Puffer is doing something wierd

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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.
Post Reply
FishFish
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:56 pm

Puffer is doing something wierd

Post by FishFish »

I just got back from class and one of my spotted puffers was lying on the bottom bending his tail all the way to the front of his body and only using his left fins. 30 minutes later now hes swimming around like normal. He keeps repeating this behavior.

Temp: 78
Salinity: 1.003
Tank is fully cycled
Puffers diet: Blood worms, feeder guppies, snails, plants

Know what this is?
User avatar
Raphael
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 338
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:01 am
Location: London

Post by Raphael »

Welcome to the forum. What tank size is it in? Does it have red under it's fin?
Whats the point of a signature?!
FishFish
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:56 pm

Post by FishFish »

I put him alone in a 20 gal as a quarantine. No red under fin.
User avatar
Raphael
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 338
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:01 am
Location: London

Post by Raphael »

Are you keeping it in FW, BW or SW?
Whats the point of a signature?!
FishFish
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:56 pm

Post by FishFish »

BW. Salinity: 1.003
User avatar
Raphael
Green Spotted Puffer
Posts: 338
Joined: Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:01 am
Location: London

Post by Raphael »

What is its non quaratine tank size?
Whats the point of a signature?!
FishFish
Puffer Fry
Posts: 4
Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2006 4:56 pm

Post by FishFish »

50 or 55, I forget. The only thing in the tank though are my 2 puffers.
ChesapeakeSwellfish
Mentor
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2005 9:54 pm
Location: southern Maryland

Post by ChesapeakeSwellfish »

My GSP rests/sleeps at night in a specific location on the bottom and is sometimes slightly curled with his tail usually curling to the right.

Is his color ok? appetite?

Water parameters? weekly water changes?

Your SG is a bit low, unless you've just recently gotten the fish from FW and are slowly increasing salinity with marine salt. Continue to increase salinity slowly (max .002 SG weekly increase, less is ok) with weekly water changes.
YBeNormal
Former Staff Member
Posts: 506
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 1:19 am
Location: Northern Virginia
Contact:

Post by YBeNormal »

GSPs often turn dark, curl their tail and rest on the bottom of the tank or in plants.
--Bob
RTR
Mentor
Posts: 6155
Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 4:39 pm
Gender: Male
Location (country): East Coast, USA

Post by RTR »

Normal resting/napping/sleeping behavior. It is also used when "orbiting" something interesting, to reduce water resistance.
Where's the fish? - Neptune
Post Reply