I think my GSP is sick or dying.
pH 8.2-8.4
Ammonia 1.0ppm
Nitrate 20ppm
Nitrite 0-.25ppm
Salinity 1.010
I have two GSPs about 2-2.5 inches each in a 46 gallon tank wiht 2 ghost shrimp. On Tuesday 8/12 performed a 40% water change with matched salinity. I added a new plant (fake), and rearranged the decor. They are fed once daily in the afternoon either snail, scallop, or mussell. I use Instant Ocean marine salt and added Aquasafe to nuetralize chlorine. We have a marineland bio filter. The tank has been set up for 4-5 weeks and this is the first water change I did. The tank never cycled. Only having a problem with one fish. Please help. My husband bought these fish thinking they were freshwater and after some research found they are brackish we decided to keep them and bought an entire new tank setup to do so. Also, is there a way to tell male from female?
sick GSP
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: 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: sick GSP
They can't be sexed--only the puffers know for sure.
See if you can get a hold of some Bio-Spira (NO SUBSTITUTIONS!!!). Add it to your filter after an 80% WC, getting the SG down to 8 or less, so the product can work better without killing off the live bacteria in there.
Do an 80% WC now if you have the water ready, otherwise you need to do whatever possible to get that ammonia down to 0.
Why the high SG? Is that what the shop had them at?
See if you can get a hold of some Bio-Spira (NO SUBSTITUTIONS!!!). Add it to your filter after an 80% WC, getting the SG down to 8 or less, so the product can work better without killing off the live bacteria in there.
Do an 80% WC now if you have the water ready, otherwise you need to do whatever possible to get that ammonia down to 0.
Why the high SG? Is that what the shop had them at?
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: sick GSP
One website I read said that the GSP should be between 1.008 and 1.012 based on the size of the fish. I will work on getting the ammonia down but the one I thought was dying did. What is Bio-Spira and what does it do?
-
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: sick GSP
Bio-Spira contains the exact same live bacteria that cycles a tank. No other product contans the exact same live bacteria. Enough to fully stock a tank. Everything else is bunk. If a tank isn't cycled, adding the salt stresses the bacteria as it develops. How large are your 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!"
-
Tapiana
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 44
- Joined: Thu Aug 07, 2008 12:30 pm
- My Puffers: 1 GSP
- Location: Fountain Valley, CA
Re: sick GSP
Hi mLee -
I am going through a very similar situation - so do not feel alone.
I would highly recommend reading this article by PP on GSPs in the Library - it is very helpful
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
I also second PPs advice on an immediate WC - and BioSpira. Bio-Spira is GREAT - it is what I had to use to cycle my tank after I messed it up by panicing (They were sold to me as FW - read they were BW and added salt to the tank to raise the SG). None of the other cycling things work - trust me on this. If you can not find at LFS (make sure it is in the frig and check experation date) order on line. Once the tank is cycled with the Bio goodness - you can treat with Seachem's Prime (red bottle) you can buy this at PetSmart - it helps keep the Nitrites and Ammonia down and works fast.
Your puffer will start acting better once the tank parameters are where they need to be.
Keep us informed
I am going through a very similar situation - so do not feel alone.
I would highly recommend reading this article by PP on GSPs in the Library - it is very helpful
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
I also second PPs advice on an immediate WC - and BioSpira. Bio-Spira is GREAT - it is what I had to use to cycle my tank after I messed it up by panicing (They were sold to me as FW - read they were BW and added salt to the tank to raise the SG). None of the other cycling things work - trust me on this. If you can not find at LFS (make sure it is in the frig and check experation date) order on line. Once the tank is cycled with the Bio goodness - you can treat with Seachem's Prime (red bottle) you can buy this at PetSmart - it helps keep the Nitrites and Ammonia down and works fast.
Your puffer will start acting better once the tank parameters are where they need to be.
Keep us informed
Taps