Hi all,
Havent posted in a while but need to tonight...
My GSP has been exceptionally healthy for 2 years. Today I noticed him much grayer, sitting at the bottom of the tank alot and now he is scratching or flashing against plants, etc in the tank.
I dont have the water parameters, but he is due for a good cleaning (which I was planning on doing tomorrow anyway).
I changed out the filters 2 weeks ago, he is in a 25 gallon, I use marine salt, have added nothing to the tank.
He is changing from grey to a nice white on his tummy with no outward signs of lumps or fungus or parasites...
I am at a loss...
Michele
GSP scratching and sitting
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.
Re: GSP scratching and sitting
Ok...water parameters:
Nitrate = 0
Nitrite = 0
Ph = 8.6
Chlorine = 0
Kh = 300
Ammonia = .25
Salinity = 1.010
He is eating fine...just gave him a bit of krill. He is breathing rapidly though, and now he is hanging out at the top of the tank...
I usually feed him every other day...
He eats krill and sometimes will eat a bit of bloodworms too...he is very fussy...
Until now he has been in great health. I have a air wand in the tank and a 55 gallon filter on the 25 gallon tank he is in. I use two filters at a time...
Hope when I change the water tomorrow and clean out the tank and he will be better...I have only artificial plants in there and he is the only inhabitant.
There is a thick layer of green algae on the decorations...
Any ideas now that I have given you more info?
Michele
Nitrate = 0
Nitrite = 0
Ph = 8.6
Chlorine = 0
Kh = 300
Ammonia = .25
Salinity = 1.010
He is eating fine...just gave him a bit of krill. He is breathing rapidly though, and now he is hanging out at the top of the tank...
I usually feed him every other day...
He eats krill and sometimes will eat a bit of bloodworms too...he is very fussy...
Until now he has been in great health. I have a air wand in the tank and a 55 gallon filter on the 25 gallon tank he is in. I use two filters at a time...
Hope when I change the water tomorrow and clean out the tank and he will be better...I have only artificial plants in there and he is the only inhabitant.
There is a thick layer of green algae on the decorations...
Any ideas now that I have given you more info?
Michele
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: GSP scratching and sitting
How often do you do water changes & how much do you change? You should br doing 50% weekly. Ammonia is your problem.
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!"
Re: GSP scratching and sitting
Would this make him scratch on plants and stuff?
I have gone a while without changes before (on vacation) and he has always been fine?
Could this be an infection or infestation of some sort?
Thanks!
I have gone a while without changes before (on vacation) and he has always been fine?
Could this be an infection or infestation of some sort?
Thanks!
-
crazedpuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1755
- Joined: Sat Aug 06, 2005 11:57 pm
- My Puffers: 1x Porcupine Puffer
1xValentini - Location: Long Island, NY
Re: GSP scratching and sitting
Nah it's gotta be the ammonia. I doubt it's an infection or anything. Do a 50% water change and see if that helps.
Re: GSP scratching and sitting
Just did a 60% water change and got rid of old plants and decoration...when I put him in the holder (he swam in all by himself!) he returned to normal...super white tummy, swimming around and tail unclamped. Now I am floating him to regulate temp and then I will introduce him to his new tank...I kept in his favorite decoration that he likes to sleep in...
More to follow when I observe him later.
Thanks for the help!!
More to follow when I observe him later.
Thanks for the help!!
Re: GSP scratching and sitting
I seem to have a very happy puffer...he is swimming around investigating everything...still has a slightly grey tummy, but not dark grey.
Yea!!
Yea!!
-
Fernzero
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Tue May 20, 2008 11:37 pm
- My Puffers: One green spotted puffer (had two, but the smaller one fell victim to Ich before treatment was successful :(( ).
Re: GSP scratching and sitting
That is so awesome! I'm new to the forums but would like to tell you grats. Hope your puffer is happygruntle wrote:I seem to have a very happy puffer...he is swimming around investigating everything...still has a slightly grey tummy, but not dark grey.
Yea!!
Fern.