GSP Puffed Up, but can't return to normal size!!!

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.
Nick
Former Staff Member
Posts: 3231
Joined: Sun Oct 22, 2006 8:47 pm
My Puffers: Mine:
GSPs - Shakespeare and Jillybean
F8 - Velvet
My fiance:
DP - Emma Goldman
Narrow Lined Puffer - Ulrike
Location (country): Northeastern USA
Location: Middletown, CT
Contact:

Re: GSP Puffed Up, but can't return to normal size!!!

Post by Nick »

Maybe he's swallowing water, instead of puffing? Nearly the same thing, but not putting the plug up between gulps of water to allow him to "overfill" like with a real puff? That would explain the "overfed" look but the lack of food.
No matter how magnificent your successes or devastating your failures, the worlds' approximately 5 billion impoverished people could not possibly care less.
User avatar
Hilly
Mentor
Posts: 1903
Joined: Sun Jan 15, 2006 6:36 pm
Gender: Male
My Puffers: Current: Tetraodon Lineatus
Previous:
Tetraodon Sabahensis
Montrete Abei
Tetraodon Biocellatus
Carinotetraodon Salivator
Location (country): UK
Location: Nottinghamshire, UK

Re: GSP Puffed Up, but can't return to normal size!!!

Post by Hilly »

flamesofifreet wrote:Anyone think it could be an airbubble?

I would imagine an air bubble would make him struggle to swim and maintain level in the water and swim correctly, he seems to swim fine. Semi puff seems a more plausible explanation.
Hilly
User avatar
Puffalicious
Dwarf Puffer
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:06 pm

Re: GSP Puffed Up, but can't return to normal size!!!

Post by Puffalicious »

You know what i've notice is that when he eats the bloodworms i give him, he sucks in some water so the bloodworms just zooms straight to his mouth and my other puffer does not do this. I think this is why his stomach gets big when I feed him because water is sucked and stays in his stomach for a while. It takes him like 1hour before he gets to his normal size again.

Pretty interesting eh? puffers have so many different behaviors which makes them pretty intersting animals to watch and own.

On a different note, I was trying to capture the guppy frys yesterday and i had my finger in the water a little and the puffer bit me!!! I go scared at first, but it did not hurt at all. It was like a small pinch
User avatar
Myaj
Tech Team
Posts: 4587
Joined: Sat Jun 04, 2005 12:27 pm
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Bubba, turgidus
Paris, lined burrfish
Location: SE Wisconsin
Contact:

Re: GSP Puffed Up, but can't return to normal size!!!

Post by Myaj »

I watched the video last night and it didnt' really look like a puffed puffer to me, just one with a lot of food or water in its belly. But I could be wrong.
Image
User avatar
OraLacerta
Former Staff Member
Posts: 573
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 12:51 am
Gender: Female
My Puffers: Tetraodon biocellatus.
RIP: C. travancoricus, Chilomycterus schoepfi. Canthigaster jactator.
Location (country): USA
Location: USA

Re: GSP Puffed Up, but can't return to normal size!!!

Post by OraLacerta »

I agree with Hilly that if it were air- enough to make his belly that round- he would have trouble keeping upright.
-Michelle

Prevent unnecessary deaths due to disease- quarantine ALL new additions at least 4 weeks in a separate tank before adding to your main display tank!

Puffers: Hindenburg the Figure Eight, 75gallon Brackish
Post Reply