My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time.
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.
-
Cameron_C
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Blind side (blind in one eye, and I like football) -GSP
Bloat - GSP
And I just added a new one but don't have a name for it yet. -GSP - Location (country): United States of America
- Location: Georgia
My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time.
I am new to having GSP so I'm gonna need some help here. I have 2 GSP in a 20 gallon tank. The salinity is at 1.05 and I did a water check today and the ammonia nitrites and everything are normal, but for the past 4 or 5 days one of my GSP just has been completely black (except for the belly) and lost most of it's color. Every once in a while it lightens up, but hardly ever. It doesn't eat much either. I have been feeding them half a block of frozen bloodworms every night. One of the puffers eat like crazy, but the other does not eat much at all. It's beak is not over growing or anything. And I did a 40% water change today. Someone please help before it dies.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
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!"
-
Cameron_C
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Blind side (blind in one eye, and I like football) -GSP
Bloat - GSP
And I just added a new one but don't have a name for it yet. -GSP - Location (country): United States of America
- Location: Georgia
Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
1. PH- 8
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 0
Salinity- 1.008
2. 20 gallons, 2 GSP
3. Half a block of frozen blood worms everyday.
4. I did an 8 gallon water change today.
5. The tank has been set up for 3 1/2 weeks and was cycled for 1 1/2 weeks
Ammonia- 0
Nitrite- 0
Nitrate- 0
Salinity- 1.008
2. 20 gallons, 2 GSP
3. Half a block of frozen blood worms everyday.
4. I did an 8 gallon water change today.
5. The tank has been set up for 3 1/2 weeks and was cycled for 1 1/2 weeks
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32987
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
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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: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
What test kits are you using? If the tank is cycled, it would be showing nitrate, especially with 2 GSPs in there. How did you cycle the tank, exactly?
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!"
-
I.Puff.Too
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:52 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Charleston, SC
Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
Your tank isn't cycled and it is too small for two GSPs.
You will need to do daily water changes and also find a bigger home for them.
Also, thaw the frozen bloodworms in a little bit of tank water, and then discard the water putting only the bloodworms into the tank.
HTH
You will need to do daily water changes and also find a bigger home for them.
Also, thaw the frozen bloodworms in a little bit of tank water, and then discard the water putting only the bloodworms into the tank.
HTH
-
Cameron_C
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Blind side (blind in one eye, and I like football) -GSP
Bloat - GSP
And I just added a new one but don't have a name for it yet. -GSP - Location (country): United States of America
- Location: Georgia
Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
I am using tetra test water strips. Just retested:
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: .5
Alkalinity: 80
pH: 7.6
Nitrate: 20
Nitrite: .5
Alkalinity: 80
pH: 7.6
-
Cameron_C
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Blind side (blind in one eye, and I like football) -GSP
Bloat - GSP
And I just added a new one but don't have a name for it yet. -GSP - Location (country): United States of America
- Location: Georgia
Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
And I cycled my tank by running it for 2 weeks without anything in it and every other day adding a cap full of tank stabilizer. That's what the employee at petsmart told me to do.
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Cameron_C
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Blind side (blind in one eye, and I like football) -GSP
Bloat - GSP
And I just added a new one but don't have a name for it yet. -GSP - Location (country): United States of America
- Location: Georgia
Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
It won't let me reply?
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bertie 83
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Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
Your first few posts need to be approved by forum staff to stop spam. What the store told you was rubbish, you do not cycle a tank like that. Test strips are terribly inaccurate so who knows where your tank is at. I would recommend a bottle of tetra safestart to get your tank going, don't buy any other instant cycle product because most just don't work
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
-
Cameron_C
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Aug 25, 2013 6:26 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: Blind side (blind in one eye, and I like football) -GSP
Bloat - GSP
And I just added a new one but don't have a name for it yet. -GSP - Location (country): United States of America
- Location: Georgia
Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
Well what do I get then instead of test strips? And for some reason my puffer is starting to get really bright? I did my weekly water change and changed the salinity up .002 and it got bright as soon as more salt was in?
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I.Puff.Too
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 310
- Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 12:52 am
- Gender: Male
- Location (country): USA
- Location: Charleston, SC
Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
It could be that, but it was most likely the water change. Do %50 water changes every day until your tank is cycled. You'll know your tank is cycled once there is no longer any ammonia or nitrites.
Don't worry about the salt until your tank has properly completed its cycle, it'll just be a big hassle.
Don't worry about the salt until your tank has properly completed its cycle, it'll just be a big hassle.
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32987
- 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:
Re: My GSP is black and seems drained of energy all the time
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!"