Unhappy 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.
- 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: Unhappy GSP
Well he was looking good last night, but then this morning he was back to being gray over most of his belly, and dark above. I checked the water, 0 ammonia, .2 nitrites, 5 nitrates, so I did a 75% water change and now there are no detectable toxins. He swims a little, but he's bumping into things, and mostly he's lying on the bottom or on a plastic plant. I don't know what else I can do for him.
- 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: Unhappy GSP
Aww...IDK either. Keep up w/ testing the water and the WC's is all I know. He is under stress from the meds and changing water parameters I would think. Is he eating?

55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
20g-5 leopard danio,4 whiteskirt tetras, amanos, nerita snails, 2 neon tetras
- 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: Unhappy GSP
No he is not eating. Earlier he swam up to a few bloodworms I gave him and looked at them, but didn't eat them. I put in a snail, just the right size for him, and he ignored it.
- 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: Unhappy GSP
He spent all last night lying very still on a plant, not even moving his fins. This morning he's lying on the bottom, still alive amazingly, and his fins are fluttering which maybe is a reason to have some hope. He's even swum around a bit this morning, and when he settles back down to the bottom, he's lying flat, not head down like last night.
I should've known I was in for this kind of heartache when I got him, as he looked pretty emaciated. He fattened up pretty well, but his stomach still had that pinched look; I guess I should've treated him for IPs right when I first got him, while he was still eating, but since I thought at first that he just might need to get some good meals in him and you aren't supposed to medicate unless you're sure they have an illness, I waited. I can't say that I'll never try to rescue another puffer, but if there is a next time, I'll know to get the little creature treated right off if I suspect anything.
I should've known I was in for this kind of heartache when I got him, as he looked pretty emaciated. He fattened up pretty well, but his stomach still had that pinched look; I guess I should've treated him for IPs right when I first got him, while he was still eating, but since I thought at first that he just might need to get some good meals in him and you aren't supposed to medicate unless you're sure they have an illness, I waited. I can't say that I'll never try to rescue another puffer, but if there is a next time, I'll know to get the little creature treated right off if I suspect anything.
- t1gerbee
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 831
- Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:10 am
- My Puffers: 1 x Ceylon + 1 x GSP + 1 x stars and stripes (juv) -Marine
(Non puffs-)
4 x clowns
1 x Oscar-Tropical
3 x Convicts-Tropical
1 x Map Turtle-tropical
2 x Plecs-Tropical
2 x goldfish - Location: london
Re: Unhappy GSP
once puffers are ill it's a proper battle... some we win, some we lose...
always we try.
Sending get well vibes your way.
always we try.
Sending get well vibes your way.
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

- 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: Unhappy GSP
Well, he passed away this morning. Thanks for all your help, everyone - it is appreciated. I sure was hoping he'd pull through.
- 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: Unhappy GSP
Sorry for your loss... 
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!"
- 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: Unhappy GSP
I'm sorry he didn't pull through
.

55g-2 green spotted puffers 1 year old Nov 08!
20g-5 leopard danio,4 whiteskirt tetras, amanos, nerita snails, 2 neon tetras
Re: Unhappy GSP
Awww no i'm sorry. This has not been a good past couple of weeks for puffers it seems.

- 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: Unhappy GSP
Very sorry for your loss.
However, I am sure you gave him more of a chance than he would have had at the LFS!
However, I am sure you gave him more of a chance than he would have had at the LFS!
Multi-tank syndrome
- dab335
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 219
- Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 10:36 pm
- My Puffers: Diodon Holocanthus, Canthigaster Compressa, Canthigaster Valentini, Arothron Nigropunctatus, Arothron Nigropunctatus(yellow-belly), Chilomycterus Schoepfi, GSP, F8
- Location: Narragansett, Rhode Island
Re: Unhappy GSP
sorry for your loss 