2 Sick GSPs?!

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
User avatar
jigglypuff7
Puffer Fry
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:46 pm

2 Sick GSPs?!

Post by jigglypuff7 »

Yesterday I noticed Ponyo looks like shes wearing lispstick. The only mouth thing I know of is cotton mouth. Is it usually pink or is this something else?

Soske's back was grey yesterday and today he looks like he has black and white sand on his back, and hes darting around a bit. is that the itch?

Neither of them have been very social or as excited about dinner time.

I recently treated for red aglae with chemiclean, and was thinking about another dose since its not completely gone, but I'm afraid to now, since this is the first time they've been ill!

What are the best/safest way to treat them? I have some EM emythromycyin on hand but that's it..

These pics are 3_Ponyo 2_Soske yesterday 1_Soske today
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
Ponyo Loves Soske
User avatar
Mezzovex
Figure 8 Puffer
Posts: 216
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 5:39 am
Gender: Male
My Puffers: Dib the Fahaka
Location (country): United States, Oregon

Re: 2 Sick GSPs?!

Post by Mezzovex »

have you done a water change? i would do one, and put carbon in your filter to remove the chem. puffs are a scaleless fish, so you have to be carefull what you put in them. Grey on the face, sides, and back usually mean stress.
Tanks I currently own:

125g freshwater tank w\ 30g sump, 840gph pump, ocean clear canister filter,
20" fire eel, and Dib the Fahaka

55g freshwater tank w\ Magnum 330 filter
Tigger the South American Puffer

5.5g nano saltwater tank
Clean up crew + coral + a strawberry dottyback
User avatar
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: 2 Sick GSPs?!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Please answer all the Qs above in RED. In the meantime, do as instructed above & add Melafix.
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!"
User avatar
pufferpuggirl
Mbu Puffer
Posts: 3979
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:04 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Puffs & Stuff:

1 x M Abei
1 x M Turgidus
1 x T Palembangensis
1 x M Baileyii
1 x T Schoutedeni
1 x T Leiurus
1 x T Miurus
Rainbow crab
crayfish
Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
Location: South Yorkshire, UK

Re: 2 Sick GSPs?!

Post by pufferpuggirl »

Using any chemical in your tank can result in a sick and/or dying puffer. You have to be super careful about what you put in, just as Mezzovex said, they are scaleless fish, so are extremely sensitive to chemicals and additives that other fish might tolerate with no problem.
I would NOT add any more of the algae killer.
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
User avatar
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: 2 Sick GSPs?!

Post by Pufferpunk »

I have used Chemiclean in my reef tank. It is a totally harmless antibiotic that won't crash your tank, IF USED EXACTLY AS DIRECTED. Still--need more info.
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!"
User avatar
pufferpuggirl
Mbu Puffer
Posts: 3979
Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 3:04 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Puffs & Stuff:

1 x M Abei
1 x M Turgidus
1 x T Palembangensis
1 x M Baileyii
1 x T Schoutedeni
1 x T Leiurus
1 x T Miurus
Rainbow crab
crayfish
Location (country): Yorkshire, GB
Location: South Yorkshire, UK

Re: 2 Sick GSPs?!

Post by pufferpuggirl »

I bow to your expertise PP, as I didn't know anything about the Chemiclean stuff, I just generally shy away from any additives.
"Puffer .... man's best friend?"
User avatar
jigglypuff7
Puffer Fry
Posts: 17
Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 6:46 pm

Re: 2 Sick GSPs?!

Post by jigglypuff7 »


1) Will remeasure Ammonia Nitrite and Nitrites tonight. This morning the salinity was way high, 1.030, so I changed some water out to lower it.
2) 40 gallon with 2 GSPs. I've had them for 2.5 years now.
3) They eat one meal, 6 days a week, consisting of frozen bloodworms, clams, krill, or fresh oysters. I change the water about every week and a half. I use instant ocean and Prime to condition the water.
4) About 2 weeks ago I dosed with chemiclean as directed. I also added some live sand from Petco. The water change was big, closer to 30-40%
5) 3 Months ago I moved and cycled the tank with biosphera.
Ponyo Loves Soske
Brandon8521
Fahaka Puffer
Posts: 824
Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2010 9:41 pm
Location (country): Usa

Re: 2 Sick GSPs?!

Post by Brandon8521 »

1) please keep a real close eye on your levels especially now that you caught your sg at such a high level that could kill your bacteria if it was a sudden change which is sounds like a opps on a water change or some serious evaporation.
2)How big are your GSP's they require 30 gal min each, you have had them for quit some time so im assumeing their a decent size.
3) I recommend reading this library/puffers-in-focus/an-introductio ... d-puffers/
4)PP already talked about the chemiclean, and for the live sand its a waist of money nothing is "live" about it.
5)Why did you have to recycle your tank? Although bio-spyra is a craps shoot it does work sometimes. As long as its not a really long move just keeping your filter media wet will help maintain your cycle.

Please post your parameters as soon as you can so the experts here can give you the best help possible.
User avatar
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: 2 Sick GSPs?!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Oh wow, SG of 1.030 is VERY high! What are you using to measure it? If the device hasn't been calibrated, it may be even higher than that.
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!"
Post Reply