GSP's are wild caught, so may likely have parasites. I treated mine as a routine, just in case. I bought Prazipro on line (amazon) and was happy with it. Very safe for treating parasites. I wouldn't worry about that now however. Parasites usually are likely when your fish eats but looks very skinny. I'm sure there are other symptoms, but your guys likely suffering from cycling.
gwen
Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
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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PufferMe!
- Green Spotted Puffer
- Posts: 268
- Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 6:50 pm
- My Puffers: One green spotted puffer in 70 gallon, marine tank. Soon to add 3 yellow tail damselfish
- Location (country): USA, New Mexico
- Location: Albuquerque
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
Life is a sum of all your choices - Albert Camus
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
there's your answer to your problem, welcome to the painful world of cycling tanks with delicate fish (i say delicate i refer to this as they don't tend to tolerate amonnia/ammonium and/or nitrites; even high nitrates for that matter. hope everything works out and water change every other day pleasepufferluver wrote:Ok, and I didn't use anything from my old tank except the tank decor. (Not exactly sure what a media is..) I purchased a new filter for my 20 gal because my old filter would not aerate it as well.
*I bought a whole new filter kit, new cartridges, pump, etc.
http://youtu.be/XhUB-jLY02w <- check out my S&S Puffer =]
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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
Daily 50%, or multiples of this would be better until your water is stable.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
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pufferluver
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:15 am
- Location (country): America
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
What did my readings suggest?
My puffer no longer sits on the bottom, he is more active and seems hungry. However, he bumps into everything! He acts like he's blind. He does change color a little bit still, and I can tell he wants to eat; he just can't seem to find the food. I am hoping this is just apart of the side effects of cycling... What do you think? I know for sure, that before all of this- he could see, because he would observe me when I was in the room and he knew exactly where to go for the food. So, I'm not sure why this is happening..
Will the SafeStart speed up the cycling as well? I might go get some this weekend.
My puffer no longer sits on the bottom, he is more active and seems hungry. However, he bumps into everything! He acts like he's blind. He does change color a little bit still, and I can tell he wants to eat; he just can't seem to find the food. I am hoping this is just apart of the side effects of cycling... What do you think? I know for sure, that before all of this- he could see, because he would observe me when I was in the room and he knew exactly where to go for the food. So, I'm not sure why this is happening..
Will the SafeStart speed up the cycling as well? I might go get some this weekend.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- Gender: Female
- My Puffers: Puffers I have kept:
T lineatus
T miurus
A modestus
T biocellatus
C valentini
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C papuan
C lorteti
DPs
suvattii
burrfish
T niphobles - Location (country): USA, Greenville, SC
- Location: Greenville, SC
- Contact:
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
Bumping into things suggests nitrite poisoning. Safestart would COMPLETE the cycle.
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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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
+1 safestart should solve all your problems.
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
-
pufferluver
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:15 am
- Location (country): America
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
Ok I bought Tetra SafeStart, BUT it says it is "for all fresh water aquariums".. I was told they don't make it for marine tanks, so what I'm thinking I should do is continue water changes until I have no salinity? Then use the SafeStart?
1) Will using SafeStart (once) finish my cycling? Meaning, I won't be doing the daily water changes any more? Or will I still need to..
2) I have temporarily stopped using the Prime, as it says on the TSS bottle to do so..
2) How soon after using TSS will I need to use the Prime, or will Prime be unnecessary after that point?
4) About the salinity: How soon after I have applied TSS, should I start adding salt?
5) I am using a heater (temp=79 F) should I unplug the heater while TSS is in my tank? I don't know if warm water will kill the bacteria..
I know it's a lot of questions, but I really want this to work:) Thank you Puffer Experts!!
1) Will using SafeStart (once) finish my cycling? Meaning, I won't be doing the daily water changes any more? Or will I still need to..
2) I have temporarily stopped using the Prime, as it says on the TSS bottle to do so..
2) How soon after using TSS will I need to use the Prime, or will Prime be unnecessary after that point?
4) About the salinity: How soon after I have applied TSS, should I start adding salt?
5) I am using a heater (temp=79 F) should I unplug the heater while TSS is in my tank? I don't know if warm water will kill the bacteria..
I know it's a lot of questions, but I really want this to work:) Thank you Puffer Experts!!
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bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
I can't see prime affecting safestart. What salinity are you at?
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
-
Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- 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: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
TSS is safe to use up to 1.004. Higher than that, will probably kill off the live bacteria in there.
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!"
-
pufferluver
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:15 am
- Location (country): America
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
My salinity is 0.005
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- 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: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
You mean, 1.005? One easy WC should do it then.
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!"
-
bertie 83
- Moderator
- Posts: 5298
- Joined: Tue Apr 12, 2011 4:28 pm
- Gender: Male
- My Puffers: lineatus R.I.P, South American puffer. Valentini puffer, porcupine puffer.
Non puffer
Danios, Tetras, Redtail Rasporas,
Harlequins, CAE's, Yoyo
Loaches, Clown loaches ,Eels, various shrimp, tangs,wrasses, damsels, chromis - Location (country): Brighton, England
- Location: brighton , england
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
Yes drop to 1.003-1.004 whack the safestart if your filter and you are sorted. Hopefully he will make a speedy recovery for you. Best of luck!
It's amazing how easy maintenance is. If done regularly and thoroughly
-
pufferluver
- Puffer Fry
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sat Sep 08, 2012 10:15 am
- Location (country): America
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
Are water changes necesssary after applying the SafeStart? If so, how soon after?
When do I begin increasing the salinity?
When do I begin increasing the salinity?
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sgtmyers88
- Moderator
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- Contact:
Re: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
I would wait a minimum of 24-48 hours as the ammonia and nitrite needs time to be broke down and the bacteria to propagate and establish themselves effectively to sustain the bioload of the water column. If water is changed too soon you will be throwing out much of your benefical bacteria and possibly prolonging the cycle.
WARNING: Puffers are mischievous little blimps with enchanting powers. You may not be content with having just one.
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Pufferpunk
- Queen Admin
- Posts: 32980
- Joined: Tue May 31, 2005 11:06 am
- 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: Green Spotted Puffer Lethargic not eating
You can start raising the SG after a week of parameters being stable.
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!"