GSP panting on bottom!

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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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carolinasculpture
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GSP panting on bottom!

Post by carolinasculpture »

Hi! We just got back from being out of town. When we left, our GSP seemed fine (always hungry :) bright colors), came back to find him on the bottom of his tank, on his side, panting.
Here are the basics:
45g tank, by himself
Immediately did water check, all seems normal for him, except the Nitrate and salinity a little low:
pH: 8.2
Ammonia: <0.25ppm
Nitrite:0ppm
Nitrate: 10ppm (I thought this was usually closer to 5 or less normally)
Salinity: 1.0215
(Edited to add, he is about 6 years old and has been in this tank for about 2 years)

So, we used the same critter sitter as usual. He was fed (a worm) every other day, still is nice and round, belly white, head bright...any ideas? Is the Nitrate the culprit?
Doing water change and adding a little saline NOW.

Thank you in advance!
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eieio
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Re: GSP panting on bottom!

Post by eieio »

historically, what have your ammonia readings been?
........any is very bad, none is best
your nitrates aren't out of line at 5 or 10
do you use liquid test kits (or dry strips), appropriate to the salinity?
"I plan ahead. That way, I don't have to do anything right now!"
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carolinasculpture
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Re: GSP panting on bottom!

Post by carolinasculpture »

Hi! Thank you for the response! I have an API liquid test kit. Ammonia, historically is 0 or very close to it. I have not had it register as high as 0.25, but sometimes the color is slightly off 0. I just don't have any other idea what might have caused this. I was SO sure that the ammonia was off due to him being such a cute begger and possible convincing the sitter to over feed...but now I am lost!
Thank you!
~Beth:)
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pokeystar
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Re: GSP panting on bottom!

Post by pokeystar »

If it is the ammonia, water change and check for any uneaten worm stuck in the tank
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carolinasculpture
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Re: GSP panting on bottom!

Post by carolinasculpture »

Hi All! Thank you for the help. It was not the ammonia, just a shade off 0, but I did a water change, gently...
Sitter said he ate well the first couple of days and then didn't, even live worms! Maybe an injury? Maybe caught something from the worms? Anyway, he didn't make it. :(
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Blinkey
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Re: GSP panting on bottom!

Post by Blinkey »

Sorry for your loss :( I hope this doesn't dissuade you from keeping another puff in the future.
"Life, uh, finds a way"
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eieio
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Re: GSP panting on bottom!

Post by eieio »

sorry you lost him :(
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Re: GSP panting on bottom!

Post by Pufferpunk »

:rip: Oh no, so sorry!
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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carolinasculpture
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Re: GSP panting on bottom!

Post by carolinasculpture »

Thank you, all! We do miss his buzzing all around begging for food...
Any thoughts on what could have happened? I was so sure it was ammonia...
We raise the worms and haven't had any trouble... just wish I could tell where we went wrong.
Thanks again!
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Iliveinazoo
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Re: GSP panting on bottom!

Post by Iliveinazoo »

carolinasculpture wrote:Thank you, all! We do miss his buzzing all around begging for food...
Any thoughts on what could have happened? I was so sure it was ammonia...
We raise the worms and haven't had any trouble... just wish I could tell where we went wrong.
Thanks again!
Sorry for your loss.

It must have been the ammonia levels, a level that high will kill quite quickly, the only things that I can think of that might cause a raise like that is:

1. Disturbing the substrate after leaving it for a long time.
2. Overfeeding.
3. Live plants degrading.
4. Death of tank-mate or killing off an out-of-control snail population.
5. Not changing the water often enough.
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