I've had my tank established for six months, and added a GSP three months ago. The tank mates were 2 red parrot cichlids and a plecotomus. Three weeks ago I added two blue acaras, and the puffer promptly stopped eating.
Water parameters as of two days ago were:
Nitrate: ~10ppm
Nitrite:0-0.5 ppm
pH: 8-8.2
KH: 240+ ppm
GH: 180+ ppm
Ammonia: .25-.5 PPM
Salinity: 18ppm
Sand substrate, broken pot for hides, a porous rock, and one artificial plant.
I added some nertile snails to help control algae the same day I took readings. I tend to feed once a day about six days a week, and only feed what they will clean up in an hour. I use frozen bloodworms and shrimp and shrimp pellets for the puffer, cichlid flakes for the cichlids, and a couple algae wafers for the plecotomus. I realize I will eventually need a bigger tank as mine will become over crowded, but for now I have it grossly over filtered, aquaclear 70 on 40 gallon tank and undergravel filter. I think the parrot cichlids have been bullying food since he stopped eating, and the blue acaras are the first fish in the tank that leave the bottom. Before he stopped eating, he would eat till he could barely swim and was as tall as he was long, now I think I've seen him with a tummy full once in the last three weeks and I hadn't even fed him for a couple hours. He seems otherwise healthy bright green coloring and bright white belly most of the day, he occasionally has gray stress marks between his back and belly but not as frequently as before he stopped eating. Am I being too panicky, or could there be an unseen problem that is keeping him from eating?
GSP not eating
Forum rules
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
Read this before posting!!
Since this board has been up, we have found there are several questions that routinely get asked in order to help diagnose problems. If you can have that information to begin with in your post, we'll be able to help right away (if we can!) without having to wait for you to post the info we need.
1) Your water parameters - pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrates and salinity (if appropriate). This is by far the most important information you can provide! Do not answer this with "Fine" "Perfect" "ok", that tells us nothing. We need hard numbers.
2) Tank size and a list of ALL inhabitants. Include algae eaters, plecos, everything. We need to know what you have and how big the tank is.
3) Feeding, water change schedule and a list of all products you are using or have added to the tank (examples: Cycle, Amquel, salt, etc)
4) What changes you've made in the tank in the last week or so. Sometimes its the little things that make all the difference.
5) How long the aquarium has been set up, and how did you cycle it? If you don't know what cycling is read this: Fishless Cycling Article and familiarize yourself with all the information. Yes. All of it.
We want to help, and providing this information will go a LONG way to getting a diagnosis and hopeful cure that much faster.
While you wait for assistance:
One of the easiest and best ways to help your fish feel better is clean water! If you are already on a regular water change schedule (50% weekly is recommended) a good step to making your fish more comfortable while waiting for diagnosis/suggestions is to do a large water change immediately. Feel free to repeat daily or as often as you can, clean water is always a good thing! Use of Amquel or Prime as a dechlor may help with any ammonia or nitrite issues, and is highly recommended.
Note - if you do not normally do large water changes, doing a sudden, large water change could shock your fish by suddenly changing their established water chemistry. Clean water is still your first goal, so in this case, do several smaller (10%) water changes over the next day or two before starting any large ones.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: GSP not eating
Your tank is grossly overstocked. That tank is large enough for a single puffer. I have a parrot cichlid who is outgrowing a 90g tank, larger than my fist.
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
"The solution to pollution is dilution!"
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sgtmyers88
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Re: GSP not eating
GSP's are best housed alone or with other GSP's or possibly Ceylon Puffers as they have similar size and temperament but they will need a large aquarium if you keep multiple specimens (60 gallons or more). The puffer is likely freaked out from being bullied by the other fish in closed quarters. Plus you need to convert the tank to high brackish or full marine which will include removing the other fish anyways.
WARNING: Puffers are mischievous little blimps with enchanting powers. You may not be content with having just one.
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Walla2GSP
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Re: GSP not eating
I guess he was just being a picky eater, he is back to eating normally on bloodworms the last two days. we had tried a different frozen food that apparently he didn't like. The bigger tank is in the works, but not completed yet. I wanna get it 90% established before moving everybody over.