I'm wondering what's going on with my GSP (1.75"). He's hanging out near the top of the tank, off to one corner, and he's never done this before - in fact, he rarely swims above mid-level. He's also curling his tail, which he's never done before. I've also seen him looking like he's trying to cough something up. His color is good, except for his usual hint of bags under his eyes. His appetite was decent this morning, but he's not ravenous like he was when I first brought him home and hasn't been since right before his IP treatments. His anus looks a little pooched out.
We just finished a series of IP treatments with Jungle Internal Parasite Guard. He did not seem negatively affected at all by the treatments, never really lost color, had some stringy white poos for a couple of days and then went back to normal brown. The day after the second and final treatment, I did a 60% water change. That was the day before yesterday.
Tank is 55 gallon at 1.005, 0 ammonia, 0 nitrites, 5 nitrates, pH 7.8. Water changes of at least 50% each week. Tank has been set up for a long time and has slowly been changed over from fresh to brackish. No tankmates. One large outside filter, and two smaller ones, plus undergravel.
What's going on?
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.
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marksrush
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 856
- Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:10 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: One GSP.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Raymore, Missouri USA
Re: What's going on?
Maybe he's ok and I'm just worrying too much, but I could've sworn I see him eat a small piece of plastic that fell off the reflector to my hood light the other day. I sure hope not, because that'll pretty much be the end of him.
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Idontknow
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 427
- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:21 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: .
2 x GSPs (Puffo and Suzanne)
2 x F8s (Nana and Hachi)
1 x Valentini (Choco)
2 x Porcupine (Cutey and Yoshi)
1 x DP (Margarine)
1 x Irrubesco (Beni) - Location (country): Japan
- Location: Japan
Re: What's going on?
I hope your puffer didn't eat the plastic. 
My puffers curl their tails when they are resting or when they scared. One GSP would curl its tail when my molly would chase it.
How is your puffer now? Hopefully, he just needs to adjust after the IP treatement.
My puffers curl their tails when they are resting or when they scared. One GSP would curl its tail when my molly would chase it.
How is your puffer now? Hopefully, he just needs to adjust after the IP treatement.
Multi-tank syndrome
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marksrush
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 856
- Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:10 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: One GSP.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Raymore, Missouri USA
Re: What's going on?
Still hovering up near the top for the most part, although he's doing a little to-and-fro swimming. He's darker than I've ever seen him, on his sides and back and face.
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Idontknow
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 427
- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:21 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: .
2 x GSPs (Puffo and Suzanne)
2 x F8s (Nana and Hachi)
1 x Valentini (Choco)
2 x Porcupine (Cutey and Yoshi)
1 x DP (Margarine)
1 x Irrubesco (Beni) - Location (country): Japan
- Location: Japan
Re: What's going on?
Is his stomach white or black? A black stomach would be indicative of illness.
Multi-tank syndrome
-
marksrush
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 856
- Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2008 8:10 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: One GSP.
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Raymore, Missouri USA
Re: What's going on?
His stomach is white.
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Idontknow
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 427
- Joined: Tue Jul 15, 2008 3:21 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: .
2 x GSPs (Puffo and Suzanne)
2 x F8s (Nana and Hachi)
1 x Valentini (Choco)
2 x Porcupine (Cutey and Yoshi)
1 x DP (Margarine)
1 x Irrubesco (Beni) - Location (country): Japan
- Location: Japan
Re: What's going on?
That's good. Hopefully, its just adjustment time is needed and hopefully no plastic was eaten.
Multi-tank syndrome