New GSPs not eating anymore
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.
- StormySkiez
- Fahaka Puffer
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Re: New GSPs not eating anymore
The gsp's are still young. Could it be the salt that is effecting them adversly?

55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
20g-5 leopard danio,4 whiteskirt tetras, amanos, nerita snails, 2 neon tetras
- studmaster
- Figure 8 Puffer
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Re: New GSPs not eating anymore
at an inch, should I take all the salt out?StormySkiez wrote:The gsp's are still young. Could it be the salt that is effecting them adversly?
- StormySkiez
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 679
- Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:00 am
- My Puffers: 55G 2- 1 3/4 inch GSP's ~Bud AKA Jaws and Puff~
- Location: USA~TN
Re: New GSPs not eating anymore
I don't know. Need to hear from one of the experts. I do know in nature they would still be in fresh water up to about 2 inches.

55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
20g-5 leopard danio,4 whiteskirt tetras, amanos, nerita snails, 2 neon tetras
- studmaster
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 148
- Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:24 am
Re: New GSPs not eating anymore
Well, as suggested, I tried mussels and they loved them!!! They kept eating and eating. So I'm going to try some bloodworms tonight and see if they gained back their appetite or just love mussels. The IP medication that I put in the water could have had some effect on them?!?! Now that its worn off they are hungry as per usual. Thanks again for all the help!
- StormySkiez
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 679
- Joined: Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:00 am
- My Puffers: 55G 2- 1 3/4 inch GSP's ~Bud AKA Jaws and Puff~
- Location: USA~TN
Re: New GSPs not eating anymore
That is great to hear! It is always great to hear good news. I have never used IP meds so I have no idea what effect it would have on the fish. I have been using garlic, fish vitamins and weekly 50% water changes to aid in my gsp's healthy immune system.
Hopefully all is well for your gsp's now. Get that bigger tank asap. When we transferred our 2 gsp's into the bigger tank it made a world of difference. It helps a lot with keeping a healthy enviroment for your puffers.
Hopefully all is well for your gsp's now. Get that bigger tank asap. When we transferred our 2 gsp's into the bigger tank it made a world of difference. It helps a lot with keeping a healthy enviroment for your puffers.

55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
20g-5 leopard danio,4 whiteskirt tetras, amanos, nerita snails, 2 neon tetras
- t1gerbee
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Re: New GSPs not eating anymore
good to hear!
they clearly just got fussy! SIlly fish!
Now definitely watch your parametrers... eating mussel etc is gonna get messy!
they clearly just got fussy! SIlly fish!
Now definitely watch your parametrers... eating mussel etc is gonna get messy!
1 x 90G Juv stars and stripes puffer, Ceylon Puffer + GSP + 2 black clowns
1 x 30G LPS Reef
1 x 30G 1 x Blind goldfish

1 x 30G LPS Reef
1 x 30G 1 x Blind goldfish

- studmaster
- Figure 8 Puffer
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- Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2008 11:24 am
Re: New GSPs not eating anymore
t1gerbee wrote:good to hear!
they clearly just got fussy! SIlly fish!
Now definitely watch your parametrers... eating mussel etc is gonna get messy!
They are really fussy! I tried feeding them bloodworms last night but they won't eat them anymore. But you should have seen them gobble up that mussel. It's almost like the LFS didn't feed them too well, then when I feed them anything they gobbled it up. Now that I'm feeding then even better food, they just laugh at bloodworm or Brine shrimp. That's okay, i have some mollies in my other tank who love bloodworms and Brine.
GSP's are messy, that's why its nice if I can keep my pleco in there because he does a good job of eating what they don't. They seem pretty peacefull so far and don't show any aggression to the pleco at all.
-
crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
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Re: New GSPs not eating anymore
Plecs can't tolerate salt though so it would be best to get him out of there, plecs are also very very messy fish.
I should try mussels for my puffer.
I should try mussels for my puffer.