GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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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Re: GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Post by Pufferpunk »

:( I think that was the best thing.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...

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Re: GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Post by riggers »

Aww no thats awful. :cry: But I respect you for being able to do that, it was probably the best thing you could do for it at that stage. :(
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Re: GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Post by StormySkiez »

Aww, I'm so sorry.......
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Re: GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Post by pufferfreak »

So sorry. :(
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Re: GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Post by marksrush »

So sorry to hear that you had to put him down; I've been in that position before so I know the heartache it causes to lose one. At least you tried to save the little guy and give him a chance at having a good home and good life...he'll remember you in puffer heaven.
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Re: GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Post by Nick »

I recommend modifying the directions on those IP tablets - they work best, IME, with 3 courses, not two, and with 75% water changes between each dose, to prevent buildup of medication. I also soak the food in a tiny volume of water with a dissolved chunk of tablet, to deliver higher concentrations of the medicine to the belly, but think treating the tank water as well is important to prevent relapse.
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Re: GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Post by ACF »

Pufferpunk wrote:I'd add garlic to that soak.
Puffers like Garlic?
Seriously?
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Re: GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Post by Myaj »

Yep, they do. For most fish its an appetite stimulant and its also supposedly good against parasites and for general good health/immune systems.
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Re: GSP Will not Eat and keeps getting skinnier

Post by ACF »

Myaj wrote:Yep, they do. For most fish its an appetite stimulant and its also supposedly good against parasites and for general good health/immune systems.
Yea I was actually browsing threw the forum and came across, "viewtopic.php?f=3&t=14672". Fahaka with some kind of weird spike things growing out of him and the d00d added garlic to his food and they are gone and he's 100% .. Garlic is magical! It cured my worms too ;) j.k But I love it too!
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