GSP's!!!
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Fish
Forum Description: This is the place to ask questions about fish.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=42211
Printed Date: February 23 2026 at 10:01am
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Topic: GSP's!!!
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Subject: GSP's!!!
Date Posted: July 10 2010 at 7:48pm
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No not Green Star Polyps, Green Spotted Puffers! I got two of these little guys from Fish4U yesterday for $5 each, they were already in 1.020 water at the store, so I drip acclimated them after lights out for about 6 hours and put the in my reef. Amazingly today after about 24hrs they are doing just great. They are very curious little guys, and like "sniffing" the other fish to find out what they are. The only mishap thus far is right after adding them one ran into my RBTA, and quickly found out that it's not friendly (nor is the clown that lives in it). I'll try to post some pics soon, but for anyone who wants a puffer, but doesn't want to risk their inverts they are the perfect solution; plus they GLOW under blue lighting. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Replies:
Posted By: Shayne
Date Posted: July 10 2010 at 8:29pm
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That's pretty cool. I was hoping there was a type of puffer that was safe for a mixed reef tank. Do you have a pic? ------------- 21G Reefer Nano |
Posted By: Brandon1985
Date Posted: July 10 2010 at 9:24pm
Like this?
 ------------- 24G JBJ Nano with LEDS |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: July 10 2010 at 9:52pm
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Yup exactly the same fish. They are normally a brackish puffer, but they adapt well to salt. I'll take some pics tomorrow when I get home. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: July 10 2010 at 10:13pm
| awsoeme fish for 5 bucks what are the requirements? do they fit in a 30 gallon? |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: July 10 2010 at 10:26pm
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Yeah you could keep one in a 30 gallon, they only get about 3.5-4" long. As with any fish be sure to get a healthy individual that is an active swimmer. Drip acclimate them slowly over at least 5-6 hours. They may also be shy for the first while they are in the tank, as they are not natural reef fish, so they aren't accustomed to such a busy environment with that much flow. But after a couple hours they get used to it. You'll also want to keep an eye on them for the first few days as they also don't have any sense of what is harmful yet ie, anemones, large LPS corals, clownfish etc. Mine have eaten pretty much anything I drop in the tank. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: downhill_biker
Date Posted: July 10 2010 at 10:30pm
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Are these reef safe? I had some in my FOWLR tank before, and they did great in the full salt water. I am just not so sure if they are safe, IE they might eat shrimp, crabs, and some corals.
------------- Make sure you post your best pictures every month in our POTM forum. |
Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: July 10 2010 at 10:33pm
| shrimp? ooh dont want to risk that ihave 3 fire shrimps and seem expensive to lose them. |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: July 10 2010 at 11:31pm
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Yeah they are. Shane Heil and a couple other people have had them in reefs for years. Mine aren't bothering anything, and they stay small, so cleaner shrimp are bigger than they are. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: Aquaristnewbie
Date Posted: July 11 2010 at 1:24am
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I have had one in my 29 for 3-4 months and it is doing great. But mine does like to munch on corals. I have thrown some mushrooms, kenya, xenia, toadstools, and GSP's in with it and it has eaten a toadstool the size of a baseball and everything else has slowly disappeared but I have not seen it eat them. So just be careful. But in a FOWLR tank it would be a really cool cheap fish. I have heard of other people who have kept them in reefs as well with no problems. Just my experience with them so far. Love these little guys! ------------- 150 gallon Reef Millcreek Utah |
Posted By: Brandon1985
Date Posted: July 11 2010 at 2:26am
I had 5 of them in my 75Gallon you can get them at walmart for $4.35 each lol :D they tank the full salt very well I never had anyof mine die.!! and that Pix was from them in my tank.
