Hi. I have a juvenile, about 2-3", green spotted puffer. Have had him for a few weeks, when we first got him he was very happy and active. Wouldn't touch the frozen blood worms but attacked and devoured any snails we put in. Also started feeding him live super worms (as that is what they were fed at the store) and he loved them! Would gobble them up as soon as they hit the water. But just recently he has lost all interest in the super worms and snails.. Tried giving him pieces of shrimp and he got excited, took one bite then left it alone. He is still fairly active, swimming around a decent amount but has had a black stomach for a few days and no longer recognizes or follows you at the tank. He also seems a bit over reactive and jumpy.
He is in a 75 gallon tank with lots of decor, 1 large & 2 medium discuss, a very large catfish and a large plecostomus. The water is brackish, levels are all fine, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate and very low ammonia. Just did a 25% water change and do one every few days.
Please let me know if anyone has any suggestions I really want this guy to get better :/ all other fish are fine.
GSP stopped eating and black stomach
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.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32771
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: GSP stopped eating and black stomach
Please, please, please move the non-brackish fish out of that tank or move the puffer to a different one!!! The discus & pleco need water the exact opposite of hard/high pH conditions of BW. They are soft/acidic fish.
I am moving this to the Hospital Forum, so you can answer all the Qs above, in red. The fact that there is any detectable ammonia at all & no nitrate is a problem right there.
I am moving this to the Hospital Forum, so you can answer all the Qs above, in red. The fact that there is any detectable ammonia at all & no nitrate is a problem right there.
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!"
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32771
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Filbert, the 12" T lineatus
Punkster, the 4" red T miurus
Mongo, the 4" A modestus
2 T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
Also kept:
lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Chicago
- Contact:
Re: GSP stopped eating and black stomach
Also, super worms have a hard outer shell (chiton) which is very difficult for a fish to digest & can clog their digestive tract. They are extremely high in fat.
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!"
-
sgtmyers88
- Moderator
- Posts: 1294
- Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 12:37 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Green Spotted Puffers
- Location (country): USA
- Contact:
Re: GSP stopped eating and black stomach
Kudos to housing him in a large tank. Many have come for help on here have bought several of them and placed them in 10 gallon tanks or even Betta bowls! Along with what PP said about the tankmates, definitely do some water changes which will be beneficial in controlling toxic water readings. Fortunately, having a large tank versus a small tank and will be even more beneficial since the effects can quickly get concentrated and rise to deadly levels in smaller ones.
Also try to obtain some of this: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... =2&t=32416
Also try to obtain some of this: http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/vie ... =2&t=32416
WARNING: Puffers are mischievous little blimps with enchanting powers. You may not be content with having just one.