GSP SICK !
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.
- Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- 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: GSP SICK !
Try earthworms. You can dig them up from an unfertilized garden area or try bait shops, Kmart or Walomart.
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!"
- Purifire
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 188
- Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf Puffers (C. Travancoricus) , 1 male 1 female.
Saddled Toby (C. Vallintini)
Have kept GSPs - Location (country): United States, Lompoc CA
Re: GSP SICK !
I tried earthworms. Redworms too...
To no avail... He used to go absoluteley crazy over live worms, but no more.
To my despair, he passed away sometime during the night. If you told me a year ago I would cry over a fish I would have laughed. I feel like a total loser... was doing everything I could think of but to no avail. Seeing as he and Georgia shared such a close bond, for puffers, I wonder if he didnt pine away. While she was sick and until a day or two after, he was healthy if not happy. Good appetite, good colors, lots of movement. Then maybe 36 hrs after Georgias death he just stopped eating and exploring.
I will always remember my little guys.

To no avail... He used to go absoluteley crazy over live worms, but no more.
To my despair, he passed away sometime during the night. If you told me a year ago I would cry over a fish I would have laughed. I feel like a total loser... was doing everything I could think of but to no avail. Seeing as he and Georgia shared such a close bond, for puffers, I wonder if he didnt pine away. While she was sick and until a day or two after, he was healthy if not happy. Good appetite, good colors, lots of movement. Then maybe 36 hrs after Georgias death he just stopped eating and exploring.
I will always remember my little guys.
29 Gallon Marine tank, with refugium, skimmer. Base rock, coral skeletons. Stock: Baby Ocellaurus Clown, young Saddled Toby, 3 Hermit crabs,one 2 inch Bristle Worm, hitch hiking starfish.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.
-
jus85411
- Mbu Puffer
- Posts: 1116
- Joined: Tue Jan 19, 2010 5:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: none currently :(
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Philadelphia Area
Re: GSP SICK !
sorry for your loss! it is tough when you have such a personable fish you try hard to keep going and thriving and then lose it. i had two GSP, one became more aggressive and would chase the other. would never bite or nip, just chase, and i rehomed the more aggressive one. the other seemed a bit off for like a week or two kind of like it missed its buddy even though he was a little bit mean
- J-P
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 5626
- Joined: Tue Oct 13, 2009 12:21 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Japan
- Location: Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
Re: GSP SICK !
aww that sucks ... sorry for the loss
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
- Purifire
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 188
- Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf Puffers (C. Travancoricus) , 1 male 1 female.
Saddled Toby (C. Vallintini)
Have kept GSPs - Location (country): United States, Lompoc CA
Re: GSP SICK !
Thanks Guys.
Im re cycling that tank fishless, Marine. Considering trying one young GSP converted to full SW... IDK Yet
Im re cycling that tank fishless, Marine. Considering trying one young GSP converted to full SW... IDK Yet
29 Gallon Marine tank, with refugium, skimmer. Base rock, coral skeletons. Stock: Baby Ocellaurus Clown, young Saddled Toby, 3 Hermit crabs,one 2 inch Bristle Worm, hitch hiking starfish.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.
- puffykid
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 537
- Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 3:16 pm
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): Madison, WI
Re: GSP SICK !
I am really sorry for your loss = [ But on the bright side you are very prepared for the next one and he/she will live at least 10+ years!
1 M. Turgidus - 29 gallon
- Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32975
- 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: GSP SICK !
So sorry... 
What are you doing to cycle the SW tank? Start a new thread on this in the SW forums.
What are you doing to cycle the SW tank? Start a new thread on this in the SW forums.
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!"
- Purifire
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 188
- Joined: Fri May 13, 2011 3:13 am
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: 2 Dwarf Puffers (C. Travancoricus) , 1 male 1 female.
Saddled Toby (C. Vallintini)
Have kept GSPs - Location (country): United States, Lompoc CA
Re: GSP SICK !
Gosh I remember this thread... Should have read those cycling docs... I would've shaved lots of time off if I'd just plunked in that fiji LR right off the bat. It's AMAZING to me still how well live rock works for these systems above and beyond conventional FW chem/biologic filtration that I'm used to! Suddenly my livebearer community tank seems, hrm, no less complex... but commonplace, heh.
29 Gallon Marine tank, with refugium, skimmer. Base rock, coral skeletons. Stock: Baby Ocellaurus Clown, young Saddled Toby, 3 Hermit crabs,one 2 inch Bristle Worm, hitch hiking starfish.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.
10g Biotope. 3 C. Travancoricus (Dwarf Puffer) Some Ghost shrimp, gravel/sand substrate, heavily planted with Swords and Java Moss.
10g LR Culture Tank. 10+ pounds fiji LR / base rock. Assorted hitch hiking inverts
Some FW tanks.
In My Experience, Fishkeeping is like Cooking. Five or ten basics will keep anyone from getting sick. But to be truly magnificent... You have to know the right Recipies.