GSP Breathing Heavy
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.
- jenrkit84
- Figure 8 Puffer
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GSP Breathing Heavy
PH 7
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .25
Nitrate 0
Salinity 1
Temp 78
Did a 50% water change on Wednesday, up'ed the salt levels slightly as well as added a hermit, puffer was acting fine and even ate a clam yesterday. This morning I woke to find it hovering at the top breathing very heavy, it's color went from vibrant to very muted and it's belly now has 2 dark spots. I immediately turned the bubble wand back on (leave it off at night), and added prime & stability into the tank incase of a nitrate posioning. I was unable to get new readings this morning as I was already late for work freaking out over this.
Ammonia 0
Nitrite .25
Nitrate 0
Salinity 1
Temp 78
Did a 50% water change on Wednesday, up'ed the salt levels slightly as well as added a hermit, puffer was acting fine and even ate a clam yesterday. This morning I woke to find it hovering at the top breathing very heavy, it's color went from vibrant to very muted and it's belly now has 2 dark spots. I immediately turned the bubble wand back on (leave it off at night), and added prime & stability into the tank incase of a nitrate posioning. I was unable to get new readings this morning as I was already late for work freaking out over this.
Hi, My name is Jen and I am a OPCD addict, Obsessive Puffer Compulsive Disorder
- J-P
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Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
"Salinity 1" One point what? 1.???
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
- jenrkit84
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:08 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 30 Gallon Setup (upgrade coming soon)
1 GSP Puffer - Duma - 2"
6.7 Gallon Setup
2 Dwarf Puffers - less than .5"
75 Gallon Setup
2 Pink Gouramis
1 Dwarf Powder Blue Gouramis
1 Dwarf Neon Gouramis
2 Balla Sharks
4 Upsidedown Catfish
2 African Butterfly Fish
4 Kuli Loaches
1 Peacock Eel - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA - PA
- Contact:
Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
Sorry... 1.005, phone doesn't always add in what I type.
Hi, My name is Jen and I am a OPCD addict, Obsessive Puffer Compulsive Disorder
- sevenyearnight
- Former Staff Member
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Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
Nitrate is at 0.0? Are you using liquid or strip tests? You can't have nitrate poisoning with 0.0 nitrate. If using strips, get liquid tests. If using liquid, shake the Bob Saget ot of the 2nd bottle.
Your nitrite at 0.25 is a problem though. Leave the salinity at 1.005, continue water changes until your nitrite stays at 0.0, make sure your exchange water is the same salinity and has had enough time to mix thoroughly. When your levels are stable wait a week, and continue raising the SG.
Your nitrite at 0.25 is a problem though. Leave the salinity at 1.005, continue water changes until your nitrite stays at 0.0, make sure your exchange water is the same salinity and has had enough time to mix thoroughly. When your levels are stable wait a week, and continue raising the SG.

- jenrkit84
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:08 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 30 Gallon Setup (upgrade coming soon)
1 GSP Puffer - Duma - 2"
6.7 Gallon Setup
2 Dwarf Puffers - less than .5"
75 Gallon Setup
2 Pink Gouramis
1 Dwarf Powder Blue Gouramis
1 Dwarf Neon Gouramis
2 Balla Sharks
4 Upsidedown Catfish
2 African Butterfly Fish
4 Kuli Loaches
1 Peacock Eel - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA - PA
- Contact:
Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
I think I have a bad liquid test kit, i follow the directions to a T with ALL of them, and no matter what tank I test, or how long it's been cycled, it comes out 0. I even tested my crap snail breeding tank and it came out, 0. Think the little guy will make it until I can get home to do a water change later this afternoon?
Hi, My name is Jen and I am a OPCD addict, Obsessive Puffer Compulsive Disorder
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Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
Your tank isn't cycled/stable. How fast did you raise that SG? Also, hermit crabs are SW animals.
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!"
- jenrkit84
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:08 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 30 Gallon Setup (upgrade coming soon)
1 GSP Puffer - Duma - 2"
6.7 Gallon Setup
2 Dwarf Puffers - less than .5"
75 Gallon Setup
2 Pink Gouramis
1 Dwarf Powder Blue Gouramis
1 Dwarf Neon Gouramis
2 Balla Sharks
4 Upsidedown Catfish
2 African Butterfly Fish
4 Kuli Loaches
1 Peacock Eel - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA - PA
- Contact:
Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
My tank has been up since September, and cycled with mature bacteria from another tank.
