We have had two GSPs in a 55 gallon aquarium for 5.5 years. They eat every other evening and we do 50% water changes every 2-3 weeks (this has been the normal routine for almost the entire time we have had the aquarium) and we don’t use any additional products other than the normal de-chlorinator, buffer and marine salt.
The last time we re-set up the tank was almost two years ago when we moved, so it’s well established. The only thing we have don differently in the last week or so is add some water to the aquarium on Christmas Eve day to top it off (this is normal on a weekly basis) and fed them some freeze dried krill as a treat the same day.
Water parameters PRIOR to the emergency change addressed in the below paragraph:
SG 1.017
Ammonia ~.25ppm
Nitrites 0
Nitrates <20
Ph ~8
So, on to the symptoms. I could have sworn that about a week ago, one of our puffers started acting a bit strange, but it seemed short lived, so I didn’t worry about it. Christmas Eve, we tried to find the same puffer, and it was hiding in the bottom of a hollow log and it didn’t come out as quickly as normal. Rarely do we even see it go in there. Christmas it seemed more normal. Wednesday evening it started swimming around, bumping into things, breathing hard and acting like it was stiff when swimming. It was also sometimes swimming on its side as well as resting on its side, or even nose down in a plant. NOT normal. This was late Wednesday evening, so yesterday (Thursday) morning I did an emergency 50% water change. That didn’t seem to help at all. Last night, it was laying nose wedged into a narrow crevice underneath and inside one of the logs in the aquarium. Not sure how long it stayed there, but this morning it isn’t any better and was laying in the corner of the aquarium on its side still breathing hard.
Our other puffer is doing just fine.
Help!
