GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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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.
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Pufferpunk
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

Add Melafix. I'm wondering if this fish isn't a T sabahensis?
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Sabahensis/
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!"
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liquid88
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by liquid88 »

+1 to PP's comment. Those markings and that fin coloration...but my experience is limited.
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BedScien
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by BedScien »

Looks like scratches that I've seen. If so, it should heal in no time.
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by Welch4 »

Pufferpunk wrote:I'm wondering if this fish isn't a T sabahensis?
ug.php/v/PufferPedia/Brackish/T_Sabahensis/
Looking at both of the pics id agree
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dma1976
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by dma1976 »

I said all along that I didn't think he was a GSP! That's what he was sold as but his spots looked different to me. He is absolutely a sabahensis! Now to learn the difference. Hoping that he can live in full saltwater.

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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by hadla »

Why yes, yes she is!
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dma1976
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by dma1976 »

After doing as much research as I could, I am convinced that Puffy is indeed a Sabahensis.

Now I'm in even more trouble...... IF he lives, I can't keep him! It looks like Sabahensis are more FW than SW. I don't have the resources$$) to get an additional FW setup at the moment. I can't transition my tank to FW as I'ts been a SW for almost 20 yrs and I have other things to consider. I have no one that I can give him to, nor do I want to give him away especially while I'm trying to nurse him back to health. The only option might be the LFS IF they would take him. But there is no way that they will tube feed him so he'll die anyway!!!

What bothers me the most (other than being sold a FW fish as a SW one) is that he was thriving in my SW tank until he got stressed out by that damsel.

I'm now wondering if all of my efforts to nurse him back to health have been in vein as his water is poisoning him?

Beyond sad and frustrated. And to top it all off, he isn't acting any better. Still laying on the sand breathing heavy!
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Pufferpunk
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

I think all those years struggling to live in SW has ruined his immune system & his will to live. :( I met there isn't a LFS on this earth, that has ever heard of a Sabahensis.
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!"
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dma1976
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by dma1976 »

If it was you, would you put him out of his misery?
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Pufferpunk
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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: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by Pufferpunk »

If he seems to be suffering & past any hope of saving, then yes.
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!"
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dma1976
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by dma1976 »

Well, it's with much sadness that I am letting you know that we had to euthanize Puffy tonight. I want to thank you all for your help, suggestions and well wishes over these last weeks. The support I have gotten here has really meant a lot. Thank you!
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hadla
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by hadla »

Sorry to hear that :( RIP Puffy
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BedScien
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by BedScien »

Aw, ****. RIP.
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by Welch4 »

:rip: Sorry for your loss. I know its a little soon but have you thought about getting another puffer?
Forget other advice about puffers you don't hear here - Pufferpunk
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dma1976
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Re: GSP In Trouble! Please Help!!!

Post by dma1976 »

Thank you all. I'm not sure what I'm doing yet. Actually might take down the tank. If I keep the tank I'm going to do improvements- adding Live Rock, Skimmer, upgrading wet/dry to a Refugium or at least switching bio-blls to rock. This was my original plan to do next month with Puffy before he got sick. Now I'm not sure if I'm up for it and it might be nice to have he extra space. But yes, if I keep the tank I'll defintley have a Puffer again. Maybe a Porc again? Funny my local Petco has one now that is "sick" I was talking to the girl about him last week. Tempted to take him and try to save him as im not attached to this one. I'm a sucker for heartache I guess. Who knows! It feels so weird going into that room and not seeing my little guy. I'll keep you updated. Thanks again.
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