Greenspotted Puffer & ______

[86d]

We have had a GSP for several years now, about a year ago started upping the sg.
I was keeping a Hifin Spotted Pleco With the puffer for a while but when i was doing a change and upping the salt content I wanted to confirm if this pleco could handle it, finding no such info i moved it to a safe tropical tank.

1st should I keep upping the salt content, i am currently at 1.006 after this water change. If so how high should I go. I have read up to 1.015 is good for them or to go full marine, your oppion/facts please.
2nd Depending on the brackish/marine choice what are good tank mates for them

Ty for your input and time

 

[simonas]

I keep mine with 2 dragon/violet gobies with no issues, theres also 2 bumbleee gobies who were in the tank originally

the only fish he didn;t get on with was the other green spot puffer i bought him with

I;ve had mine about 4 months

 

[Ceramicbull]

GSPs, like all puffers, depend quite a bit on personality. GSPs have a particularly bad rap, but I suspect that has more to do with them being a fish whose popularity has well outstripped its common knowledge. The fact that yours lived with a fish with large tempting fins and did nothing is a good sign, but they apparently only get more aggressive as they get bigger and older. They will eventually get up to full/near marine water. Unfortunately, because of the changing water conditions and changing personality, I can't really suggest anything other than another similarly sized GSP. Even that may not be good, depending on the fish.

 

[Bigd5482]

I currently got mine in full marine .22 sg abd have hermit crabs ib there south him and live rock with gsp coral and some anemones. Plus two blue damsels and mine had been great with those. But again it will really depend on the age and personality of yours if it will work.

 

[Thedoctor]

Are they ok in open top tanks?

When should you start adding salt?

 

[divegirl]

No....they can jump like anything and will when scared....well mine do anyway.
They need salt as juvies and this should be slowly increased over time as they grow/#.

Lisa x

 

[Atrixblue.-MFR-.]

i suppose it is all down to the gsp's temperment, i have three GSP's and they all get along together, some livebearing fish can also tollerate brackish waters, i have a SG of 1.010, have tried a skimmer but is useless at 25-28oc as the air bubbles are too unstable to give a constant foam quantity, a large external filter, powerhead connected to a undergravel filter tray will insure that the subrstrate will be clean and clear and the external filtrer sucks all droppings give proper water curculation.

if byour not sure whether your gsp is suited to other fish is to buy one fish that you think wil get allong with the gsp and put it in a small tank next to the main tank so they can see eachother and look for the reactions towards eacha#other if the puffer looks like it trying toi eat it through the glass then you know its not suited.

 

[talisker]

i've got bumble bee gobies and also sailfin mollies in with my gsp and they get along great.

 

[myenigmaself]

Regarding open tops, I'd definitely say no. My GSP will start jumping out of the water in the morning when I go to feed him just out of excitement. They're great little jumpers. If I hold some shrimp above the tank he will jump out of the water and take a chunk out of it. Not unlike this video:

http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFsuMa5R0ko


Regarding tank-mates, my theory is that you won't find permanent co-residents, unless you can get a group of them to live happily together. Due to the changing salinity requirements and temperament if they're not alone they'll probably have to get new roomates as they age. My GSP is a juvenile, a little less than 1.5" long, and I've got him in with 5 Figure-8 Puffers, Three Sailfin Mollies, 10 Red Chromides, and 10 bumblebee gobies. They've been there living happily for about 9 months. But I carry no illusions that this is a long term setup. I already have plans to move him to his own tank that will eventually be full marine or close to it. As with most stocking issues, there are always exceptions, but when it boils down to it I just don't trust that little guy. I haven't cleaned the algae off my front glass since I got him because I'm afraid he's going to take a chunk out of my hand. I'm not looking forward to the first time I have to trim his teeth.

Best of luck to you, they're amazing fish with great personalities. My GSP definitely seems smarter and more active than my Figure-8s. Just be warned that some day he may need to be by himself. I've seen them take on hermit crabs and red clawed crabs, and there's a video on youtube (that I can't bring myself to watch) where one supposedly eats an african cichlid, so I wouldn't put anything past them.