+1 Your numbers should be Ammonia: 0, Nitrite NO2: 0, and Nitrate NO3: <20
Anything beyond that will cause symptoms you are describing. If your numbers are not as listed above, do 50% water changes until they stay as such, and use Seachem Prime to prepare your water and protect him from whatever "low" numbers you have right now.
HELP GASPING PUFFER - UPDATE HE's LOOKING LOTS BETTER!!!
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.
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sevenyearnight
- Former Staff Member
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Balki Bartokomous - Location (country): USA
- Location: South Carolina
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Amonia : 0 / clear
Nirtrate : 5 (I believe its measured in mg)/ light pink
Nitrite : 0.1 / clear / extremely light pink
He seems a little perkier so I didn't do the "burping" I wanted to leave it as a last resort - he is swimming a little bit nowr, then lying down again band his tummy is a touch whiter but he still hasn't eaten anything in about 5 days now he has 1 live shrimp in his tank which is still unharmed
Thanks for all the help its appreciated Im massively attached to the little guy and will do anything necessary to make him feel better
Nirtrate : 5 (I believe its measured in mg)/ light pink
Nitrite : 0.1 / clear / extremely light pink
He seems a little perkier so I didn't do the "burping" I wanted to leave it as a last resort - he is swimming a little bit nowr, then lying down again band his tummy is a touch whiter but he still hasn't eaten anything in about 5 days now he has 1 live shrimp in his tank which is still unharmed
Thanks for all the help its appreciated Im massively attached to the little guy and will do anything necessary to make him feel better
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Pufferpunk
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Whew, glad he's improving, I was really worried about him! If you are showing any nitrite at all, do another WC.
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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bertie 83
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Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
+1. step up the waterchanges until your nitrite is completely gone
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Ok thanks guys will do 
Is there any way I can tempt him to eat? there's a live shrimp in his tank but he's not touching it....Im worried he hasnt eaten in almost a week now
Is there any way I can tempt him to eat? there's a live shrimp in his tank but he's not touching it....Im worried he hasnt eaten in almost a week now
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Pufferpunk
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- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
A week isn't too bad... Try a live earthworm, although the shrimp should work.
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!"
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER
Guess who is feeling better! 
I got home from work and he was greeting me at the front of the tank like normal and then...... he ate a shrimp!!!! woooooooooo!!!!! I did notice a little lump of what looks like shrimp remains floating at the top of the water - which I removed of course - but we wondered weather that was what was stuck in his throat
anyway here is my little lad all happy and well again - food wise I dont want to give him too much when he's not eaten for a week he's had one shrimp this evening but Im assuming its like what they say about dogs on vet programmes , if they have been starved you have to build up how much they eat slowly? should I do every other day instead of every day for a little?
I got home from work and he was greeting me at the front of the tank like normal and then...... he ate a shrimp!!!! woooooooooo!!!!! I did notice a little lump of what looks like shrimp remains floating at the top of the water - which I removed of course - but we wondered weather that was what was stuck in his throat
anyway here is my little lad all happy and well again - food wise I dont want to give him too much when he's not eaten for a week he's had one shrimp this evening but Im assuming its like what they say about dogs on vet programmes , if they have been starved you have to build up how much they eat slowly? should I do every other day instead of every day for a little?
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Pufferpunk
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Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER - UPDATE HE's LOOKING LOTS BETTER!!!
YIPPEE!!! Go puffer!
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!"
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER - UPDATE HE's LOOKING LOTS BETTER!!!
Yep he's completely stopped "coughing" out water
Thanks for everyone's help
Thanks for everyone's help
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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A modestus
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C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER - UPDATE HE's LOOKING LOTS BETTER!!!
What's his name?
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!"
Re: HELP GASPING PUFFER - UPDATE HE's LOOKING LOTS BETTER!!!
Perseus but Percy for short
I also pet name him Puff or Pastry haha
I also pet name him Puff or Pastry haha