a company that does just these, for all types of chemicals let me know if its the right thing not sure how to use one, but it's not here yet,..

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320243861278&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=011
changed 50% of its water last night, with 1 Tbl spoon of salt per gallon i emptied around 4 gallon..it seems happy and not bothered buy the salt.. have anacharis in the tank and she likes it.. looking all around,..they are sweet though arn't they..
 

dixienut

AC Members
Jun 15, 2006
2,322
0
0
57
Hookstown/Georgetown area pennsylvania
well i recieved my refractometer today and the tank is at 1.005 and i haven't increased the salt till i got the refractometer, so
question: at what salinity does the freshwater bacteria die off or begin to.. and which test kits should i use,? at wich salinity? to be acurate..

and i assume that the temp of water affect thesalinity tests,,ie.. higher temp =higher salinity or the opposite?
mine is at around 73ish just got larger heater to keep higher temps i've read that gsp like 80's correct? like my dwarf puffers,

sorry for all the questions but some site are known to be wrong,in some things so i thought i check it with you guys before i did anything..
 

Sploke

resident boozehound
Staff member
Oct 20, 2005
6,797
64
75
42
South Windsor, CT
Real Name
Matt
Some refractometers are automatic temperature-correcting, such as the one you posted a link to. If you have that model, then once its calibrated (see the directions) then you won't have to worry about it. Just for general information however, as water gets warmer its density decreases, and it will show a lower specific gravity (merely a measure of density). Temperature does not affect the salinity.

To gradually adapt the denitrating bacteria, you can slowly increase the salinity .002 per week, which will be plenty enough to make sure you don't see a mini cycle. The puffer will be fine with that increase as well. I keep mine at a SG of about 1.012.
 

dixienut

AC Members
Jun 15, 2006
2,322
0
0
57
Hookstown/Georgetown area pennsylvania
the one i posted is the actual winning bid i placed, it the actual one i recieved,
thanks for the replies i find it very helpful.. i look forward to getting him aclimated to higher salinity from now on, i was just a little worried about too much too soon so i didn't raise it till i recieved the refractometer..again thanks a bunch

by the way i noticed that my gsp seem to like my cherry shrimp as a treat more than my pondsnails, can these be used as a more stable part of the mealtime as they are fed rather well, just a few extra males, were used.
any other food i can try for a small 2 inch baby?
 
zoomed.com
hikariusa.com
aqaimports.com
Store