GSP with sunken stomach
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.
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Pufferdude1980
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:59 am
- Location: Winthrop Harbor, IL
GSP with sunken stomach
I have 3 GSP's in a 50 gallon tank, I have had them for a year and a half now. Two of them are about 3.5 inches and the other is about 2.5 inches. Their water parameters are as follows, Ammonia 0ppm, Nitrite 0ppm, Nitrate 20ppm, pH is 8.2 and the SG is 1.012. The smaller of the 3 has a shrunken stomach before I feed him. I feed them every other day. He has a good appetite and when done eating his belly is nice and round, but the next day it looks shrunken or like he is sucking in his stomach. He is energetic and doesn't act sick and his belly is white majority of the time. The 2 other bigger puffers look just fine, but the smaller guy is concerning me that he maybe sick. I did some research and found that Fish Tuberculosis/TB Systemic Infection, causes shrunken stomachs but I didn't see any other symptoms of that disease. I don't think its that but am not sure what it is. Has anyone seen this on a GSP?
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lisalisa
Welcome to TPF 
Your puffer has IP's. Get yourself some levimasole:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7
Also, your tank is mega overstocked. For 3 GSP's, the minimum tank size is 90-gallons. These guys get big (6", not including tail) and need SW as adults.
http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/ ... togsp.html
Your puffer has IP's. Get yourself some levimasole:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7
Also, your tank is mega overstocked. For 3 GSP's, the minimum tank size is 90-gallons. These guys get big (6", not including tail) and need SW as adults.
http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/ ... togsp.html
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Phaedrus
- Former Staff Member
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What you describe is most likely internal parasites.
Do you see any stringy feces? this can also be an indication of IPs.
Your best bet is to treat their food with levamisol. You can usually find it at livestock feed stores or even through a vet.
Also, your tank is a bit over stocked. The recommended tank size for a single full grown GSP is 30g, so eventually (sooner than later) you'd want to upgrade to a 90gallon to give them all enough water volume and territory. Can you imagine three 6 inch footballs swimming around in that 50g?
GSPs also get more aggressive as they get older and larger, and even though they may seem to get along now, this will not always be the case.
Welcome to the forum.
Do you see any stringy feces? this can also be an indication of IPs.
Your best bet is to treat their food with levamisol. You can usually find it at livestock feed stores or even through a vet.
Also, your tank is a bit over stocked. The recommended tank size for a single full grown GSP is 30g, so eventually (sooner than later) you'd want to upgrade to a 90gallon to give them all enough water volume and territory. Can you imagine three 6 inch footballs swimming around in that 50g?
GSPs also get more aggressive as they get older and larger, and even though they may seem to get along now, this will not always be the case.
Welcome to the forum.
Last edited by Phaedrus on Sat Jul 22, 2006 5:07 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Pufferdude1980
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:59 am
- Location: Winthrop Harbor, IL
Are these Parasites contagious? Can my other 2 puffers catch it? How long do I soak their food in the meds? Also one more question how fast do they grow because right now my financial situation won't allow for me to get a larger tank for them. Sorry for all these questions, I'm new to these wonderful fish and like them a lot. I want them to live long and healthy lives. Thanks again for the help it is much appreciated.
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Pufferpunk
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burrfish
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I would treat them all. They will grow slower (& possibly stunt) in that tank. Check for larger tanks & filters in a local Craigslist at: http://www.craigslist.com
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!"
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Pufferdude1980
- Puffer Fry
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Well I went to my local vet and told them what you guys told me and asked for the levimasole. They said they didn't have it. I tried another local vet and they said they didn't have it either. I'm not familiar wth any livestock feed stores in my area so I went to my LFS and checked out what they might have for internal parasites. I found a product called Ultra Cure PX and it's for treating IP's. Would you think this would be a good substitute? Heres a website with some info on it if you are curious to check it out or have never heard of it. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/p ... 004+113017
I'm sorry to say that I've tried that medicine on a gsp and it didn't work, but you can try it, and I hope it works for you. You could also look for Prazi-pro, which is another IP medicine that they may carry at your lfs. With it you can either treat the water (which means taking out all of the active carbon) or you can just soak their food in it, which would probably be easier.
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Pufferpunk
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Pufferdude1980
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Pufferpunk
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T miurus
A modestus
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C valentini
C coranata
C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
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Pufferdude1980
- Puffer Fry
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- Joined: Wed Feb 22, 2006 2:59 am
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