I raised the SG by .20 every 2 weeks.
I raised the SG by .20 every 2 weeks.
Hi, My name is Jen and I am a OPCD addict, Obsessive Puffer Compulsive Disorder
- Pufferpunk
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C valentini
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DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
.20?
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!"
- jenrkit84
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:08 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 30 Gallon Setup (upgrade coming soon)
1 GSP Puffer - Duma - 2"
6.7 Gallon Setup
2 Dwarf Puffers - less than .5"
75 Gallon Setup
2 Pink Gouramis
1 Dwarf Powder Blue Gouramis
1 Dwarf Neon Gouramis
2 Balla Sharks
4 Upsidedown Catfish
2 African Butterfly Fish
4 Kuli Loaches
1 Peacock Eel - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA - PA
- Contact:
Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
.02 - good gracious my phone is crap. Sorry again.
Hi, My name is Jen and I am a OPCD addict, Obsessive Puffer Compulsive Disorder
- jenrkit84
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:08 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 30 Gallon Setup (upgrade coming soon)
1 GSP Puffer - Duma - 2"
6.7 Gallon Setup
2 Dwarf Puffers - less than .5"
75 Gallon Setup
2 Pink Gouramis
1 Dwarf Powder Blue Gouramis
1 Dwarf Neon Gouramis
2 Balla Sharks
4 Upsidedown Catfish
2 African Butterfly Fish
4 Kuli Loaches
1 Peacock Eel - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA - PA
- Contact:
Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
And make that every week, not every 2
Hi, My name is Jen and I am a OPCD addict, Obsessive Puffer Compulsive Disorder
- jenrkit84
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:08 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 30 Gallon Setup (upgrade coming soon)
1 GSP Puffer - Duma - 2"
6.7 Gallon Setup
2 Dwarf Puffers - less than .5"
75 Gallon Setup
2 Pink Gouramis
1 Dwarf Powder Blue Gouramis
1 Dwarf Neon Gouramis
2 Balla Sharks
4 Upsidedown Catfish
2 African Butterfly Fish
4 Kuli Loaches
1 Peacock Eel - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA - PA
- Contact:
Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
My only assumption is that perhaps my hydrometer POS mislead my reading and the salt level was raised too quickly?
Hi, My name is Jen and I am a OPCD addict, Obsessive Puffer Compulsive Disorder
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jus85411
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Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
possibly. or you might just have to make sure the needle(if not digital) is free swinging before measuring the salinity. i would get the new liquid test kits asap and test again. if you get the same results there might have been some die off of the bacteria in the conversion(if raised too fast). if there is actually nitrite in the tank and no nitrate i would do smaller partial water changes til that goes down and you start seeing nitrate again
- sevenyearnight
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Balki Bartokomous - Location (country): USA
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Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
Honestly, you have to REALLY shake the second bottle of Nitrate test hard, like even bang it against something. If I just shake it normally, it won't read any nitrate either.

- jenrkit84
- Figure 8 Puffer
- Posts: 143
- Joined: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:08 pm
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: 30 Gallon Setup (upgrade coming soon)
1 GSP Puffer - Duma - 2"
6.7 Gallon Setup
2 Dwarf Puffers - less than .5"
75 Gallon Setup
2 Pink Gouramis
1 Dwarf Powder Blue Gouramis
1 Dwarf Neon Gouramis
2 Balla Sharks
4 Upsidedown Catfish
2 African Butterfly Fish
4 Kuli Loaches
1 Peacock Eel - Location (country): USA
- Location: USA - PA
- Contact:
Re: GSP Breathing Heavy
Something else I thought of, not sure if it matters or not. Yesterday I got the bag of frozen half shell clams out, forgot they were out for about 45 minutes, and put them back in the freezer. Would that have caused them to go bad? It is acting better than this morning, swimming around as well as not trying to breath as hard. Some of it's color has come back as well, the entire thing is just odd and out of nowhere.
Hi, My name is Jen and I am a OPCD addict, Obsessive Puffer Compulsive Disorder
- Pufferpunk
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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: GSP Breathing Heavy
I don't think they'd go bad in 45 minutes.
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!"