Oh no! Sick fish?! Come here and see if someone can help!
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.
apriljrobinson wrote:Okay, guys, could these water conditions also be responsible for the fish swimming haphazardly (ie. turning on its side and jerking itself upright)? In the past, this has been the case in my fish of a different species. Could this be the case with the GSP's?
Yes, that's what we've been trying to tell you. Did you read the articles on emergency cycling? Nitrite causes disorientation and neurological problems, and it reduces oxygen in the blood, which might be why the fish is swimming near the surface - the surface water has more oxygen. Ammonia burns the eyes, mouth, gills, and skin. This might be why your fish is not using one of his gills.
Go and do the biggest water change that you possibly can while still keeping the fish underwater - now.
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
apriljrobinson wrote:Okay, guys, could these water conditions also be responsible for the fish swimming haphazardly (ie. turning on its side and jerking itself upright)? In the past, this has been the case in my fish of a different species. Could this be the case with the GSP's?
Yes, that's what we've been trying to tell you. Did you read the articles on emergency cycling? Nitrite causes disorientation and neurological problems, and it reduces oxygen in the blood, which might be why the fish is swimming near the surface - the surface water has more oxygen. Ammonia burns the eyes, mouth, gills, and skin. This might be why your fish is not using one of his gills.
Go and do the biggest water change that you possibly can while still keeping the fish underwater - now.
hang on, hang on:
podin04 started this thread
is apriljrobinson and podin04 one and the same?
or two different people?
"I plan ahead. That way, I don't have to do anything right now!"
"I will give you a talisman. Whenever you are in doubt, or when the self becomes too much with you, apply the following test. Recall the face of the poorest and the weakest man whom you may have seen, and ask yourself, if the step you contemplate is going to be of any use to him or her. Will she gain anything by it? Will it restore her to a control over her own life and destiny? In other words, will it lead to freedom for the hungry and spiritually starving millions? Then you will find your doubts and your self melt away."
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
TO QUESTION ASKER: when i first got my fahaka, he was in terrible water and had an itty bitty tank with his previous owners, after i bought him, i mistakenly added him to an uncycled tank. it looked like something was wrong with him, so i joined TPF, just like you, thought my puffer had some parasite or disease, i originally suspected "hole in the head disease" because he had big sores on his head.
anyway, after like a 7 page thread, i realized it really was his previous tank conditions, mixed with my uncycled larger tank i had put him in, the water conditions were toxic for him which was having a MAJOR impact on his health... after i fixed his water conditions, and since he was in a larger tank than with his previous owners, he cleared up and is 110% better now... some fish react to tank size and water quality in different ways...
i would stay away from treating for IP for now... it sounds like you dont have a liquid test kit, if you are using the strips, PLS PLS PLS switch to liquid, it eliminates the guess work, and is the best way to make sure your water is safe for the fish... if your tank has ANY ammonia/nitrite, its time for a big water change, even if you just did one, if you still read any, it needs another WC. Pls dont use any tank cyclers, its bad for your tank... theres only 2 brands that work properly, and they do not need to be used every week, dont trust anything that reccomends weekly use. those cyclers just add extra junk to your tank that makes it harder for it to hold a cycle.
just to put it in perspective, GSPs need 30gal each, thats 120gals of required water for those guys, me personally, i prefer to keep upgrading my tanks as they need it... if they are still small, id get like a 75al, then graduate upto a 120gal in 6 or 7 months, craigslist makes it easier to do that at an affordable price.... thats just me though, i hate an empty looking tank. i know lots of people will disagree with me on that.
anyway, what im trying to get at is from personal experience, it sounds like a water quality issue and a tank size issue... also, in a bigger tank, it will probably be easier to switch to brackish... im not completely sure on that, but i know its easier to keep a larger marine tank than a smaller one. good luck <"((((>{
"everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid"
-Albert Einstein
kilofey wrote:anyway, after like a 7 page thread, i realized it really was his previous tank conditions, mixed with my uncycled larger tank i had put him in, the water conditions were toxic for him which was having a MAJOR impact on his health... after i fixed his water conditions, and since he was in a larger tank than with his previous owners, he cleared up and is 110% better now... some fish react to tank size and water quality in different ways...
kilofey, you've learned well!
