Burping a 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.
-
trichardson15718
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 small green spoted puffers
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Michigan
VERY sick GSP
I have 2 young gsp, under 2 inches, the smaller one is doing great swimming happy and eating plenty. The larger one is very very ill, im affraid he wont make it, he hasnt eaten in 24 + hrs, he hovers in the bottom of the tank hardly moving, is dark colored now, he is also swelling, he is 2X maybe now 3X his normal size and growing, his mouth just stays open, he wont really swim around, his butt looks huge, which is kinda graffic, sorry, no changes in tank. One fish has no change at all, and is acting completly normal, while keeps getting worse and worse, i am worried it may have some kind of parasite, but i also dont want to treat it if it doesnt, i dont know if thats harmful?
5 gl tank, which i now know is too small, brakish water, the specific gravity is at about 1.005, the salinity is about 7, there is a filter going at all times, i have a tank light, that i turn off at night ( dont know if i should?), i dont know how to cycle a tank, so i dont think that i have done that, they do have a fake coral thing, a fake plant, and a little rock hide out, i know fish like to be able to hide out
any help would be great, im affraid he will die and i want to save him!!
5 gl tank, which i now know is too small, brakish water, the specific gravity is at about 1.005, the salinity is about 7, there is a filter going at all times, i have a tank light, that i turn off at night ( dont know if i should?), i dont know how to cycle a tank, so i dont think that i have done that, they do have a fake coral thing, a fake plant, and a little rock hide out, i know fish like to be able to hide out
any help would be great, im affraid he will die and i want to save him!!
- purplecandle
- Mbu Puffer
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- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Currently
2 Adult Green Spotted Puffers
1 Fangs Puffer
1 Baby Green Spotted Puffer - Location (country): USA (NC)
Re: VERY sick GSP
do you have a test kit that will tell you the ammonia, nitrate and nitrite levels?
Do you mean a 5 gallon tank?
When was your last wate-r change?
Do you mean a 5 gallon tank?
When was your last wate-r change?
- LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
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- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
- Gender: Female
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RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: VERY sick GSP
Sorry about this inconvenience, but for April Fool's, the forum shows the word "ocean" instead of "t a n k" and "poodle" instead of "p u f f e r." 
How long have you had this tank?
Please read these articles.
library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/
library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
Welcome to the forum! If you have any more questions, please ask.
How long have you had this tank?
Please read these articles.
library/water-filtration/emergencycycle/
library/water-filtration/fishless-cycling/
library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
Welcome to the forum! If you have any more questions, please ask.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
- J-P
- Former Staff Member
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- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Japan
- Location: Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
Re: VERY sick GSP
you are in good hands!
welcome to the forum!
welcome to the forum!
if you follow me, you avoid stepping in the crap that I just did...
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZR55G ... pqlgec1A2Q
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zombiefetus
- Fahaka Puffer
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- Location (country): Illinois, USA
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Re: VERY sick GSP
Welcome to the forum!
Let us know what you decide to do with the puffers. I hope you decide to keep them though! And keep us updated.
Let us know what you decide to do with the puffers. I hope you decide to keep them though! And keep us updated.
-
trichardson15718
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 small green spoted puffers
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Michigan
Burping a GSP
My GSP has inflated, i think the problem has been narrowed down to, i was feeding him wrong, (freeze dried food without soaking), and i need to burp him... this has proven to be very confusing, has anyone ever burped a gsp? i tried to following the instructions given on this site, but i dont know if gently put pressure on the belly means to push a tiny bit and repeat, or to hold the push for a second? very lost, my attempts have proven to make him far more lively, though hes still puffed... and also do i continue to burp him untill hes no longer puffed?
- Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: Burping a GSP
If he can swim normally, they he has no air in him:
library/hospital/help-my-puffer-is-air-filled/
library/hospital/help-my-puffer-is-air-filled/
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!"
-
trichardson15718
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 small green spoted puffers
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Michigan
Re: VERY sick GSP
thanks for ALL the help! It was, well, helpfull haha. i think the problem is that he has puffed, or somehow filled with air, maybe from my lack of feeding education. i tried to burp him as par directions on here, but i dont know that its working. i will keep trying, since i attempted he has gotten a tiny bit more active, still not healthy looking. i officially decided im not going to take them back so that they can be killed, and i think im going to do my best to save them, i dove into this and i should stick with it, practice makes perfect. if anyone knows a bit more on burping gsp's let me know! The only thing that is still odd to me, is that he stopped eating, then slowly got puffed over a 24 hr period, there was NO fast expanding, just slowly got bigger
http://pbckt.com/sb.deKZ - this is the poor fella, before burping attempts, face down in the gravel, and MUCH larger than normal! Ignore the krill, turns out i was also over feeding, krill removal tomorrow morning, and i have changed 20% of the water and added aquasafe (which is new), going from there
http://pbckt.com/sb.deKZ - this is the poor fella, before burping attempts, face down in the gravel, and MUCH larger than normal! Ignore the krill, turns out i was also over feeding, krill removal tomorrow morning, and i have changed 20% of the water and added aquasafe (which is new), going from there
- mrgreen
- Fahaka Puffer
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2 figure 8s: Escalator & Elevator - Location (country): United States
- Location: Michigan, USA
- Contact:
Re: VERY sick GSP
One of my F8s was like this before he died. He was full of worms.
"Puffs puff cuz they're puffs cuz they puff cuz they're puffs. - Nathan age 12
- LilGreenPuffer
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 5301
- Joined: Sun Jan 25, 2009 11:26 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Dwarf puffer - Thumbelina (only mine in my heart now; she lives in CT with my friend)
RIP Inigo Montoya, Fezzik, and Vizinni.
RIP James Bond. - Location (country): United States
- Location: Kentucky
Re: VERY sick GSP
Good Lord, mrgreen, all that was worms???
If he's facedown in the gravel, I'd say it's not air. That would result in floating, not sinking.
If he's facedown in the gravel, I'd say it's not air. That would result in floating, not sinking.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
Found among the papers of Mohatma Gandhi

Come and visit http://www.thetriopsforum.com!
I AM A DUDETTE!
NEED NITRIFYING BACTERIA FOR YOUR NEW TANK? PM ME!
- mrgreen
- Fahaka Puffer
- Posts: 983
- Joined: Mon Mar 30, 2009 3:17 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 1 dwarf puffer: Squirt
2 figure 8s: Escalator & Elevator - Location (country): United States
- Location: Michigan, USA
- Contact:
Re: VERY sick GSP
Yes. I had thought Octo Puff, but when I cut her open....
"Puffs puff cuz they're puffs cuz they puff cuz they're puffs. - Nathan age 12
- purplecandle
- Mbu Puffer
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2 Adult Green Spotted Puffers
1 Fangs Puffer
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trichardson15718
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Thu Apr 01, 2010 11:33 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 2 small green spoted puffers
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Michigan
Re: VERY sick GSP
i tried to burp him, no air at all coming out. should i invest in some kind of medicine? he is somehow still alive and in the same condition
- Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32976
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
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- 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: VERY sick GSP
I'm afraid, without giving him the proper housing, you may not be able to save him, no matter what you do for him, other than 90% water changes 2x/day.
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!"