  ------------- 24G JBJ Nano with LEDS |
Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: July 11 2010 at 3:51am
| thats pretty cool shoot look great in a nano aquarium oh well |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: July 11 2010 at 3:53am
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I'll keep everyone posted on how mine do over the next couple months! I don't think they'll bother anything. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: July 27 2010 at 10:00pm
| How's that little gsp doing? I kept them in freshwater....they were fin nippers, however, saltwater could be a totally different world. Are they staying away from your corals? I would love to get one again! |
Posted By: SGH360
Date Posted: July 27 2010 at 10:43pm
| i just saw them at my local walmart. do the employes even know they are saltwater? honestly if i did not knew about fishes i would just dump this one on freshwater cuase that is the only fish that is saltwater. its sad really i saw around 40 crammed in a 8 gallon tank |
Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: July 28 2010 at 12:23am
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I want one! If they dont nip :) ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: July 28 2010 at 2:42am
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I still have both of them and they are doing awesome. Eating great and don't bother my corals or inverts. SGH360- They are actually a brackish water fish, but freshwater will kill them eventually. Wal-mart knows it and flat doesn't care. Without saline conditions toxins build up in their systems and they die within a week or so. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: July 28 2010 at 9:22am
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Do they nip at other fish? I have clowns, Blenny, Pearly Jawfish and a wrasse that I wonder about. ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: July 28 2010 at 10:13am
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I kept one in straight freshwater for about a year before I changed to a saltwater system. They do fine in freshwater until around 2 1/2 to 3 inches. I have never seen any at walmart that size, so I wouldn't worry. If you have researched them, they are actually born in rivers and streams (freshwater) and slowly move downstream into more salinity based water (towards ocean and sea) where their parents retreat to after breeding. So they will do fine in freshwater until they mature, then you need to slowly convert them to brackish. It may be more difficult to buy ones from walmart for a reef.....since fish 4 u keeps them in brackish, it will be easier to transfer them to our reef systems salinty.
Btw- they need some crunch food every once in a while......their beaks will get outgrown, eventually leading them to be unable to eat....also- they are nippers (other fish)....I have gotten some that are more mild, but in the freshwater world, people think your crazy housing gsps with anything other than gsps....google it, then again I take too many risks in this hobby!
 |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: July 28 2010 at 5:09pm
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Mine don't nip any of my other fish, I have various wrasses, midas blenny, bluespot jawfish, clowns, damsels, bangaii cardinal, naso tang, cleaner shrimop, fire shrimp etc. I did pick them up at Fish 4 U where they are kept in brackish water, and drip acclimated them over about 6 hours. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: July 28 2010 at 5:50pm
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I'm thinking about getting 1 of these. Does fish4u have more? ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Spbeyond
Date Posted: July 28 2010 at 8:51pm
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If I got one from walmart how long should I acclimate from FW? ------------- 90 Gallon Reef w/4 bulb 54W t5 I buy, sell and restore pinball machines. Got one in the basement? ;) |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: July 30 2010 at 12:05am
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Fish 4 U always has them in for $5 each. I would go that route if you can. If you're getting them from walmart I would plan on 12+ hours of acclimation ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: ninja_brandon
Date Posted: August 05 2010 at 3:45pm
| Is it at all harmful to acclimate for 12 hours? And how do you achieve this? Are you dripping saline water into the container while dripping water out as to provide a fresh cycle of water? Do you use a bubble stone? |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: August 05 2010 at 4:52pm
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I don't use a bubble stone, I start with all the water they come in from the store so the container is filled about 3/4 of the way. I drip SW from my reef into the container with the GSP's fairly slowly, about 1 drop ever 2 seconds, and then dump off the excess every time it fills up so the levels goes back down to 3/4 full. That way the change in salinity and pH is gradual. Fish are often in shipping bags for 12+ hours and they do fine, an airstone is often a bad idea because it will stir pollutants like fish waste into the water causing a rise in ammonia levels. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: ninja_brandon
Date Posted: August 09 2010 at 4:54pm
| Ah good information to know! Thanks! |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: August 15 2010 at 7:18pm
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I just posted a couple pics of the GSP's in the photo section ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |
Posted By: Aquatic Evolution
Date Posted: August 17 2010 at 8:01pm
| Dont put them in your reef! We carry them and they are typically very agressive with other fish and Inverts. This is not a new idea and most people regret doing it. They get to be 3"-4" of spotted terror. They are a Puffer! |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: August 17 2010 at 8:14pm
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I agree w/ Shawn - I had one in one of my SW tanks years back, and it was a real PITA because everytime I put my hand in the tank it would sneak around the rocks and bite me!
They may seem docile now, but wait 6 months when they are used to their surroundings and especially if they start to grow.
Mine was only about 2 - 2.5" long, but had a sharp enough 'beak bite' to draw blood
It also used to bite the tail fins on some of my other fish, like tangs and butterfly fish.
------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: CapnMorgan
Date Posted: August 17 2010 at 10:18pm
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Mine gets bossed around by all my other fish, so I'm pretty sure it'll be ok. I know several people who had them for years without issue, a puffer who isn't hungry is a puffer who doesn't bother anyone. ------------- Steve http://utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=40637&PID=356246" rel="nofollow - My Old 180G Mixed Reef Currently: 120G Wavefront Mixed 29G Seahorse & Softies Running ReefAngel Plus x2 435-8 |