"I plan ahead. That way, I don't have to do anything right now!"
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
To all: Yes, podin and I are one in the same; we share the puffers in a TINY apartment in HK and so, like he said, space is limited. The puffers were a gift we've grown to love and are just trying to do the best we can with what we have.
That being said, we are looking to upgrade immediately, but absolutely cannot do a 120 gal tank (nor can we do 2- 60 g tanks; yes, I considered it...) What do you suggest for a Plan B? We could probably do a 25- 30 gallon tank; could we just take care by giving it more frequent water changes? I should probably also mention that they are still tiny; about an inch or a bit more? Does that make a difference? Please help as I'd love to keep them happy, but just don't have the requisite space available.
Have you considered rehoming a couple of them? I know you have grown to love them, but if you can't provide the tank space they need, then maybe you can find someone who would provide a home for a couple, that way you get to keep a couple.
They are small now, but what happens when they start to grow? Puffers produce a big bioload, as PufferPunk has stated, and as they grow, so does the bioload, so things will only get worse, not better as they grow on. You need to consider the best for these little fish, and I would say if you can't see that you can get a bigger tank for all 4 of them, then maybe you need to consider rehoming some. Just a suggestion with consideration for the health and welfare of the puffers.
apriljrobinson wrote:To all: Yes, podin and I are one in the same; we share the puffers in a TINY apartment in HK and so, like he said, space is limited. The puffers were a gift we've grown to love and are just trying to do the best we can with what we have.
That being said, we are looking to upgrade immediately, but absolutely cannot do a 120 gal tank (nor can we do 2- 60 g tanks; yes, I considered it...) What do you suggest for a Plan B? We could probably do a 25- 30 gallon tank; could we just take care by giving it more frequent water changes? I should probably also mention that they are still tiny; about an inch or a bit more? Does that make a difference? Please help as I'd love to keep them happy, but just don't have the requisite space available.
sorry, but a 25-30 gallon tank is barely big enough for 1 GSP
as much as i understand your feelings about this, the fact remains that these puffers will be at a distinct disadvantage without the proper space and care
you have asked great questions, and been given great advice
please review this entire thread again
as pufferpuggirl wrote in her post: "You need to consider the best for these little fish."
It's all about the fish!
"I plan ahead. That way, I don't have to do anything right now!"
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
Please understand--these tank sizes we are recommending are for GSPs over 2". At the small size they are at now, 10-15g ea will suffice. So if you can get them 2 30g tanks, until you can find friends to take the other ones, that would be fantastic! Either way, frequent (possibly daily) WC will be necessary, as these tanks are not cycled.
I must say, you are taking our suggestions quite well, I know it's a lot to take in & it seems you have these fish's well being in mind.
You are getting sleepy... you only hear the sound of my voice... you must do water changes... water changes... water changes... water changes...
apriljrobinson wrote:To all: Yes, podin and I are one in the same; we share the puffers in a TINY apartment in HK and so, like he said, space is limited. The puffers were a gift we've grown to love and are just trying to do the best we can with what we have.
That being said, we are looking to upgrade immediately, but absolutely cannot do a 120 gal tank (nor can we do 2- 60 g tanks; yes, I considered it...) What do you suggest for a Plan B? We could probably do a 25- 30 gallon tank; could we just take care by giving it more frequent water changes? I should probably also mention that they are still tiny; about an inch or a bit more? Does that make a difference? Please help as I'd love to keep them happy, but just don't have the requisite space available.
Have you considered fish tank furniture? Tables, coffee tables, lamps and so on..Fish tanks can be made into furniture. Since you are in a small apartment it would just be a matter of replacing the furniture you already have..instead of finding more space.
hang on, hang on: 
