GSP

[Abiduwhabi]

Hello all,

So, yesterday I found myself at a store call Pets SuperStore while my wife did hobby shopping I figured I should as well. Decent store, reminded me a lot of Petsmart with out the really high prices. (They were just high.)
Anyway, made my way back to the tropical fish section and there was a gentleman standing there talking to one of the employees and I heard him say, "I'll take three of those." The employee said ok, that would work great in his tank and that he would be back in just a minute. Now the employee looked like he might of been 18 on a good day and was not interested in helping the guy out.
Now, I have always wanted a GSP, but it just seemed like alot of trouble for just one fish. So, I just had to ask the guy what kind of setup he had. He told me he had a 20 gallon long, . Four guppies, some shrimp, five neon tetras, a sucky fish(I can only assume a common pleco), and one of those fighting fish, as he pointed to the small cups of bettas.

I asked him how that was going for him, and he said they were great and have been fine for 2 days. I continued by telling him that that was not an ideal community but he insisted that it was fine.

Rest of the convo went something like this.

Me: Putting those GSP in the 20?
Him: What's a GSP?
Me: The puffers there.
Him: Oh! Do they puff up?
Me: Yes, but it's usually a bad thing if they do.
Me: A 20 is way to small for even one of these alone. Are you planning to upgrade your tank later on?
Him: Well, the employee said that they would be fine in that tank with the other fish. Why would I upgrade my tank for such small fish, they'll be fine.
Me: Ok, well do you know what brackish water is?
Him:
Me: Sir, I'm just going to be straight with you. I know that these look like just a cute little fish but they will murder everything in your tank, probably kill each other, and then the last one will die from improper handling. I've been dealing with fish for around 20 years, I've never had a GSP but would like to have one. While it may seem strange these fish actually require at least 30 gallons just for one, that is what they need. The reason I don't have one is because my wife would kill me if I brought in another tank just to house one fish, but it's either it has a tank on it's own or I would not have one.

I'm not for sure what happened to the employee, he never came back. But a female employee was just around the corner and he got her to help.

Well, my small speech must of made an impact on him because he ended up only getting two...

 

[Laser]

Normally I would laugh at the ignorance of someone like this, but unfortunately it involves the mistreatment of fish. GSP's seem to be one of the most mistreated fish in aquaria at the moment. This is a very sad story, yet it is much too common. I can go into a petsmart on almost any day and overhear a story like this one.

 

[Delapool]

Hi, was that a green spotted puffer fish? Sorry not up on all terms but if it was it sounded a really interesting fish (and a challenge)..

 

[Abiduwhabi]

Yes, that is the green spotted puffer. Guess I should of put that in my post, hah.
They are a very interesting fish.

 

[Laser]

I had a young GSP that I bought from Walmart. I started him out in a cycled 29g with freshwater because that's what he was kept in at Walmart; in terrible water conditions I must add. I began a treatment of prazi for parasites and his fins began to heal. He was a hearty eater of snails and bloodworms as well. I began a slow process of raising the salinity of his water. 1.001 came and went and he was doing well. A week later I made the water 1.002 after the weekly water change and he seemed like he was doing great this whole time. He died a few days later with no warning signs. Truly a beautiful fish. I now have a figure 8 puffer but I do miss that GSP.

 

[Delapool]

Yes, that is the green spotted puffer. Guess I should of put that in my post, hah.
They are a very interesting fish.

No, no - just still learning. Wow, what a fish. It's so easy with phone apps and the Internet that I think no excuse for not researching (although I must admit the phone app has saved me at the very brink of getting the wrong fish sometimes ).