Bred, Sari:
Thank you so much for your attention to my mess here; this has been terribly stressful and, as I've mentioned, I have no where else to turn but this forum. I had no idea these creatures could be so sensitive. This is the first such emergency I've had in years of aquarium fish-keeping. It's more than apparent to me that Puffers are in a category all their own.
I guess the issue now is whether the water quality will improve fast enough for this little fellow will feel well enough to eat something before he expires. Today, for the first time, his underside turned a sickening gray -- and I debated whether it wouldn't be the proper ethical decision to euthanize him.
I still can't believe that after 'rescuing' him from his dreadful situation in the LFS, investing in a new 40-gallon tank plus all the very best accoutrements on his behalf, and then running out in the middle of the night for seafood and garlic, I've nearly killed him.
Would the readings I mentioned earlier (the ones I took myself) be toxic enough to make him this ill? I guess I'm still wondering if maybe it's not something else....
Gratefully,
Peter
Please Help: Problem with New GSP
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.
-
Bred
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 364
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 10:42 am
- Location: Toronto, Canada
- Contact:
Peter, don't worry too much. In a perfect world, you would have introduced your puff to a fully cycled tank. But those readings, although still toxic, are not as bad as some I've seen in the past. The grey belly is a sign of stress from the ammonia & nitrite, but if you both hang in there there's a pretty good chance it will turn out fine. With the BioSpira, the tank should be under control soon.
During the ordeal, it will help to provide good aeration--for instance, if using a Hang on Back filter, drop the water level in the tank a bit so there's more surface disruption.
During the ordeal, it will help to provide good aeration--for instance, if using a Hang on Back filter, drop the water level in the tank a bit so there's more surface disruption.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32979
- 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:
B-S should be added directly into your filter, otherwise in a tank already having cycling problems, it may take longer to work. That way, the bacteria will establish in the filter & you can start water changes sooner. You can do a 80% water change beforehand but would be best to wait at least 24 hours before doing 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!"
Update Tuesday 5 July 2005
I hope the Biospira is doing its good work -- will do a water change this evening, as it's been cycling through two very good filters that have a biological medium.
Our friend appears gray on his underside off and on, which I find strange. If I approach the tank very cautiously -- and unnoticed -- he appears gray, and is stationary, near one of his hiding places on the tank's bottom. When he sees me, he will swim about, and his underside turns off-white before my eyes.
He's nibbling a bit of his special garlic shrimp, but not nearly with the gusto that I know a Puffer is capable of. He seems weak, but is apparently hanging on.
I'm extremely grateful for all of the help and support from this eclectic gathering of Puffer experts -- particularly from Bred, whose dedication to these creatures is great indeed. I've also gone back to the Library, and found more background material (even regarding freshwater and marine Puffers, respectively) that's been insightful.
I hope the Biospira is doing its good work -- will do a water change this evening, as it's been cycling through two very good filters that have a biological medium.
Our friend appears gray on his underside off and on, which I find strange. If I approach the tank very cautiously -- and unnoticed -- he appears gray, and is stationary, near one of his hiding places on the tank's bottom. When he sees me, he will swim about, and his underside turns off-white before my eyes.
He's nibbling a bit of his special garlic shrimp, but not nearly with the gusto that I know a Puffer is capable of. He seems weak, but is apparently hanging on.
I'm extremely grateful for all of the help and support from this eclectic gathering of Puffer experts -- particularly from Bred, whose dedication to these creatures is great indeed. I've also gone back to the Library, and found more background material (even regarding freshwater and marine Puffers, respectively) that's been insightful.
-
Woland
- Former Staff Member
- Posts: 376
- Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 3:12 am
- My Puffers: 1 X Tetraodon nigroviridis, 1 X Monotrete palembangensis.
- Location (country): Norway
- Location: Oslo, NORWAY
Sounds promising Peter.
A year and a half ago my GSP Izabella was in as bad state after her tank had a total crash with sky-high nitrites as the result.
I was sure she was a goner, but thanx to advice I received in this forum she pulled through.
Today she's the queen of the castle and looks like this...
Good luck!
A year and a half ago my GSP Izabella was in as bad state after her tank had a total crash with sky-high nitrites as the result.
I was sure she was a goner, but thanx to advice I received in this forum she pulled through.
Today she's the queen of the castle and looks like this...
Good luck!
Regards
Woland
Woland