GSP Swimming Issues
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.
GSP Swimming Issues
My guy, who's been loving his 10g tank for the past 2 weeks, seems to have a problem swimming now all of a sudden. It's like his tail is more buoyant and he's constantly correcting it. If he tries to swim deep, his tail just goes higher and higher until hes almost vertical so he chills at the top of the water instead. I haven't seen him eat anything for more than a few days now but he doesn't have a sunken belly and I've been dropping tiny bits of shrimp and brine shrimp in there, can't tell if he's nibbling on them though. He does have some fin rot, not sure from what though. His tank used starter bacteria from my main tank (that has no problems or issues) and he's been by himself all this time. It's been 50% water changes once a week so far too with salt added per the mixing guide.
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Pufferpunk
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
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Re: GSP Swimming Issues
Please answer ALL the Qs above, in RED.
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: GSP Swimming Issues
1. I don't know the specifics, I'll try to grab some testing supplies tonite.
2. 10g, he's the only fish in the tank.
3. Shrimp and brine shrimp.
4. No changes, just did the weekly 50% water change yesterday though the symptoms were there before the water change.
5. His tank's been setup for a couple weeks now and was started with some water from my established tank.
I woke up to find him trapped by the water current against a plant and slightly puffed up. I freed him and now he's just been swimming around at the surface and every once in awhile trying to swim deeper but the deeper he goes, the higher his tail goes until he gives up and floats back up.
2. 10g, he's the only fish in the tank.
3. Shrimp and brine shrimp.
4. No changes, just did the weekly 50% water change yesterday though the symptoms were there before the water change.
5. His tank's been setup for a couple weeks now and was started with some water from my established tank.
I woke up to find him trapped by the water current against a plant and slightly puffed up. I freed him and now he's just been swimming around at the surface and every once in awhile trying to swim deeper but the deeper he goes, the higher his tail goes until he gives up and floats back up.
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suvattii2012
- Green Spotted Puffer
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Re: GSP Swimming Issues
Mabie some trapped air or something with the swim bladder. I really have no clue at all though so wait till somebody else can tell you.
Arrowhead
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puffykid
- Former Staff Member
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Re: GSP Swimming Issues
Hi and welcome to the forum! Sorry your puffer friend isn't feeling well.
When you used water from an established tank did you bring over any of the decor? The water in a tank actually has very little to no good bacteria and so transferring that alone didn't cycle the tank.. If possible can you move over some decor from the established tank?
Also for the testing equipment try and get the API test kit salt water test kit and not the strips! Strips can be un-accurate and give you bad readings so it's pretty much a waste of cash.
When you used water from an established tank did you bring over any of the decor? The water in a tank actually has very little to no good bacteria and so transferring that alone didn't cycle the tank.. If possible can you move over some decor from the established tank?
Also for the testing equipment try and get the API test kit salt water test kit and not the strips! Strips can be un-accurate and give you bad readings so it's pretty much a waste of cash.
1 M. Turgidus - 29 gallon
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Pufferpunk
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T miurus
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T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: GSP Swimming Issues
Your tank isn't cycled & he is suffering from being poisoned by his own wastes.His tank's been setup for a couple weeks now and was started with some water from my established tank.
viewtopic.php?f=67&t=28467
viewtopic.php?f=68&t=28469
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: GSP Swimming Issues
Yes, decor did come over. I know how to cycle a tank and it was going great for over 2 weeks, it was only in the past day that he took a sharp turn for the worse.
He alternated from swimming just under the surface normally, to tail up when going deeper, to swimming on his side.
Sadly, I just checked on him and he was stuck to the filter intake, prodding him didn't get any reaction. He's in fishy heaven now. We've decided not to get another GSP, possibly a freshwater puffer later on but definitely not from walmart.
He alternated from swimming just under the surface normally, to tail up when going deeper, to swimming on his side.
Sadly, I just checked on him and he was stuck to the filter intake, prodding him didn't get any reaction. He's in fishy heaven now. We've decided not to get another GSP, possibly a freshwater puffer later on but definitely not from walmart.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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T miurus
A modestus
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C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
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Re: GSP Swimming Issues
How can you cycle a tank without test kits?
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: GSP Swimming Issues
How did people cycle fish tanks long before there were test kits?
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puffykid
- Former Staff Member
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Re: GSP Swimming Issues
She means, did you use liquid ammonia (because you need a test kit to check if the bacteria are neutralizing the ammonia before you put in your fish)? or did you use some instant cycle (bacteria in a bottle stuff) then dump the puffer in right away?
1 M. Turgidus - 29 gallon
Re: GSP Swimming Issues
You can't know if a tank is cycled without test kits.
It is absurd to talk of one animal being higher than another. We consider those, when the cerebral structure/intellectual faculties most developed, as highest. A bee doubtless would when the instincts were.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
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hadla
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Re: GSP Swimming Issues
*cough* i had my (first) tank up and running for over a year before i knew i needed a test kit x.x it was a 5g, but i knew to use gravel and things from it to get the 10g started. i did the same when moving from the 10g to the 20g. (and again when i started up the 10g) but before all that, i knew not to buy a tank and set it up and just throw fish in right away. it pains me to see people buying bettas and those damn 'betta homes' at the same time.
Never trust big puffers. The fingers you save may be your own. -RTR
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
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- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
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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 Swimming Issues
We cycled with fish. Lost a lot of them too. They certainly didn't live into their upper teens-20s back then.wi_gsb wrote:How did people cycle fish tanks long before there were test kits?
Still waiting on those parameters.1. I don't know the specifics, I'll try to grab some testing supplies tonite.
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: GSP Swimming Issues
The tank was cycled by seeding with both water and decor from my main tank.
I have no need for elitism or sarcasm in what is supposed to be a fun hobby so this will be my last post on this forum.
Being a smartass doesn't help anyone. My puffer has already passed on.Pufferpunk wrote: Still waiting on those parameters.
I have no need for elitism or sarcasm in what is supposed to be a fun hobby so this will be my last post on this forum.