Unwell puffer help- new to gsp keeping!

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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Puffy78
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 4:59 pm
Location (country): England

Unwell puffer help- new to gsp keeping!

Post by Puffy78 »

I'm new to this and not sure if I'm posting in the right place!! I had done lots of reading before getting my gsp but feeling lost and something isn't right!

Latest parameters:
Nitrates 0
Nitrites 0
Ammonia 0
Ph 7.4
Sg now 1.000

I have One green spotted puffer on his own in a 35l tank

Cycled tank fishless for 1 month
Got my Gsp 9 days ago and have had some concerns as looks like someone had pinched him part way down body and has been dull in colour and had white stringy pearl poos. Concerned internal parasites.

Parameters had all been great nitrates ammonia nitrites all 0 and ph 7.4

Yesterday morning my fish jumped out of the tank when I was taking out uneaten food and was out for a good 3-4 mins as he went down the back of the unit which is hard to move and under it! After it took a while for him to settle but did eat and was swimming around but still distressed and still trying to jump out. Parameters were still ok (as above)

He was is freshwater and so as in uk I have been unable to get any treatment for internal parasites I decided to start turning it to brackish setup once he had calmed. I started by changing it to 1.002 salinity by adding water of 1.004 to the tank. (Used pro reef marine salt)

This afternoon he was curled up (literally) on the floor of the tank with both fins clamped. nitrates, ammonia and nitrites were all 0 but ph suddenly 8.8 so have done water change of a third of the tank with no salt in new water as had to do something quickly. He has perked up and is swimming but still something not right - not as active, hovering just above floor of tank andseems a bit jumpy and colour still not bright but tummy white. Any advice is welcome please as don't know where to go from here and he has already been through so much in a short time! Latest parameters are listed at top.

He is fed on small snails (size of eye), prawns, and clams at the moment. In tank there is Java fern and Java moss and rocks plus Rock cave.
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Pufferpunk
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Posts: 32764
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: Unwell puffer help- new to gsp keeping!

Post by Pufferpunk »

The description you offered, "looks like someone had pinched him part way down body and has been dull in colour and had white stringy pearl poos" are IPs.
library/hospital/internal-parasites-pre ... treatment/
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!"
Puffy78
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 4:59 pm
Location (country): England

Re: Unwell puffer help- new to gsp keeping!

Post by Puffy78 »

I have been desperately trying to get medicine but struggling in uk, prazipro taking 2 weeks to come so have increased salinity which seems to be helping. Can I do anything else Any suggestions welcomed
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
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: Unwell puffer help- new to gsp keeping!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Do they carry Jungle Parasite Clear locally?
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!"
Puffy78
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 4:59 pm
Location (country): England

Re: Unwell puffer help- new to gsp keeping!

Post by Puffy78 »

No 😒 The only parasite meds I can find anywhere including uk Amazon state not suitable for scaleless fish! I have got the number of a fish vet who I can contact on Monday which my vet located for me today so hoping they can advise
User avatar
Pufferpunk
Queen Admin
Posts: 32764
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: Unwell puffer help- new to gsp keeping!

Post by Pufferpunk »

There is a koi parasite med available pretty readily there, I believe. Scales do not matter, as you will soaking their food in the med.
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!"
Puffy78
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Jun 20, 2017 4:59 pm
Location (country): England

Re: Unwell puffer help- new to gsp keeping!

Post by Puffy78 »

Thanks for that 😀
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