The Puffer Forum

Ok so, my Stars and Stripes Puffer has yet another problem. He is still in QT and was about to be put back into the main display but I have noticed that he is only using one gill. Like he is only breathing from one side. He is not gasping or anything, he seems normal, except the one gill is just "shut". Kind of like a clamped fin.

He had ich and got through that, he had the bacterial infection on his tail, that has been gone for a week and a half...Now this! Im getting very frustrated!

Any idea what this could be???

His QT's salinity is still being raised back up from hypo (for the ich). He is now in 1.015. I have been doing daily 25% water changes. I have not found any ammonia or nitrates. I did find a bit of nitrites a few times but nothing too bad.

I actually just looked over at him and now he is going nuts, begging for food and his gill is working again. Seems like if he gets worked up and hungry or swims around fast, it starts working again...

Any help would be great! He has been sick for over two months now with different stuff! The weird thing is, he has never seemed "sick" or been lethargic or anything. I have just been able to see the problem but he doesn't seem to care much. If that makes any sense. LOL!

If it works on & off, I wouldn't be too concerned.

Yeah...now its been working again since my first post, so about an hour almost.

This is normal. Many puffers will tuck their fin into the gill opening while resting.