1) -Will post asap
2) 40 gal brackish tank, 2 x 1.5 yr old GSPs
3) Mostly frozen clams on the half shell and bloodworms, water change every 8 days or so, 30%, prime & instant ocean
Lately ive had the black bacteria causing me to not be able to see my fishies very well after a couple days ea time i change the water. This weekend i can home to my littlest fishie dead on my floor so i took a good long look, and some photos of the two left (who have always acted like a couple.)
( I think i did a water change (50% )that was too much for him in an effort to clean out the bacteria, or else i didnt let the new water sit long enough, though i was up until 1:30 trying to give it as much time to sit as possible. Im heartbroken and feel foolish for leaving a space for him to jump out of. )
So now, my biggest fishie has some discoloration on his tail and im afraid it may be a parasite? lately he has been doing much more swimming up and down in the back of the tank than ever but that is my only sign. What do you guys think?
discoloured spot and ring on my GSP, parasites?
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.
-
jigglypuff7
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:46 pm
discoloured spot and ring on my GSP, parasites?
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Ponyo Loves Soske
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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: discoloured spot and ring on my GSP, parasites?
Whoa, sorry to hear about all this. It's amazing how losing a puffer just feels so horribly tragic.
The pic you posted: is that the one with the discoloration on its tail? If so, it doesn't look discolored at all to me, although it seems to have a pattern of spots on it that I don't remember seeing before. Otherwise it looks completely healthy. The ring is almost certainly a mostly-healed bite mark from the other puffer.
Swimming up and down is completely normal for a GSP, although you mainly see it in new arrivals. Once they settle in, well, they get pretty lazy and spend most of their time napping. Kind of like my partner.
The pic you posted: is that the one with the discoloration on its tail? If so, it doesn't look discolored at all to me, although it seems to have a pattern of spots on it that I don't remember seeing before. Otherwise it looks completely healthy. The ring is almost certainly a mostly-healed bite mark from the other puffer.
Swimming up and down is completely normal for a GSP, although you mainly see it in new arrivals. Once they settle in, well, they get pretty lazy and spend most of their time napping. Kind of like my partner.
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jigglypuff7
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:46 pm
Re: discoloured spot and ring on my GSP, parasites?
Is its possible that the littlest puff was a bully?!?! The two puffs left are acting EXTREMELY happy, playing enjoying bubbles and foraging together, whereas before the little one did all that while these 2 glass surfed the back of the tank. I thought i was imagining it but its been a few days straight of close observation now...
On the other hand, i saw a ring on the other one yesterday so maybe they are getting nippy w/each other too. Does this mean they will need separate tanks or a huge one?
And yeah aside from the ring, it looks theres something on his skin back there, it almost looks like he spilled his coffee.
On the other hand, i saw a ring on the other one yesterday so maybe they are getting nippy w/each other too. Does this mean they will need separate tanks or a huge one?
And yeah aside from the ring, it looks theres something on his skin back there, it almost looks like he spilled his coffee.
Ponyo Loves Soske
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jigglypuff7
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:46 pm
Re: discoloured spot and ring on my GSP, parasites?
i guess the spot im looking at could be a bite too!
Ponyo Loves Soske
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
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T miurus
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burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: discoloured spot and ring on my GSP, parasites?
Yup, pufferbite.
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!"
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jigglypuff7
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 17
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:46 pm
Re: discoloured spot and ring on my GSP, parasites?
They aren't even 2 inches yet and in a 40 gallon. Should i be worried about the biting? Is it time to upgrade to a larger tank?
Ponyo Loves Soske
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- 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: discoloured spot and ring on my GSP, parasites?
Your puffers just may not get along--it happens.
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!"