Tank: 10 Gal. Fresh with some live plants
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 10
Recent Changes: 30-40% water change and deep gravel vaccum. Addition of 2 tablespoons of aquarium salt.
Tankmates: Pleco >1
After I did the Gravel vaccum my puffer just sat at the bottom of the tank. Yesterday I didn't feed him at all and today his belly is still a bit round as if he ate a few hours ago.I noticed that his feces came out white, almost milky. He has been particularly lazy the past couple days. Is he constipated? If so, what can I do to help? Today he seems weak and not very responsive. I want to help him out any way that I can.
Any advice is appreciated.
Possible constipation!?
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.
-
Dadof4
- Tech Team
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:50 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Possible constipation!?
What kind of puffer? Also have you treated for IP's ever?
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."
Re: Possible constipation!?
GSP never treated for parasites. Had him for a month now. When I purchased him he had a nice rounded belly which shrank little by little as time passed after I fed him. Also lately I noticed some nematodes swimming in the tank and have been doin recent gravel vaccums to help. Any suggestions for treatment?
-
Agnate
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1203
- Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:44 pm
- My Puffers: -
1 Abei Puffer [Monotrete Abei]
(Captain Abe) - Location: Ontario, Canada
- Contact:
Re: Possible constipation!?
Sounds like internal parasites, and possibly constipation. I'd add in some epsom salt (search through the forums for the correct tank dosing, it's something like 1 tbsp per 5 gallons, but please double-check) and treat for internal parasites. Your best bet if he's not eating is to pick up some Jungle Labs Parasite Clear tablets and dose the tank as per its instructions. After he (hopefully) clears out some parasites and regains his appetite, treat his food with the medication to make sure the worms are completely expelled.
For the next couple weeks, you'll have to do daily water changes and gravel vacs to make sure that all of the parasites are removed and that the water stays clean (don't forget to add back the epsom salt after the water change). You shouldn't need to dose with aquarium salt, so you can stop doing that (saves you some effort). You should get rid of the pleco as soon as possible (probably AFTER you've completed the treatment for internal parasites), as you're adding too much bioload to such a small tank.
Lastly, you'll need to upgrade your GSP to a 30 gallon, so I'd look around for used fish tanks, as you should be able to find a 30 gallon pretty cheap (they're a common tank - 30" x 12" x 20ish"... might be 36" x 12" x 20ish", though).
For the next couple weeks, you'll have to do daily water changes and gravel vacs to make sure that all of the parasites are removed and that the water stays clean (don't forget to add back the epsom salt after the water change). You shouldn't need to dose with aquarium salt, so you can stop doing that (saves you some effort). You should get rid of the pleco as soon as possible (probably AFTER you've completed the treatment for internal parasites), as you're adding too much bioload to such a small tank.
Lastly, you'll need to upgrade your GSP to a 30 gallon, so I'd look around for used fish tanks, as you should be able to find a 30 gallon pretty cheap (they're a common tank - 30" x 12" x 20ish"... might be 36" x 12" x 20ish", though).
Did our staff successfully help you? The Puffer Forum is an incredible resource and is run completely on the donations of its viewers. Proceeds from the Puffer Forum store go towards future contests and keeping the site running. Donations may also be made via PayPal.
- Paul
40 gallon - Future home of Abei Puffer
28 gallon - 1 Abei Puffer (Captain Abe)
5 gallon - 1 Betta (Frederico)
- Paul
40 gallon - Future home of Abei Puffer
28 gallon - 1 Abei Puffer (Captain Abe)
5 gallon - 1 Betta (Frederico)
Re: Possible constipation!?
Sorry to say...Kiwi passed this morning. It was an awful sight....he passed so quickly, not long after I started treatment.I guess the combination of things I had done wrong finally did him in... poor little guy. It was completely my fault and I feel horrible.
I have a 30g cycling now and I'm just staring to see nitrite readings. I'm just sad he didn't get to experience it. My GF saw how heartbroken I was and offered to buy me another one right away. I opted not to in order to address the problems already existing in the tank. Besides, once the 30g is cycled I can buy another GSP and probably just use the 10g as a breeder tank for snails or as a hostpital tank.
I just want to thank you all for your help and ideas...hopefully next time I'll get it right
I have a 30g cycling now and I'm just staring to see nitrite readings. I'm just sad he didn't get to experience it. My GF saw how heartbroken I was and offered to buy me another one right away. I opted not to in order to address the problems already existing in the tank. Besides, once the 30g is cycled I can buy another GSP and probably just use the 10g as a breeder tank for snails or as a hostpital tank.
I just want to thank you all for your help and ideas...hopefully next time I'll get it right
-
Agnate
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 1203
- Joined: Mon Dec 10, 2007 7:44 pm
- My Puffers: -
1 Abei Puffer [Monotrete Abei]
(Captain Abe) - Location: Ontario, Canada
- Contact:
Re: Possible constipation!?
Sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my first puffers, too, for similar reasons of just not knowing how to handle the situations.
Luckily, you've learned what you now need, so don't worry, things will come around. Just don't be too hard on yourself and learn from what happened.
Luckily, you've learned what you now need, so don't worry, things will come around. Just don't be too hard on yourself and learn from what happened.
Did our staff successfully help you? The Puffer Forum is an incredible resource and is run completely on the donations of its viewers. Proceeds from the Puffer Forum store go towards future contests and keeping the site running. Donations may also be made via PayPal.
- Paul
40 gallon - Future home of Abei Puffer
28 gallon - 1 Abei Puffer (Captain Abe)
5 gallon - 1 Betta (Frederico)
- Paul
40 gallon - Future home of Abei Puffer
28 gallon - 1 Abei Puffer (Captain Abe)
5 gallon - 1 Betta (Frederico)
-
side19
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 464
- Joined: Fri Jul 04, 2008 6:00 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 Figure Eight Puffer (Tetraodon biocellatus), Ra
1 South American Puffer (Colomesus asellus), Cocha(aka. Dizzy) - Location (country): United States
- Location: Manchester, CT
Re: Possible constipation!?
sorry to hear about your loss. i most my first puffer because i didn't know what to do to either. its a hard loss. just don't let it get you discouraged too much, just get everything set and try again, next time you'll know what to do.
-
Dadof4
- Tech Team
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 5:50 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 1 GSP (Microfiche) RIP, 1 Monotrete Turgidus (Leon) in a 30gal. 1 Monotrete suvattii in a 40 gal FW. 120 gallon BW with 3 juvenile Dragon Gobies (so cool). 55 gal with a 2" GSP named Hank. 180 gallon being set up for a Fahaka in the next few months!
- Location (country): United States
- Location: North Wisconsin
Re: Possible constipation!?
Sorry for your loss. There is so much bad info out there for new puffer owners and not many LFS or chain stores really care to learn the truth about them. They make it seem like you can just plop them in a tank and feed them flake food and unfortunately new puffer owners pay the price. You now have some experience with GSP's and have an advantage for when you get your next one.
"Darwin swings...annnnnnd a miss. Boy Jim, Chuck's suffered at the plate tonight. He's 0 for 3 and I'm not sure he's recovered from that shoulder pull a few weeks ago. I'll bet the front office is re-thinking that contract."